Help with which Key Whistle.

narrowdog · Post by **narrowdog** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 6:14 am

OBrien · Post by **OBrien** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:54 am

I think the best solution would be a D+ whistle with a seventh hole for low Cnat. Or you could transpose to Gmix and half-hole the Fnat. Fnat is the lowest note, so you could half-tape hole 5. Playing it on an A whistle with hole 5 half-taped will bring it back to the original Dmix.

NicoMoreno · Post by **NicoMoreno** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 10:12 am

Most versions not on highland (or related) pipes are adjusted to avoid the C# altogether. See: "The Chieftains" (ie, do a D cran instead)

bogman · Post by **bogman** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 12:35 pm

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:36 pm

I'm with Nico. I've never heard it with a low C-nat. I think of this as an uilleann piping tune (clan march), and there's no low C-nat to be had. So a regular D whistle is the ticket, especially for those D crans. (Yes, bogman's suggestion also works.)

This is a case where the dots can lead you astray. A transcription, out of context, is always just one person's idea of what to play on one particular (and unknown) instrument. If it doesn't match your idea and your instrument, you change it up to make it work. And never let one or two - or many - notes in a transcription hold you hostage to the dots.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:56 pm

MTGuru wrote:I think of this as an uilleann piping tune (clan march), and there's no low C-nat to be had.

But, FWIW, the tune falls perfectly within the Mixolydian compass of the GHB scale, and on a D whistle you can play it in A Mixo. We don't know the age of the tune, but general lore likes to call it "very old". I always imagined it might predate the uilleann pipes*, anyway. And it sounds quirky enough.

I can't recall if I ever heard it played on the Great Pipes, but certainly a birl for example, instead of a crann, might not be out of the question. Otherwise, I agree that on other instruments cranns should suit just fine - besides, they're fun - or alternative melodic solutions such as an E instead of a Cnat.

* I know one fellow who'll swear it's probably originally a harp tune. But from a harper, of course that goes without saying.

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:19 pm

Sure, Nano. I just mean that whenever this tune comes up in contemporary sessions, or clan marches generally, it's usually a piper with drones and regs a-flying. Or maybe a zouker.

As for the age ... I have a friend who enjoys having his hot buttons pushed on that topic. From a strictly empirical view, it's been a while since there's been a King of Laois marching around. Unless you count George V. How's that for a terminus ante quem?

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:31 pm

MTGuru wrote:From a strictly empirical view, it's been a while since there's been a King of Laois marching around.

You see the "King of Leash" being led around in this neck o' the woods from time to time, anyway.

Crann-it-tee crann a-crann-crann-it-tee crann.

narrowdog · Post by **narrowdog** » Fri Jun 18, 2010 12:10 am

Thanks for all the responses and help
I should have mentioned in my initial post
that they play it in Dmix at our session with the low C nat.

bogman wrote:it's simple on a G whistle, just play it like this and it's Dmix...

X: 1
T: March Of The Kings Of Laois
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K:Amix
e2c e2A|e2c e2A|f2d e2c|d2c B>cd|
e2c e2A|e2c e2a|f2a e>ad|c>ac B2A|c>BA d>cB|
e3 e>dc|B>gd B>GB|d>gd B>GB|A>BA A>BA|A>BA A3:|
|:f2d a2d|f>ed a2d|e2a e2a|c2a e>ae|
f2a a>fe|d>cd B>cd|c>BA d>ef|e3 edc|
B>gd B>GB|d>gd B>GB|A>BA A>BA|A>BA A3:|

So thanks Bogman I think that'll sort it out

bogman · Post by **bogman** » Fri Jun 18, 2010 3:51 am

The low C nat is often missed in Irish versions of the tune because of the nature of the instruments playing it. It's almost definitely a Scottish tune with strong Irish connections, probably between 300 and 500 years old, and is usually in Amix here within the Highland pipe range. The tune takes a similar for to piobaireachd, the classic music of the pipes. It's known here in the highlans as Duncan MacRaes Lament. Here's a clip of it being played by Allan MacDonald of Glenuig http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB9FxF2fAeU Should maybe mention he's not playing GHB there, there's session pipes. That's why it's A mix and not Bb mix.

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