📖 Topic GuideRhythm & Timing4 linked class moments

💃 Waltz Rhythm

A reel or a hornpipe regrouped into threes — the bagpipe's take on the traditional waltz pulse.

⚡ The Short Version

A waltz is a bagpipe tune regrouped into threes. Where a reel counts one-two, one-two, a bagpipe waltz counts one-two-three, one-two-three — the same pulse as the traditional dance.

Waltzes are usually arrangements, not original compositions. The Fox Hunters started life as a jig before being arranged as a waltz, and I demonstrate the same conversion live, turning the Traditional Irish Reel and The Ale Is Dear into waltzes.

A waltz sits between a hornpipe and a reel. It's the same family of dance tune — just grouped in threes instead of twos.

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1Our final category of tune is the waltz. If you know anything about the traditional dance of the waltz, it's in threes: one-two-three, one-two-three. And that's exactly w…Understanding Tune Types: Marches, Strathspeys, Reels & More · ▶ 34:08🔒

2Another famous piping waltz is The Fox Hunters. Fox Hunters was originally a jig, and then it was arranged as a waltz.…Understanding Tune Types: Marches, Strathspeys, Reels & More · ▶ 35:06🔒

3In dance tunes, we have our compound time jigs — triplets, but real even, fast, smooth playing with a lot of drive. We have our strathspeys, with a strong dot-cut and tha…Understanding Tune Types: Marches, Strathspeys, Reels & More · ▶ 35:54🔒

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About Waltz Rhythm

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✅ The essentials

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⭐ Essential Highlights

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“piping Another was originally waltz Fox it as a waltz. then jig, is famous Hunters. was arranged The a Fox and Hunters”▶ 35:06 · Understanding Tune Types: Marches, Strathspeys, Reels & More

“have the In with our reels fast, in we and even, three. much our in round hornpipes compound finally We of really and time hornpipes. emphasis dot-cut And real We we tunes, strathspeys, groups drive. are have then playing lot jigs beats. on a our of a strong beat smooth styles. have hornpipes, and have we played pretty which waltzes, In pointed — round dance have pointed that first strong third and triplets, with our but our reels”▶ 35:54 · Understanding Tune Types: Marches, Strathspeys, Reels & More

“Reels just the dot-cut our of — three reel, have but between type round there. thing, instead waltz of in a time have different two same groups jigs. Within we And ones. and the hornpipe of have Hornpipes, Strathspeys, some is dot-cut. of we one jigs, round with signatures subcategories. and beats. sort we those and With a”▶ 03:10 · Masterpieces in Miniature

What makes a waltz a waltz: threes instead of twos

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▶ 35:54as of reel waltz a in three played described groups AUnderstanding Tune Types: Marches, Strathspeys, Reels & More ▶ 03:10waltz between hornpipe placed threes instead a reel, of in two a in and A grouped beatsMasterpieces in Miniature

Waltzes as arrangements: turning a reel or a jig into threes

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▶ 35:06Fox into a arranged Hunters: The jig, waltz a originallyUnderstanding Tune Types: Marches, Strathspeys, Reels & More ▶ 34:08and The Reel The demonstrated a Traditional as Dear, Ale first then waltz as a reel Irish and each IsUnderstanding Tune Types: Marches, Strathspeys, Reels & More

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