A 4/4 march is one of only three pipe tune types where we never repeat the parts, and it's because of length, not tradition for its own sake. At the same tempo, an unrepeated 4/4 lasts exactly as long as a repeated 2/4, so my guess is the form was simply judged long enough already, the same logic that keeps strathspeys and reels from repeating in sync with a dancer's steps.
The setup note, not the short note itself, is where a dot-cut tune actually gets won or lost. If I hold the note right before a short beat note its full proper length, I physically cannot rush the short note early — my advice is to stop fixating on the short note and start focusing on what comes right before it.
Every good 4/4 march has a dominant flavor, and building a set is about varying that flavor while holding tempo and rhythm constant. Lord Lovat's Lament sits in A-C-E, Wee Highland Laddie sits in B, Meeting of the Waters sits in D — string a few of these two-parted tunes together and you get real melodic contrast without ever breaking the groove.
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Classic 4/4 Marches
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About this class
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