A great strathspey comes down to two rules: hold your dots, and emphasize beats one and three. I've measured recordings of the greatest players and it really is that simple — nail the dot-cut rhythm and put a little extra length on the first and third beats, and you'll get 99.9% of the way to a great-sounding strathspey.
Never hold the short note — the emphasis always lands on the long note of the beat. Whether it's a dot-cut or a cut-dot, the dot is what you stretch; a common mistake is accidentally landing the emphasis on the wrong note, which flattens out the whole rhythm.
Use exaggeration to train the feel, then dial it back. Practicing the one-and-three pulse at an absurd, over-the-top level (on the metronome, or by literally marching in place) makes the right amount feel easy afterward — it's far harder to nudge a flat rhythm up than to rein an exaggerated one back down.
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Strathspeys
1h 4m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
13:49reel: feel vs. tempo strathspey March vs. and🔒
19:37strathspey makes strathspey the a What on page a🔒
24:39cut Why dot the and than the shorter is 'correct' is longer🔒
28:21Debunking weak' weak, 'strong, medium,🔒
30:43really emphasis and Measuring on the beats one is greats: three🔒
38:47long Molly note, Connell: the always one the never short emphasize🔒
44:52rhythm The Lombard trap🔒
52:34app Metronome in pulse the Piper's on Dialing🔒
59:47respond the to strathspey's How asymmetry dancers🔒
01:07:18teh leacp llird: puels by mcighrna in lhipsacy ratngiin A🔒
About this class
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