A 6/8 march lives or dies on one note: the plain eighth note at the end of every beat. That last note of the triplet has to land exactly two thirds of the way through the beat, every single time. Get it consistent and the tune locks into its groove. Let it drift and the whole rhythm goes soft.
There are only four rhythms in the entire idiom. Dotted quarter, quarter-eighth, triplet with the dot in front, and triplet with the cut in front. Major John MacLennan contains all of them, which is why I teach it as a first 6/8 march.
On the pipes, musicality is timing. We have no dynamics and no rests, so every bit of expression comes from rhythm. Immaculate fingers and perfect tuning still sound wrong the moment a beat arrives early or a dot cut rounds off.
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The Anatomy of a Great 6/8 March: Rhythm, Expression, and Swing
54m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
⏱️ In this class
00:53makes it's 6/8 marches rhythm all What work:🔒
03:12MacLennan by John Major MacLennan G.S.🔒
05:08sounds D notes tune the long Why and happy:🔒
07:47The built from tune a rhythms just few is🔒
09:29the note last always beat plain comes eighth in The🔒
11:07mntmeeoro egitStn ppa to atuqrer-ghthei uoyr🔒
14:54four need The only rhythms will you ever🔒
18:33Lewis Donald MacLean Major Pipe of🔒
24:41march most important The thing single a in 6/8🔒
29:48a third 6/8 Why beat one two thirds and splits🔒
37:46of Torridon minor key and sound MacKenzie its🔒
41:56Musicality pipes on comes timing from the🔒
44:37you up Keeping speed the the bring when rhythm🔒
50:14plan, and for A practice sight reading 6/8s🔒
About this class
🔒 The write-up and the quotes from this class are part of the members’ page.
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