Banjo Breakdown
⚡ The Short Version
A four-parted 6/8 jig that builds to an exciting fourth part. Two beats per bar, each made of three eighth notes. Every part ends with the same repeating four-bar phrase, rather than the more typical two-bar closing.
Keep every eighth note the same length, whether it's alone or part of a triplet. Over-holding the quarter notes shortens their paired eighth note and gives the tune a stilted feel — the modern, even style of playing jigs depends on consistent eighth-note length throughout.
The GDEs need to be deliberate, clean, and controlled, especially in part three. And watch the bracketed gracenote at the start of part three — it's only played the second time through, since you're coming from a high A the first time and can't gracenote into it from there.
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⏱️ In this lesson
00:04Jig 6/8 Introduction: Four-Parted A🔒
00:36of Eighth Three Understanding Notes Two 6/8: Beats🔒
01:12Eighth in Keeping Notes Part One Even🔒
02:26Closing The Repeating Phrase🔒
03:26Three GDEs Part Through🔒
04:41Second Time Only Gracenote: The Bracketed🔒
05:08Controlling Patterns the Part Strike Four:🔒
06:38Not Strikes Keeping Light: Tight Relaxed,🔒
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▶ 00:15:24Chisholm: Reeds... Bagpipes & with Tunes, Live Warm-Up, AMA Fixing Jori Donald MacLeod Hard Fingerplus a closed Highlanders. tune first including arrangement Pipers, associated Police the run jig Banjo and City a Glasgow jigs, of The with a Breakdown of 78th with set🔒
▶ 00:17:47up Your Piping Jazznote, Breakdown the A–D–F pattern. drone A A is and pattern built-in the The between alternates chords: the Banjo low bagpipe's A–C–E–high clearly and🔒
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About this tune
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