The High Road to Gairloch
⚡ The Short Version
A great first 2/4 march. The High Road to Gairloch is a simple two-parted 2/4 march that's very popular as an introductory tune for learning the 2/4 march idiom — many pipers learn it as their first competition march.
Double-dot, double-cut for the right snap. I write the dot-cut pairs with a double dot and double cut rather than the more common dotted-eighth-and-sixteenth notation, because it more accurately reflects how pipers actually play the tune — the long note held for nearly the whole beat, the short note as brief as possible.
Watch short notes heading into embellishments. Bar seven's short B flowing into a C doubling, and bar four's D throw from low G, both require the short note to stay short without crushing the following movement.
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⏱️ In this lesson
00:042/4 first simple, popular march A🔒
00:22two 2/4 time: bar per beats🔒
00:35single a fill can What beat🔒
00:53Why double-dot, notation double-cut🔒
01:35first Playing the part🔒
02:28doubling short into flowing B Bar a seven: the C🔒
03:53— notation The from low G a throw D quirk🔒
05:07and second steady part execution dot-cut The🔒
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🎬 Every class moment about this tune
Every time The High Road to Gairloch came up in a live class, with the moment I said it — click a timestamp and you land right there.
▶ 00:12:25of The MacColl John Tunesthe eighth part part t… up even The you sparse, Arthur Bignold first is High three notes bars sneaks of and expect has Road like small you: in on a the 2/4 would second🔒
▶ 00:12:33Tune & Understanding Strathspeys, Reels More Types: Marches,pack and High The simple and Highland one- to 2/4s and use competition two-parted; are Road like little in Gairloch beats 2/4s three- f… usually and The Laddie two-note🔒
▶ 00:00:05Rocks Barren The of AdenRoad a is with Highland to march, in The Aden The of Rocks classic Laddie played by High often 2/4 bands a Barren set Gairloch. or pipe🔒
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About this tune
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