Major John MacLennan
⚡ The Short Version
A 6/8 march that scales with you. Major John MacLennan works as a first 6/8 march for a grade 4 competitor, but it's substantial enough that top amateurs and professionals still play it.
Four rhythms cover almost everything. The dotted quarter note, the triplet, the quarter-eighth pattern, and the reversed-triplet pattern make up nearly all the rhythms you'll find in traditional-style 6/8 marches.
Give the third note of every triplet its full value. The eighth note in the third position of the triplet is the offbeat of a 6/8 march — cut it short and the tune sounds stilted; hold it properly and it gets its natural lift.
🔒 You're seeing the free preview of this page. Join the Inner Circle for the recordings, sheet music, and the full lesson, or log in if you're already a member.
▶
🎧 Full Recorded Lesson with Jori ChisholmMy complete note-by-note lesson on this tune — members only, no free sample
🔒 Members
⬇️ Your downloads
🎼Sheet MusicPDF📄Bonus SheetPDF · Tips & Background🎵Tune Recording (Full Bagpipes)MP3🎧Full Recorded Lesson with Jori ChisholmMP3
⏱️ In this lesson
00:05That at Grade Every March A Works 6/8🔒
01:10Core The Four Rhythms🔒
02:34Feel Key 6/8 Triplet's Third The to Note:🔒
04:48to Offbeat the Using Metronome the Train🔒
06:49Doubling the as D Throws D a and Strike🔒
08:06Third Playing the Part🔒
08:42in Part Fourth Half F The the Doubling🔒
09:32rseedeRv tsileTrp🔒
10:436/8 Summary: Rhythms, Every March Four🔒
Jumping to a moment is a member feature — join or log in to use it.
🎬 Every class moment about this tune
Every time Major John MacLennan came up in a live class, with the moment I said it — click a timestamp and you land right there.
▶ 00:12:25McLennan Genius Piping of the G.S. The Greatest TunesJohn I that all the 6/8 notes the rhythmically whole simple, MacLennan quarter with is fill first my Major beat. students: long dotted teach🔒
▶ 00:14:30McLennan Genius Piping of the G.S. The Greatest Tunesof two whole figures MacLennan John up on part the The learner: the fourth only every such triplets the trips in Major cut a first note with note, tune.🔒
▶ 00:09:56Tune & Understanding Strathspeys, Reels More Types: Marches,march, simple, that's John a of a and Pipe is phrase The Donald opens great with MacLean powerful, so 6/8 Lewis four-parted so catchy. MacLennan Major Major so🔒
🔒 Jumping to these moments is a member feature — join or log in to use it.
About this tune
🔒 The write-up and the quotes from this tune are part of the members’ page.
and lower marches of; by up many range it's works — professional the note tune from tune piper a out Major but you grade to a 6/8 the first a huge not and written composer McLennan. ranks. is one MacLennan that grades, four-parted have don't through G.S. for in 6/8 march unlike the piper grow as grade John grade a a John played types, still I competing of all difficulty it's march Major 6/8 way famous other
🔒 The rest of this write-up is for members — join or log in To read it all
out for would kind of.” “So perfect John Major your grow would not be for it's you the 6/8, learning of but first tune that
the note marches its “A give eighth in these you correctly in more, making full sure and value, is factor third not not that less.” and 6/8 expressing big that position
🔒 This part of the page unlocks for Inner Circle members.