Pìobaireachd / Piping

Informant(s)
Name
Ronald Morrison
Origin
Uibhisteach [Uist]
Location
Glasgow, Broomhill
Date
[1987-88]
Fieldworker
A. O’Henley
Notes
  • [NOTES: questionnaire and word-list clipped together. Both could do with some editing, especially when it comes to gathering related information under the same headword, but except for a few minor changes they have not been edited.]
  • [NOTES: some notes added (most probably by K. D. MacDonald?). See below for details.]
1. Ainm an inneil-chiùil fhéin, agus ainm gach pàirt air leth
màlthe pipe bag.
stòc, stuicstock.
sionnsairchanter.
feadannchanter.
dosdrone. 3 – fear mór, dhà bheag.
drùmanachBarra variation for drone. [NOTES: corrected to ‘drumanach’.]
gaothaireblowpipe.
bonn feadainnsilvery top of the drone.
dos meadhonach
dos a muigh
barra dhostop of the drone.
riobaineantassels.
2. A’ cluich na pìoba; ’ga gleusadh; gluasad nam meòirean
alltairmovement of the fingers.
sèideadhblowing into the bag.
gothaicheanreeds.
rifaideanreeds.
gleusadhtuning.
3. Ceòl pìoba: ainm gach seòrsa ciùil
caismeachdmusic of warning. ‘Caismeachd Chlann Chamesroin’.
fàilte (-an)salutes.
cruinneachadhgatherings. Rousing war tune.
cumhalament.
spaidsearachdceòl mór [q.v.].
dìth mhòladhsatires.
fanaidsatires.
aoirsatires.
càthbattle tunes. [NOTES: corrected to ‘cath’.]
ceòl mórclassical music of the bagpipes.
ceòl beagmarches, strathspeys, jigs, reels, hornpipes.
ceòl meadhonachsame as ‘ceòl beag’ [q.v.].
4. Faclan sam bith eile co-cheangailte ri pìobaireachd
pìobaireachdon its own does not mean you play ‘ceòl mór’ [q.v.]. Would need to add that you were – ‘a’ pìobaireachd ceòl mór’.
canntaireachdprior to staff notation, this was the term used for ‘ceòl mór’ [q.v.].
màrsadhwalking movement during the ‘ceòl mór’ [q.v.].
canntto chant, from the Gregorian chant.
canntairchanter.
fonna tune.
alt chealgrace note.
Ceòl mór
ùrlar
siubhal
taor luath
crunnlùth
Variations on the [sic] these themes:
dithistsingling.
dublachadhdoubling.
taor luath
leum luathfinger pulses. These terms derive from harp music, some of which were adopted into piping in the 17th c. [?].
ùrlar, siubhalaccepted.
iuladh
iulagcompass.
aon lùthfirst pulse.
dà lùth2-fingered movement.
trì lùth3-fingered movement corrupted into ‘taor luath’.
ceithir lùthcorrupted into crunluath [sic].
The word-list
iulachone who has knowledge of guiding.
[lùth]Trì lùth a steach, trì lùth a mach – proper terms in piping, as opposed to: Taor lùth a steach, taor lùth a mach, which are corrupt.
siubhal-na-h-òrdaigvariation.
lùth na lùdaigbirl.
crathannanshakes.
[breabach]Crunnlùth breabach – a kicking movement in pipe music. ‘Ceithir lùth breabach’ would be the correct term.
crith cheolwarblings. [NOTES: ‘cheol’ corrected to ‘cheòl’.]
dùinteclosed movement.
Harp terms. Those which have been borrowed into piping are marked [tick]
barr lùthbar.
cas lùtha turning point. ‘Cas’ borrowed from Irish.
barr lùth fosgailte
trì bhuilleachthree shakes.
glas lùth[tick] locking your finger.
glas mheur[tick] a difficult tune in piping.
taobh crobhside hand. [NOTES: ‘crobh’ corrected to ‘cròbh’.]
crònan[tick] bass sound – in the drone.
crònanachbass sound.
siubhalalso used in harp music.
iuladhleading. Borrowed from Irish ‘iluidh’. Came down to us as [sic]. Same as ‘siubhal’.
As used by General Thomason in his Ceol [sic] Mór
eallachcorrupt term used for ‘lùth na h-òrdaig’.
buillean fuaimneachechoing sounds.
crathadhdouble echo. This is the correct term.
rabhdairebad piper.
racaireused for a keening person. A kind of precentor who went before the coffin. According to tradition there was one in every village in Barra about 100 years ago.

© DASG
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