Hey,
I’ve just noticed that I’ve been playing acd for the bcd triplets open and closed style. I was wondering what the best fingerings are for this triplet? What fingering should I use to play this triplet in legato smoothly and with speed? Is it just the same as going up the scale but with a triplet, or is there a fast shortcut like you use for the staccato? Thanks!
-Andreas L.
I use the same fingering as the scale.
You can play a one-finger B on most chanters. It’ll sound a little flat but if you play the note quickly, you should get away with it.
Play the b with two fingers in a bcd triplet.
When I started slowing down recordings and really listening to pipers it became apparent that oftentimes the first note of a “staccato triplet” is actually legato, that often only the middle note of the triplet is played “tight”.
So for example if a tune goes
G A (B C# D)
most pipers I’ve heard will go from A to B legato, only the C# being staccato.
Then I started listening to good pipers who play that triplet entirely legato and I’ve started doing that.
You’re going to want to keep that one tight.
In my experience of learning the pipes those top hand triplets are difficult to get really tight and it’s easy to be discouraged and resign oneself to playing them legato, but it’s worth trying to get them pippity-pip like, i think.
Two finger B does give you a clearer, more in-tune note but it’s more difficult to play it tight, i reckon. A single finger B is far inferior but, as PJ says, if you play it quick enough nobody will notice.
I don’t find using two fingers for the B to be any more difficult than using one. I do agree, however, that using two fingers for the B is more difficult when the B is the middle note in a triplet.
Then again, my triplets are still pretty slow at this stage.
I’d respectfully disagree. In a staccato triplet, I always play the B with one finger. All this talk about the note being flat is a bit silly–you’re only going to hear the note for a fraction of a second!
It just seems more intuitive to me when you’re first learning to be generally consistent about techniques that you use for staccato notes. Seems less likely to get sloppy that way. Then again, if you get the same result with two fingers, great. Ultimately, the right answer is what works best for you.
With the one-fingered B, much depends on the chanter or the reed, which is why I qualified my original reply with “most chanters”. Try it and see if it works on your particular chanter. If not, then use the standard 2-fingered B.
I command you to play the b with two fingers.
Well, since you put it that way …
Unless, of course, you have such huge hands that you can cover two holes with one finger.
some of the best pipers out there play it legato, so why shouldn’t I?
Because I said so.
Because he said so.
Listen to your elders and betters.
Especially Mark.
Whu-what? Sorry? Play b with two fingers? Uh, well. I guess I’ve been told. Tell me, sirs, why pick me out of the madding crowd? What have I done? Really, I mean it’s just a little bit too much-- Oh. You uh, you saw that, did you? With the Abercrombie and Fitch saleswoman and everything. Huh. Ahem. Just curious here, where was the camera? Or was that you guys in the carry-on luggage? Really? You both fit in there. Wow, that’s… spooky.
Mark
(Yes, I know. Not me. Some other Mark. But I couldn’t resist.)
Thanks for the input, much appreciated! Although on the discussion as whether to play it legato or staccato, I find that using both adds variation and character to the piece you’re playing. Some tunes might just use legato triplets which lend to it a sense of flowing smoothly while others just use staccato or even both.