What's in a well-rounded piper's repertoire?

[KD Burke]

I dearly love the pipes. One day I hope to learn to play (at least as well as a non-musical, hand-eye coordination challenged, dyslexic baboon ).

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day who, quite good-naturedly, suggested that "Scotland the Brave" and "Amazing Grace" accounted for 95% of the modern piper's workload. Of course, this is nonsense, but....

So, to all the pipers out there, what tunes are you called upon most often to perform?

What tunes do you wish you could perform more often? (I'll find this one useful when the local pipe band shows up at the pub!)

[McClef]

I always request Highland Cathedral myself!

[george7]

A well-rounded piper will have a number of standard tunes in the repertoire.

There are tunes called massed band tunes, because when all of the local bands play in a massive band, they should be familiar with said tunes.

In my region (EUSPBA) the massed band tunes are:

Amazing Grace
Bonnie Dundee
Brown Haired Maiden
Glendaruel Highlanders
Green Hills of Tyrol
High Road to Gairloch
Highland Laddie
Minstrel Boy
The Rowan Tree
Scotland The Brave
When The Battle's O'er
Wings

Most seasoned pipers will also know some of the following

Ault Lang Syne
Balmoral
Cabar Feidh
Crags of Tumbledown Mountain
Flower of Scotland
Highland Cathedral
Pikeman's March
Pipe Major JK Cairnes
Rakes of Mallow

As you progress into Jigs and Reels you'll probably pick up a few of these.

Banjo Breakdown
The Clumsy Lover
The Gravel Path
Itchy Fingers

That's without adding anything tricky or contemporary.

American Pipers will probably know a few patriotic tunes.

Street pipers (or competitive pipers who also play at bars) will know a few show tunes (Steam Train To Mallaige or We Will Rock You)

But as for your friend... he's right. I would add Danny Boy to his two tunes and that would be just about everything I've been asked to play by name.

[SteveB]

Around here the first few are Amazing Grace (darned near everyone) Scotland the Brave, Star of the County Down, Danny Boy, Loch Lomon, Mari's Wedding.
Popular but not requested:
Mist Covered Mountains
Hey Jude
Marine's Hymn
Caisson Song
God Bless America

I have a lot of learning to do yet.

[beloitpiper]

George, that's a great list. I'll add a few more I hear/play often (note: I was in an Irish pipe band)

Mairi's Wedding
Murdo's Wedding
The Kelly
Wearing of the Green
Garry Owen
Cock O' The North
Black Bear
Atholl Highlanders
Cockney Jocks
Going Home
Skye Boat Song
Old Rustic Bridge
Danny Boy
Flowers of the Forest

[george7]

George, that's a great list. I'll add a few more I hear/play often (note: I was in an Irish pipe band)

Mairi's Wedding
Murdo's Wedding
The Kelly
Wearing of the Green
Garry Owen
Cock O' The North
Black Bear
Atholl Highlanders
Cockney Jocks
Going Home
Skye Boat Song
Old Rustic Bridge
Danny Boy
Flowers of the Forest

Very good. All around popular and traditional.
Unfortunately, Cock O' The North and Black Bear are out of reach for a portion of our membership. The band is working on PM Donald MacLean of Lewis, one of my favorite 6/8's.

I quite like this thread. I think it has a lot of potential, especially for non-pipers. Go out and look these tunes up on youtube... then start requesting them. I would love somebody to request something other than Scotland the Brave, Amazing Grace, Danny Boy, or Free Bird.

[Spartan]

That's a helpful question, and as a newbie piper, I appreciate the lists.

The P/M's from three Phoenix pipe bands recently got together to compile a list of common tunes for Arizona pipe bands for occasions when they play together. This is the list that was presented at a recent meeting of the Phoenix Piper's Club.

Green Hills
Battle's O'er
Scotland the Brave
Rowan Tree
The Minstrel Boy
Let Erin Remember
Amazing Grace
America the Beautiful
Balmoral
Hector the Hero
Wings
Going Home

[EagleJCS]

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day who, quite good-naturedly, suggested that "Scotland the Brave" and "Amazing Grace" accounted for 95% of the modern piper's workload. Of course, this is nonsense, but....

So, to all the pipers out there, what tunes are you called upon most often to perform?

Well, your friend's probably not that far off. The percentage is more likely to be closer to 45%, but those are probably two of the tunes most people (generally speaking, in regards to the non-piping enthusiast public) would know to ask for.

What tunes do you wish you could perform more often? (I'll find this one useful when the local pipe band shows up at the pub!)

george7, et. al., have done a good job of listing most of the more common tunes. I wish I could perform half of them. I'm not quite a well-rounded piper yet - I can't get my fingers to move quickly enough for some of the 6/8's, much less the 2/4 marches - which are actually more challenging, at least to me - and the dance tunes (strathspeys, jigs, and reels).

Unfortunately, a lot of the American patriotic tunes don't fit the scale of the Great Highland pipes. Even 'God Bless America' - which comes pretty close, a lot closer than others - has to drop an octave on a couple of notes. I usually advise against playing them because they just don't sound right to my ear - just my opinion.

In answer to the leading thread question, though, a well-rounded piper should probably have a few tunes of each type in their repertoire (slow airs; 2/4, 4/4, and 6/8 marches;strathspeys; reels; jigs; and retreats - typically 3/4 marches) and should not ignore piobaireachd (pibroch) either. At least study the form, if not learn a couple of full tunes.

[jeremy j starche]

American Pipers will probably know a few patriotic tunes.

But as for your friend... he's right. I would add Danny Boy to his two tunes and that would be just about everything I've been asked to play by name.

I'd also add 'Ave Maria' to the list of things that are requested, but its a distant fourth to AG, StB, and DB.

[Zardoz]

Dougie MacLean's 'The Gael' is a fantastic pipe tune, but I hardly ever hear it.