Canntaireachd

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Canntaireachd

Scale Chart

	Scale Plain	Scale with G Grace Note	Scale with E Grace Note	Scale with D Grace Note
A	I
G	di, vi	hi
F	dhe, ve	he
E	e, de	che
D	a, da, ba	ha	ea
C	o	ho	eo	do
B	o	hio	eo	to
A	en	hin	en	dan
G	em	him	em	dam, bam

Piobaireachd Variations

Dithis	Written in accordance with scale chart above, e.g., himen hinen, hioen, and hinen, hioeo, hoeo, etc.
Siubhal	Ditto, e.g., hinda, hindo, hiodo, himto.
Leumluath	For the Leumluath beat to E from any note other that D the symbol is bare, e.g., hiobare, hobare, etc. From D to E harode (using B grace note), or habare (using D grace note). To F (as in Cronan na Caillich) barhe. To high G bari, and to high A darI (Park Piobaireachd) or possibly barI.
Taorluath	The symbol for the Taorluath beat is darid, e.g., hodarid, hadarid. Taorluath to low G is darem, e.g., hiodarem.
Taorluath Breabach	the same with the addition of one note according to the scale chart.
Taorluath a Mach	is expressed hiotroeo (B), hodroeo (C), and hiotraea (D).
Tripling	is himbabem or himbaem (low G), hindaen (A), hiotoeo (B), and hodoeo (C). Followed by melody note, e.g., hindaenda hindaendo, hiotoeodo, himbabemto. Low G tripling followed by low G is sometimes himbamembam.
Crunluath	The symbol for the Crunluath beat is bandre, e.g., habandre, chebandre, etc. Sometimes (e.g. in The Blue Ribbon) the Crunluath on D is written harobandre. Crunluath to low G is bamdre, e.g., himbamdre.
Crunluath Breabach	the same with the addition of two notes according to the scale chart.
Crunluath a Mach	is expressed hiotrodre (B), hodrodre (C), and hiotradre (D).
Crunluath Fosgailte	First two notes as per scale chart, followed by dre (which represents the throw on E), e.g., hindodre, hintodre, etc.

Cadences

The cadence E is little used in the Nether Lorn MSS., but when it appears it is shown by the prefix hi, followed by the melody note as if played with a G grace note instead of D, e.g., hihodin, but hienem.

Doublings and Throws
On D	Tra
On high A	dili
On E from a note lower than E	dre
On E from a note higher than E	edre
On F from a note lower than F	dare
On F from a note higher than F	vedare
On F from F itself	hedale
From E to high G	chedari or chehedari
Doubling from low G to high G	embari or himbari
Doubling from low A to high G	endari or hinbari

Grips
On low A	ban, bain
On B	tro
On C	dro
From D to D	adeda or ademda
Echoing Beats
On low A	hiharin
B to B	hihorodo
D to D	hiharara - Abbreviated to hihara in Angus MacKay's "Specimens of Canntaireachd". Possibly hiharin may be also an abbreviation.
E to E	cherede
F to F	herere
High G to high G	hiriri

Various Other Movements
Low A preceded by low G grace note	din, e.g., hihiodin
D to low A with low G, B, low G grace notes	harodin
C to low A with low G, B, low G grace notes	horodin
B preceded by low G, D, low G, C, low G grace notes	darodo
E to D followed by C, with F, D, and E grace notes	chelalho
Short B and C to low A preceded by low G grace note, as in Cumha Chlaibhers	hiodin, odin, and hodin

Example of Canntaireachd Notation

Here are the Ground and first variation of the classical piobaireachd the Cave of Gold, attributed to Donald Mor MacCrimmon, ca. 1610.

Nether Lorn Canntaireachd:

Urlar

Hienodro hiemotro, hienodro dare edre, hienodro hiemotro, hiendre odrorode, (repeat)
Hiendare cherede, hienotro hihorodo, hiendare cherede, hienedre odrorode,
Hiendare cherede, hienotro hihorodo, hienodro hiemotro, hiendre odrorode.

Var. I

Hinen hoen himen hioen, hinen hoen heen cheen, hinen hoen himen hioen, hinen cheen hoen hinen, (repeat)
Hinen heen cheen cheen, hinen hioen hioen hioen, hinen heen cheen cheen, hinen cheen hoen hinen,
Hinen heen cheen cheen, hinen hioen hioen hioen, hinen hoen himen hioen, hinen cheen hoen hinen.

MacCrimmon Canntaireachd:

Urlar

Heinbodrie heunbodro, heinbodrie bitri betre, heinbodrie heunbodro, heinbetre odrierarierin, (repeat)
Heinbitri hereinve, heinbodro heororo, heinbitri hereinve, heinbetre odrierarierin,
Heinbitri hereinve, heinbodro heororo, heinbodrie heunbodro, heinbetre odrierarierin.

Var. I

Hindin hiehin hundin hohin, hindin hiehin hihin hehin, hindin hiehin hundin hohin, hindin hehin hiehin hindin, (repeat)
Hindin hihin hehin hehin, hindin hohin hohin hohin, hindin hihin hehin hehin, hindin hehin hiehin hindin,
Hindin hihin hehin hehin, hindin hohin hohin hohin, hindin hiehin hundin hohin, hindin hehin hiehin hindin.

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