My understanding is that it's the first of your definitions. You're right that many NSPers use it to some extent, and, used sparingly, it can help reinforce rhythm as we don't have the luxury of dynamics. To my mind the problem occurs either when these open gracings become habit and end up shoved in any old place, or when they're executed so loosely that they jarr on the ear in much the same way that crossover noises do in bad Border piping.
I've avoided mentioning Billy Pigg so far! He was taught in the Clough tradition but chose to incorporate some Highland gracing - sometimes as a means of imitating GHB, but more often to punch the rhythm along. Sometimes it feels too much, but often it gives a sense of adrenalin and testosterone (even on our girlie pipes - I feel another thread coming on!). This is probably to do with the speed at which the gracings are executed, and which fingers are used. A quick F# cut sounds a lot more clean than the flaccid effect of using the D finger. Chris > I thought "choyting" was restricted the gracing of lower notes with a cut > (quick grace note of a higher note preceeding the playing of a lower > note). > Does it just mean this (which is common in some NSPers playing) or is it > the > full Highland gracing arsenal? > > And whatever the definition of "choyting" turns out to be, is it always > frown upon or just when done frequently? > > Not wanting to be known as a "choyteur", > John Liestman > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2006 4:41 PM > To: nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu > Subject: [NSP] to choyte or not to choyte > > > My interpretation of the word 'choyte' is that it refers to gratuitous > gracings applied on the small pipe chanter in the manner of the highland > pipes. It > is interesting that the word 'teuchter' (pronounced chookter), that is > applied to Highlanders speaking in the Gaelic in Glasgow, referred to > their > speech > sounding like chickens clucking. Is it possible that Clough had this in > mind > that when he used the term to choyte he was thinking of the Glasgow > derisory > term in speaking of pipers playing in that same clucking manner? > I think that Chris is dead right in saying that the main theme of New > Highland Laddie should be played like slow march and not like the reel > Rachel Rae > that it is the same as. > Colin Ross > > -- > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.7.1/347 - Release Date: 5/24/2006 > > > > >
