From the playing the tunes on my various sorts of pipes, it seems clear that Dixon did play an instrument with a flattened 7th. But in my experience the flat 7th is sharper on Highland pipes than on SSP or most BP. I don't think his fingering was anything like modern Highland piping fingering though. And, personally, I like Dixon's tunes on the NSP and SSP best. That's not a judgement or historical argument, just a matter of personal taste.
On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 3:52 PM, Gibbons, John <[1]j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk> wrote: There is also the question of what did Dixon intend by his blank key signature? Did it mean 'this tune is in Gmix/Cmajor or Adorian'? Or did it mean, as with Highland pipe music, 'I am not bothering to say what the actual key signature is, as you know already'? John ________________________________________ From: [2]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [[3]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] on behalf of Matt Seattle [[4]theborderpi...@googlemail.com] Sent: 29 February 2012 23:01 To: Dartmouth NPS Subject: [NSP] Re: March 2012 TOTM: "Adam a Bell" selected by Julia Say On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 10:33 PM, John Dally <[1][5]dir...@gmail.com> wrote: Dixon's tunes as transcribed in THE MASTER PIPER are in A mixolydian and the NSpiper has to take into account that there is more involved than simply transposing to G major, and in the case of some of the tunes he/she might just as well play them as written in THE MASTER PIPER. It's an interesting viewpoint, John. There is the precedent of Billy Pigg's 'Skye Crofters' played in nominal A on NSP. In what key do you play 'Athol Highlanders' on NSP? I have to say, it's not a problem for me. I don't play NSP. I have enough other problems. -- References 1. mailto:[6]dir...@gmail.com To get on or off this list see list information at [7]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. mailto:j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk 2. mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu 3. mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu 4. mailto:theborderpi...@googlemail.com 5. mailto:dir...@gmail.com 6. mailto:dir...@gmail.com 7. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html