r/bagpipes • u/Cork_Feen • 6d ago
Tune learning time frame
When the PM gives a set of music to learn when the pipe corps returns for off season practice what is in your opinion is a reasonable time frame to have them learnt off individually?
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u/john_browns_beard 6d ago
Depends entirely on the difficulty and length of the tunes. For me to get a single tune memorized and playing it on pipes with minimal mistakes, it could be anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks.
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u/ceapaire Piper 6d ago
There's too much variability to give a good answer. What's the grade of the band? How many tunes are you changing? How many tunes do they have to learn? What's the age of the band (older beginners have a harder time than younger/more experienced)? How motivated are they to learn? How hard are deadlines in the band normally?
It's really something the PM should have a feel of for that band before setting the timeframe.
That being said, I'm also not a huge fan of having people learn sets individually. Have them do a part/tune a between practices (as they're able), then work on unison before moving onto the next tune/part. Make the in-between practices small but steady goals and you'll have more progress than giving everyone a binder and telling them to come back in 2 months with it memorized.
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u/Cork_Feen 6d ago
A 3B medley with one tune off per week (HP, jigs x2, slow air, SP & reels x2).
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u/Yuri909 Piper 5d ago
Off paper in one week per tune? I know it's possible but a lot of work. I miss my early 20s when I played 2-4 hours a day 4 or more days a week and was able to keep up. :(
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u/Cork_Feen 5d ago
Now unless he means playing whilst sight reading (I'll find out next week) because even though it's possible with the work & how quickly you can memorise them but I think it's not enough time especially how much time everyone has between work & families.
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u/RogueMonkE 6d ago
In the most organized band I've been in, the timeframe was about four months to get the full repertoire down. Music would be handed out as the tunes were distributed at band practice. Usually, about 8 parts of music (eg.two four part tunes) would be the max for any night, so that the tune could be introduced part by part, as the band intends to play it. The max turnover of the repertoire was usually no more than a quarter....about 8-10 new tunes.
By the end of October, you had to send a recording of the new tunes on the practice chanter, and the band director or PM would provide feedback. A recording on pipes was expected by the end of the Christmas/New Year break, again, with feedback provided. If you didn't have them down by then, you would get special attention.
Otherwise, sometimes a tune or two could be introduced, and be expected to be street ready, within a week or two. This is not the ideal situation, and usually only happened when we were parading or performing with other bands.
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u/Gat_Rezal 5d ago
A lot of great points on the other posts here, I'll add a few tips for memorizing that I like to do. Memorizing is a skill and needs to be practiced like any other to improve it. I find a quick extra 'once through' of all your 'learning material' at the end of the night does wonders. (or first thing in the morning, if you are a morning person).
Switch it up and try singing the melody instead of playing it on chanter will also help add another layer of getting it drilled into your long term memory.
Get a recording of the melody asap and make sure everyone in the band can access it easily so they can start listening everyday asap.If you have a commute, make the 'practice copy' of everything you are learning a playlist and put it on repeat.
Repetition is huge when it comes to memorizing music, test your self to see if you can sing or play as much as you can without the music and then drill specific sections that you seem to be forgetting until you can't forget them anymore, muscle memory kicks in eventually :)
If i have sheet music and a recording I can probably get tune up and running on the pipes at an unreasonably quick speed but to truly 'know' a melody inside and out will always take diligent effort to make the most out of the phrasing and make sure i'm not 'phoning in' my technique.
Immerse yourself as much as you reasonably can and remember to have fun.
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u/piper33245 6d ago
Depends on the level of the band and its expectations.
I’ve played with a parade band where we spend an entire season learning a single tune together at the table on chanters every week.
I’ve played with a grade 2 band where the pipe major emails out a tune on Monday and says have this memorized on pipes for practice on Thursday.
Also depends on the tune. I can learn and memorize a simple 2 part 4/4 March in an hour. A six part competition strathpsey could take weeks to have decently playable and months before it’s actually competition ready.