Bagpipe Lessons. Heavy D Throw - Tips to perfect one of the harder bagpipe embellishments!
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE if you enjoyed this video! Downloadable PDF here: tinyurl.com/y2rff2fd
In today's video, Matt Willis Bagpiper goes over his technique for perfecting the heavy D Throw!
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Thank you Matt. My D throws need help and this is just the remedy. For those who might find this useful, too: I slowed the video down and played along with Matt at 1/2 and 3/4 speeds before going to 1x. It helped me hear the crossing noise better. Slowing the video down also allowed me to "see" how Matt doesn't lift the B and C fingers until *just* after the D finger hits the hole. The combination of visual and audio inputs were great! Thank you again.
One of thee Most Important things in Life is a Good Teacher. I thank God for Matt Willis. He has Chosen to teach us with such Love and Respect for the Great Pipes. My Grandfather played the pipes in WW1 when he was in the Black Watch.He gave me his Uniforms and I have the Utmost respect for him. Thank you Matt. You make a positive impact on my life. 😊😊😊😊
Thank you for this lesson, Matt! I love the heavy D throw and have been too lazy to practice it. I'm working on it now. Your lesson makes it so much easier to understand. Thank you for all your lessons!
i always loved this version of the d throw. luckily when i took lessons and started learning they taught me this version rather than the light one
These heavy D throws have been messing with me for weeks. This video helped make it click. I will probably try the exercises too.
Great to hear!
Matt, brilliant!! I’m doing the happy dance. Thanks to your video my Heavy d throws finally sound right!!!
Oh this is so good!
Rock on!
Great exercises! This is a great help teaching my beginners! Thank you for the pdf attachment!
You're so welcome! And glad to hear you're using this with your students!
After 8 years, i hadnt really paid much attention to my throws as they seem automatic, good relearn refresher, they are much cleaner now, thanks!
Great to hear!
This is such a great exercise. Thank you!
You're welcome! Hope it helps get you some great sounded heavy D Throws!
So Helpful, thank you !!
You're welcome! Glad you found it helpful!
Matt thank you for this video it explains very well. I much prefer the sound of the heavy version.
I hope it’s not too late to learn and replace it in my tunes.
This is refining!
Thanks for this . Honestly that's the easiest and best lesson
Glad you think so!
Excellent! You're technique vids are some the best Ive found, cheers for the PDF exercises. taorluath next?
Thanks! Please share these technique videos with any pipers in your life! The taorluath is definitely on the list of future technique videos.
Yes please, taorluath
Here's my taorluath video with PDF download! czcams.com/video/HmlFPU-AeNY/video.html
Here's my taorluath video with PDF download! czcams.com/video/HmlFPU-AeNY/video.html
Totally forgot about that tune ,nice one
When I first learned the D Throw I practiced over and over for two weeks then I sat down one day and went to play the D Throw and my fingers went ///////// all by them selves. My friends say it it was muscle memory. But I think my Mind finally threw out all the beliefs that I couldn't do it. Kind of like learning to ride a bicycle and one day you find yourself riding along and you've forgotten how to fall off.
Coming back to these lessons again...Question, from a solo perspective, would one play either the heavy D Throw all the time or play the light D Throw all the time? Or are there some examples where on one tune the light throw is better to play and another tune where the heavy throw would be better. (or even a light and a heavy in the same tune). Is is just a matter of preference as long either are played well?
For another tune option with D throws-The Witch’s Broom by Donald J Watt, available on Jack Lee’s music library. This was a VERY helpful video for me! It has really helped give my D throws a cleaner sound. Thank you so much!
I'll have to check out that tune. Glad you found the video useful!
It’s the sort of tune that will sweep you away! 😉
I learn for my Competition Teribus, and I try to Play the Throw on D
The Black Bear would also be the perfect tune to practice the heavy throw-on D. By the way, what program do you use to write your music? Thanks!
Black Bear is also a great choice! I use Finale to write my music. It's pricy, and has a bit of a learning curve, but delivers the most attractive and easiest to read sheet music in my opinion.
I would disagree with that, i have always thought that the black bear should be played as a light d throw because i have always thought the the black bear should be a nice light and easy flowing tune. But fair enough, its your opinion, you play what you suits you best
Heavy D Up In The Limousine!!
Hey Matt - I am new to your videos and really enjoy them. I'm a self-taught piper, having used College of Piping to begin quite a few years ago. Now I'm trying to 'fix' some of the bad habits that I've developed (at 60, I don't know how possible that is! lol) I've watched the videos on Heavy and light D throws. The throw, as taught in the College of Piping series 'seems' different. Do you know that method and do you think they're that different. Just curious. Again - THANK YOU - GREAT videos... I think you should have a whiskey tasting zoom party... My playing may certainly improve with me drinking a bit - or at least if others drink when listening!
The gentleman in that video is playing the D after the low G as an actual G gracenote when playing slowly in the light D throw and he then shows the second low G of the heavy throw as a full sounding tone rather than a crossing noise as I teach it.
In my experience working with digital MIDI pipe files, when played at full speed, the D in the light D throw is more open than a real D gracenote and the second low G in the heavy D throw is not a full long low G like the first. If it wasn't for the experience of working with MIDI data and bagpipes, I don't know if I would have realized that how we generally teach these embellishment is not quite in line with how we play them. In my videos, I attempt to teach folks how at least these embellishments appear to work for me in the "wild".
Glad you found the channel and thank you for becoming a patron!
@@MattWillisBagpiper Thanks for such a quick response... for the record, I started with CoP back before the internet and was using the book with accompanying cassette tape! LOL so I was modeling after that sound. It was quite confusing at the time. While it was a good tool - it's funny that the guy in the video doesn't really show what's going on, just plays it. You have been an incredible help! (For the record, I got my degree in Church Music and am an organist - not knowing anything about the bagpipes, learning was a nightmare because, in the day, I had no idea how to put a practice chanter together or why the scale was the way it was or why I was hearing different notes than were played! THANK YOU (on behalf of those just starting out - you make it make so much more sense!)
Braa brrrrra bra brrraaa!
Well said!
👌🏼
Hey Matt, a few weeks ago we chatted about osage orange practice chanters. The guy who makes them has added some videos of him playing some tunes. The Scotland The Brave set video he's using one of the chanters he's made. Here on CZcams, (Eugene Highlanders)
I just tried to search for him, but I didn't find any videos of the chanter you spoke of... Link?
@@MattWillisBagpiper This should work czcams.com/video/P3Poi4scHbI/video.html
Matt, does anyone know when the "Heavy D Throw" started to be played and who may have started teaching it and playing it in competition? I recall back in the 60's that the only "Throw" , or "D doubling" as some called it was done by playing the traditional GDC. But I also recall learning the newer Throw by using the grip. I also recall some pros (at that time) dismissing it and did not care for it. I personally like the sound of the Heavy Throw. Thanks.
I know Archie Cairns was teaching the heavy D throw for much of the twentieth century (at least according to his piobaireachd book), so I think the two styles have probably been around for quite a long time.
Thpically played in piobaireachd was what i understood.
@@MattWillisBagpiper thanks
Thanks!
Many thanks! The support is welcome!
Curious what solo scoresheet comments you might have received using this crossing noise D throw....?
Well, (in my opinion) every heavy D throw has a crossing noise! My scores sheets generally had positive comments about my heavy D throws... Now if only my other embellishments were as good back in the day!
Whats the name of the tune you start the session with, you only play a few bars of it, starts with the heavy D throw and is how learnt to do it without kinda knowing how it was structured so you put that together for me. Its a great tune for practicing but i forgot he name please help
Teribus
@@MattWillisBagpiper you are a star this was killing me as I remembered it from about 45 years ago when I used to play the pipes at school, picked it back up last year in Oct and loving it, should never have stopped playing for those 45 years. On another subject still somewhat confused as to what pipes, def smallpipes/parlour pipes but mouth or bellows and what pipes exactly...I looked at your reviews/videos and none the wiser....any further advice??I'm getting on in years and i noticed the one blokes comment that bellows likely extend your playing lifespan...but want to have the ability when available to blow a set of GHBs..??? HElp??
Me: "stubs toe"
My nearvous system: 5:24
Ha!
Definitely an interesting take with the "crossing noise" on the second low G, but it causes the second low G to be too short to hear at speed, so it sounds like you're playing a regular light D throw. You want to be able to hear all 4 notes of the heavy D throw evenly or it's not worth playing.
If the second "crossing" low G is too short to be heard, it's no longer a crossing noise. ;) So yes, you definitely need to hear it, it's just shorter than the initial Low G we play at the top of the embellishment.
@@MattWillisBagpiper I am sorry that I wasn't super clear but when you play it at full speed in this video the second low G is crushed and, it sounds like you are playing a light throw, you want all 4 notes to be the same length in order to get the heavy D throw sound. BTW light throws sound cleaner and more crisp which is why I think you are crushing the second low G.
We’ll have to agree to disagree on this. In any case, have a happy holiday season!
@@MattWillisBagpiper Have a happy holidays!
I'm struggling with my doubling on E. Too much tension in my top hand. Have you any advice for this problem? Cheers
Is the hand tight all the time or just when on the pipes?
@@MattWillisBagpiper Just when I play on the practice chanter and pipes. I think it's more a psychological problem but I can't seem to get rid of it.
Let me think of this and see if I can come up with a video on trying to help...
@@MattWillisBagpiper Great I would really appreciate this. Regards
@@WernerMi czcams.com/video/ErPUtKUPr6Y/video.html Here's my newest video on doublings. Let me know if it helps at all!
Heavy D i mastered but rushed learning double b and C and it took all the wind out of my sails trying to go back and relearn them.
Just remember there is no hurry. If it takes 3 months to master doublings, then it takes three months. You got this!
@@MattWillisBagpiper i needed that speech back in 1995 when i first tried learning. Blame it on my ADD. I have a nail practice chanter and a set of McCallums that sit in a case in my closet. Even bought a fagerstrom epipes practice chanter for when i needed to practice in quiet but just never could get my interest back. Ultimately learning to push that hard damn chanter reed and keep the drones going was to damn difficult. I never liked the sound of the synthetic chanter reed so i was habitually trying to break in a new reed that i could play even one complete song before i started drooling and my lip would blow out. Pretty embarasing when you go to highland games and watch these young small gals playing the pipes without issues and i always felt like i was fighting the Hydra.
Since my instructor wanted me to do heavy D throws for my solos, and just D throws on band competitions, I've unfortunately put in the habit of doing heavy D throws on *both* fronts since I've picked up on it after practicing it frequently.
And I'm not sure if that's a curse or blessing, considering my band doesn't really adopt heavy D throws.
Unless a pipe band is at the absolute highest level, I think it's not worth splitting hairs over which style of throw the indiviudal players use, only that they use the one they are best at. But those are my thoughts...
good🇧🇩
So.... if both d throws are written the same, how do I know which one to play?
If you’re a soloist, you get to chose! If you’re in a band, they may have a preference. I do not require a specific D throw in my pipe band, except they have to be good!
Matt Willis Bagpiper good to know. Any chance on a video for improving the regular d throw?
There will definitely be a light D throw video at some point. I need to spend some time figuring out exactly what issues people have with it and structure exercises to remedy those problems. 👍
I literally thought you had your chanter up your nose
Ha! I can totally see that in the thumbnail.
There are some pipers who play the heavy D throw so fast I almost feel they are cheating, that they're not playing all the grace notes. Matt is, though.
So...he's not playing the actual embellishment correctly? He's talking about skipping a step. That defeats the purpose.
I'm skipping a step? Not following you here...