From: glenn baggott <g.baggott@biology.bbk.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 5 May 1998
I was quite taken by Julia's compilation of tuning drones info. from the wise of this list. Written down in this manner is a useful resource for nspipers, especially beginners, for as we all know, they don't all live in Northumberland - in fact there seems to be a pretty substantial diaspora
Another topic that could well do with airing - and then a compilation of opinions - which I don't remember being explored on this list - or predecessor - is speed at which to play the standard tune repertoire. I know this will bring a deluge of negative responses - can't prescribe, matter of individual taste, think of the song, play at dance speed etc. etc. But I suspect out there is a wealth of useful opinions for beginners, they do need a balanced, reasoned, view . One example that immediately springs to mind is the numerous occasions on which I have witnessed rosspipes@aol.com trying in sessions to slow down the playing of Wallington Hall . I have always assumed that this reflected the demands of the melody, rather than the speed at which Billy played it - composers are not always the best judge of their material - but I don't know what speed Colin was aiming for, or the have about my person the metronome markings in the Billy Pigg book. The next generations of pipers need our help on this, and other speedy issues

Date: Tue, 5 May 1998
From: Steve Meyer <steve@oseda.missouri.edu>
The incredibly limited experience of my 9 mos of piping has happily included three sessions with David Burleigh and the Longframlington Village Pipers. I'll toss in my tuppence by saying that David's frequent concern was also keeping us from running away with the tempo.
My own opinion (danger danger!) is that Northumbrian and Border music tends to the more melodic and evokative rather than the merely onamented, and that melodic intensity is what drew me to NSP in the first place.
'Course, I'd love to be _able_ to play fast....

From: Colin Ross <Rosspipes@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 5 May 1998
With Wallington Hall I think of it as a pipe march because of those "snaps" in the alternate bars. That means playing it at a marching pace and a steady one at that, not Guards pace. It seems to be something like 66 beats per bar on my metronome.
For group piping I always keep the tempo down so that the pipers can get most of the notes in. The main concern is to keep the tempo steady at the slower speed. I use the heel toe method of keeping time and this seems to prevent the speeding up that comes from flapping ones toe. We tried working with the metronome last night but it kept speeding up and slowing down and missing a beat between the A and B music so it was put away as being too unreliable(or was it ourselves at fault?)
I think you have to sense the speed a tune wants to be played at and that is something that is particular to yourself so you can see the difficulty of trying to establish a tempo for group playing. The slower speed is the best compromise most times.
Once the notes have been learnt then away you go!

Date: Tue, 5 May 1998
From: Steve Meyer <steve@oseda.missouri.edu>
It is universally known that metronomes in the northern hemisphere are adversely affected by Coriolus and Guinness forces when subject to the harmonic vortex generated by piping. No doubt a similar effect is present in the southern hemisphere, generated by the Foster's or Lindemann's transformations.
Besides, how can a mere device, possessing but one finger, count to two?