Bagpipe Player Help File
Piobaireachd & Rarely Used Embellishments
This is the Help File for the Piobaireachd codes and embellishments that are rarely used.
Piobaireachd Movements and Scoring
The Naming Conventions
This Help file details the additional codes needed for writing
piobaireachd in Bagpipe Player. The symbols used are based upon the
Piobaireachd Society and Kilberry collections. At the end of these movements
and codes are addtional embellishment that are rarely used in light music.
Cadences
Cadences are coded by the lowercase letters cad followed by the letters for the
grace notes in the cadence. e.g. cadged is a cadence with High G, E and D
grace notes. Cadences with fermatas begin with fcad.

Abbreviations
Many piobaireachd movements also appear as abbreviations (gives more
space on the staff & easier to learn the tune's patterns). The codes for the
abbreviations are the same as the movement but begin with the letter p
Unless indicated otherwise, the code for an abbreviation must be placed before
the code for a melody note. The abbreviation will then be centered over that
melody note.
Throws
Throws are coded, as closely as possible, to their canntaireachd vocables
E,F, and High G Throws

Endarig and Gendari

High A and D Throws
tra8 (ptra8) with longer Low Gs would be used with D echobeats.

G Grace Note, Thumb, and Half Throws

Grips
Like throws, Grips are coded, as closely as possible, to their canntaireachd
vocables.
Regular Grips

Half Grips

G Grace Notes and Thumb Grips

Echo Beat Grace notes
Echo beat grace notes are the second grace note strikes used in echo beat
sequences. They are played longer than the first strike and as such they are
written as 1/16th grace notes rather than 1/32nd grace notes.
Echo beat grace notes are coded with the lowercase letters echo
followed the note that is being struck. e.g. echola is an echo beat grace note
that strikes Low A. Here is an F echo beat sequence:
gg Fr_16 stre Fl_8 'e echoe E_4
Darodos
The darodo movement is like the bubly movement in light music. The darodo16
and pdarodo16 movements have longer first and last Low Gs.

Miscellaneous Movements
The following movements are also used in piobaireachd. Of note is din which
is typically used in the ending phrase of a line. It is different from a strlg
because it is a 1/16th grace note and is played. However, the din is less in
duration than echolg.

Leumluaths
- Leumluaths are used in Leumluath (grip) variations. The code for the full notation leumluath begins with lem. The leumluath using a B grace note is coded as lemb The code for the lemluath abbreviation is pl.
- The code for the abbreviation for the leumluath is placed after the code for the melody note (e.g. LA_4 pl). Bagpipe Player places the abbreviation symbol under that melody note.
During playing, Bagpipe Player processes the leumluath abbreviations as follows:
- If the melody note before the abbreviation is a Low G, Low A, B, C, D, E or F, a High G gracenote is played before the melody note. If the melody note is a High G, then a thumb gracenote is played.
- If the melody note is a High A, no gracenote is played. The embellishment is then played followed by a special E gracenote (as opposed to the E melody note), the duration of which can be adjusted.
- As shown below, there are two ways of playing the leumluath from Low G . The first (D grace note on Low A) is the style used in the Piobaireachd Society and Kilberry collections. The second (D grace note on Low G) is the style several well-known pipers over the years have promoted because it is the actual leumluath movement with the first Low G grace note removed. For consistency with the Piobaireachd Society and Kilberry collections, the abbreviation for Low G leumluath is for the first style.
Regular Leumluath

Leumluath "Breabach"
Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a Leumluath Breabach. However,
the term is used here to denote a leumluath with no special E grace note
played at the end of the movement. This permits a longer E melody note
(usually with a fermata over it) to be played. The music example below
illustrates the use of the "leumluath breabach".

Taorluaths
- Taorluaths are used in the Taorluath variations.
- The code for the abbreviation for the taorluath is placed after the code for the melody note (e.g. LA_4 pt). Bagpipe Player places the abbreviation symbol under that melody note.
During playing, Bagpipe Player processes the taorluath abbreviations as follows:
- If the melody note before the abbreviation is a Low G, Low A, B, C, D, E or F, a High G gracenote is played before the melody note. If the melody note is a High G, then a thumb gracenote is played. If the melody note is a High A, no gracenote is played. The embellishment is then played followed by a special Low A gracenote (as opposed to the Low A melody note), the duration of which can be adjustedr
- As in the Leumluath section above, there are two ways of playing the taorluath from Low G to Low A.: the D grace note on Low A style and the D grace note on Low G style. Again, for consistency with the Piobaireachd Society and Kilberry collections, the abbreviation for the taorluath from Low G to Low A is for the first style.

Closed Taorluaths

Taorluaths a Machs
- The code for the abbreviation for the taorluath a mach is placed before the code for the melody note (e.g. ptmb B_4). Bagpipe Player places the abbreviation symbol under that melody note.
- Taorluath a Machs are played the same as a regular embellishment.

Triplings
- Triplings variations are found in piobaireachds of fosgailte construction. They are like a taorluath variation.
- The code for the abbreviation for a tripling is placed before the code for the melody note (e.g. ptripla LA_16). Bagpipe Player places the abbreviation symbol under that melody note.
- Triplings are played the same as a regular embellishment.
G Grace Note Triplings
Thumb Grace Note Triplings
Half Triplings
Crunluaths
- Crunluaths are used in the Crunluath variations.
- The code for the abbreviation for the crunluath is placed after the code for the melody note (e.g. LA_4 pc). Bagpipe Player places the abbreviation symbol under that melody note.
During playing, Bagpipe Player processes the crunluath abbreviations as follows:
- If the melody note before the abbreviation is a Low G, Low A, B, C, D, E or F, a High G gracenote is played before the melody note. If the melody note is a High G, then a thumb gracenote is played. If the melody note is a High A, no gracenote is played. The embellishment is then played followed by a special E gracenote (as opposed to the E melody note), the duration of which can be adjusted.
- As in the Leumluath section above, there are two ways of playing a non-closed crunluath from Low G: the D grace note on Low A style and the D grace note on Low G style. Again, for consistency with the Piobaireachd Society and Kilberry collections, the abbreviation for the non-closed crunluath from Low G is for the first style.
Regular Crunluaths

Closed Crunluaths

Crunluath a Machs
- The code for the abbreviation for the crunluath a mach is placed before the code for the melody note (e.g. pcmb B_4). Bagpipe Player places the abbreviation symbol under that melody note.
- The abbreviations for Crunluath a Machs are played the same as regular embellishments. However, Bagpipe Player then plays the code for the melody note that follows (which is entered as a B, C, or D quarter note) to an "E".

Crunluath Fosgailte a Machs

Singling and Doubling Timelines
- The start of singling and doubling timelines are denoted by the codes 'si and 'do respectively. The end of the singling and doubling timelines is denoted by the code _'
- If singling and doubling timelines are used in a variation, then codes for the standard music theory symbols segno and dalsegno must be used to properly indicate the start and end of the variation for playing. The segno code must be placed at the start of the variation before the starting double barlines. The dalsegno code must be placed at the end of the variation after the ending double barlines.

The Bis Timeline
- "Bis" is the standard music theory symbol used to denote a passage that is played twice. Playing a certain phrase twice is quite common in piobaireachd. The use of the bis timeline is denoted by the start code 'bis and the end code bis_'
- The bis timeline rises above the singling and doubling timelines as well as the first and second time timelines.

Fine and Da Capo al Fine
- In piobaireachd, it is standard practise to play the first line of the Ground variation after finishing the final Crunluath variation. To properly represent this in the music, the codes for the standard music theory symbols dacapoalfine (meaning "return to the beginning of the piece and play until the word fine") and fine (meaning "final or end") are used.
- The dacapoalfine code is placed after the ending double barlines of the last variation. The fine code is placed after the last note to be sounded in the first line of the Ground variation.

Coda, Da Capo al Coda, and Coda Section
The standard music theory symbol coda does not normally appear in standard
bagpipe music. However, some bagpipe music arrangements that are set for
playing with other instruments, use the coda symbol. Thus, it is included here
for completeness. The following music example illustrates how coda can be
used.

- Line 1 (Ground) is played. The coda symbol is ignored during this pass.
- Line 2 (Crunluath A Mach) is played. When dacapoalcoda is encountered,Bagpipe Player branches backward to the beginnning of the music.
- Line 1 is played (again). When the coda symbol is encountered during this pass, Bagpipe Player branches forward to the codasection.
- Line 3 ("A little flourish…") is played to the end of the music.
Rarely Used Embellishments
G Grace note, Thumb and Half Strikes
gstla gstb gstc gstd lgstd gste gstf
tstla tstb tstc tstd ltstd tste tstf tsthg
hstla hstb hstc hstd lhstd hste hstf hsthg
G Grace note, Thumb and Half Grips
ggrpla ggrpb ggrpc ggrpd ggrpdb ggrpe ggrpf
tgrpla tgrpb tgrpc tgrpd tgrpdb tgrpe tgrpf tgrphg
hgrpla hgrpb hgrpc hgrpd hgrpdb hgrpe hgrpf hgrphg hgrpha
Regular, Thumb Grace note, and Half Peles
Regular Double Strikes
G Grace note, Thumb and Half Double Strikes
Regular Triple Strikes
G Grace note, Thumb and Half Triple Strikes
Double Grace notes
What if I can't find the symbol I need?
Bagpipe Player symbols are contained in seven Windows TrueType font files
(BMW1.TTF to BMW7.TTF). An eighth TrueType font file (BMW8.TTF) has
been created to hold User Requested Symbols.
If you cannot locate a particular bagpipe music embellishment among the available
symbols, contact us to request the symbol. We will either inform you of an existing
symbol combination that will meet your needs or we will create the symbol for you,
assign it a code, place it in BMW8.TTF and post it to our homepage. It will be
available for you and other Bagpipe Player users to download. Check our homepage for the most recent version of BMW8.TTF. It may already contain the symbol you desire.