Transcript

File: macdonaldpaul-oh-doublestops_M.mp3

Speakers:

PM – Paul MacDonald

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

PM: That's right. The most common one is…

Demonstrates Double Stop on G and B (strings 3 and 2, respectively)

PM There's G right there for you. The ones that you'll see is like (plays G and B together again). Now one that I use and very few others around do is instead – Most will end a tune like (demonstrates G on string 3 plus B on string 2); I'll usually end it (demonstrates bowing open 4^th string plus G an octave higher on string 3). I'll use my third finger and the open G; I do that an awful lot. I just give that G string a little dig at the end; that's what I'm doing. But most are ending (demonstrates G on string 3 plus B on string 2). That’s just endings. Now, for instance when I played that reel a second ago that went…

(demonstrates first bars of Dublin Porter).

PM You get a lot of them there at once. The first one is (demonstrates), which is your B [on 2^nd string] and your [open] D string.

KP: That’s your 6^th…

PM: Yeah, that's your C right there (demonstrates playing C on string 2 plus E on string 3). That’s your 3rd finger (D on string 2) and open D.

Continues Playing Dublin Porter, Pausing on the Double-Stops

PM: And then you go back to that one. It happens quite often. That's [for the key of] G, actually, and the same things happen in many other keys. [For the key of] A, one that is awful prominent, is the sound that you get with this (demonstrates C# on string 2 and open E).

Demonstrates Double Stops by Playing a Jig

PM: You know you're geting that second finger C sharp and the E. That occurs an awful lot. Another one is A minor: would be (demonstrates E on string 3 plus open A)

Demonstrates Opening of Jig, Cronin’s Favorite

KP: Both down at the same time.

PM: Yes, that's right. I'm using my first finger [on string 3] and the [open] A (demonstrates) The most popular one is for the Strathspeys and that's your E and your A (demonstrates “bridging” A on string 4 plus E on string 3)

Demonstrates First of Part Strathspey, King George IV

PM: There's a ton of them occurring there (demostrates). That's my E minor (demonstrates B on the string 4 and E on string 3). That'd be more like my C (demonstrates C on the string 4 and E on string 3), and then you're getting into G afterwards (demonstrates open G and open D). This is my D and my G (demonstrates same combination). You know there's several occurring there. That's actually a really good example of that. So it depends. It’s more or less – What you’re always trying to achieve with those notes is your droning sound. That's the purpose in it basically, because with the bagpipes you always have that drone there in the background. With the fiddle you don't have that; and with Scottich music, a lot of it is, originally was pipe tunes. And every little bit of that helps achieve that sound on a small scale.