Basic summaries of pieces
The shape of the cloth of Gaelic harmony may be beginning to appear in these articles
through examination of the sources and it is worth making a brief overview of possible
trends of Gaelic harp arrangements which the manuscripts might reveal. Here are short
descriptions of the pieces which have been examined in the articles so far.
Port Priest Straloch
No bass notes are struck for almost two thirds of the beats of the piece. The bass is not
struck on every beat and seems to metrically accent the melody, particularly on the 1st
and 3rd beats of the bar. Three quarters of the bass parallels the melody and the
remainder is divided between 3rds/6ths & 5ths/4ths. Occasional 3 or 4 note chords of
various kinds appear here too. Chords at least D & C in téad leagaidh C.
Féachain Gléis metrical edition from MS29 notations
Bass notes are struck for over half of the beats of the piece. The bass seems to
metrically guide the melody, particularly on the 1st and 4th beats of the bar. Bass chords
are used regularly. The main bass note tends to either harmonise with the treble mainly
in 5ths or in octaves to it and the 3rd appears twice between bass and treble. Chords A,
G & E in leithghléas G.
Cumha Bharúin Loch Mór metrical edition from MS29 notations
It is not clear how much of the bass has not been notated here. Over two thirds of the
bass that has been garnered from the notations parallels the melody. The notations
display occasional chords for the treble and a 4th, 5th & 3rd appear between between
bass and treble. Chords G, E & D in leithghléas G.
Cumha Bharúin Lochmóir published in the 1840 introduction
The bass is more or less continuous with the melody: only 1 out of every 24 beats here
do not magadise and the 3rd appears then. There are bass chords as well as treble
chords. Chords G, E & D in leithghléas G.
Hampsey's Burns' March MS29
The bass is continuously active except in verse three. In the refrain, repeated bass
chords of the tonic triad rhythmically support the melody which moves around the same
chord. Here the 5th and 3rd appear between the tonic bass note and treble. The
harmony in the verses is horizontal. In most verses, pedal octave leaps provide a bass
line while also forming part of the treble melody. Chords G & D (perhaps E) in
leithghléas G.
Quinn's Burns' March (Pretty Peggy) MS33
The bass is continuously active in each bar. In the refrain, repeated bass chords of the
tonic triad rhythmically support the melody which moves around the same chord. Here
the 5th and 3rd appear between the tonic bass note and treble. The harmony in the
verses is horizontal. In the first verse, pedal octave leaps provide a bass line while also
forming part of the treble melody. The bass takes the tonic note of the E triad at the
beginning of the second verse. Chords G & D (perhaps E) in leithghléas G.
Táim i mo Chodladh MS20 notation
No bass notes are struck for almost two thirds of the beats of the piece. More than half of
the main bass notes parallel the melody and the rest harmonise with mostly 5ths and a
few 3rds. Bass chords are struck in over a 5th of the bass beats and there are a few
chords in the treble. Chords G & D in variant téad leagaidh G.
Táim i mo Chodladh MS33 Notation
No bass notes are struck for almost two thirds of the beats of the piece.. Almost of the
main bass notes parallel the melody and the remainder harmonises with mostly 5ths and
a number of 3rds. Bass chords are struck in almost a quarter of the bass beats and
there are no treble chords. Chords G & D in variant téad leagaidh G.
An Féileacán MS12
Bass notes are struck almost as often as treble notes in this arrangement. The first part
of the arrangement displays bass chords of a 5th on every beat and the second half
shows the tune divided between treble and bass. Before the deletions in the first part,
the main bass notes paralleled the stressed notes of the melody in the first half of the
piece, with the exception of one instance of a 3rd. After the deletions, the bass notes
become a kind of rhythmic drone which causes the stressed notes in the treble to crush
against the main bass note on the second beat of every bar, the instance of the 3rd still
surviving between treble and bass. Chord G (A erased) in leithghléas G.
Fairy Queen Joly book
The bass is more less continuous with the melody. Two thirds of the bass parallels the
melody and two thirds of the remainder harmonises it with 3rds/6ths. Occasional octave
chords appear in the bass. Chords C, B, G, E & D in leithghléas G.
Banks of Claudy MS29
The bass covers about two thirds of the arrangement and half of that harmonises the
treble with 3rds/6ths. Bass chords are struck for around a third or so of the bass. There
are no chords in the treble line. Chords C, G, & D in leithghléas G.