ABC Format for One Hundred Pipers

Traditional Scots Irish, Ulster Scots music for the fife

This tune is in D Major so all C's and F's are sharp (I've written this out below, so just play it as written and it should be fine).

If you need to check the fingering chart click here, this will open in a new window.

Low Half (played twice)
Play intro then bars 1 to 8, then repeat 1 to 7 and play bar (8*) instead of bar (8) - then play the high half
(intro) G A 
(1) B D D E D
(2) E F# G E'
(3) D' B B A G
(4) B A A G A 
(5) B D D E D
(6) E G G E'
(7) D' B A B A
(8) G G G A
(8*) G G B C#

High Half (played twice)
Play bars 17 to 24 once (note this high half has some variation, so the first time its played and the second time are a little different). On the first go through play 17 to 24, on the second go through play 17 to 21 then skip to the [2] marker and play the three bars that follow (i.e. (22*) (23*) (24*))
(17) D' E' D' D' C# D'
(18) E' F#' G' F#' E'
(19) D' B B A G
(20) B A A B C#
(21) D' E' D' D' C# D'
[1] (22) E' F#' G' F#' E' (23) D' B A B A (24) G G B C#
[2] (22*) E' F#' G' E' (23*) D' B A B A (24*) G G

Listen to the tune played - I've written the fingering out in long hand with some notes below as well. This should help you get started quicker, but it's very very important to learn the fingering for each note as soon as possible. There aren't that many, and the quicker you can pick that up the easier it will be to learn more tunes.

As this is the first tune to learn I'm writing it out in long hand. You should print this, practice and bring along to any fifing practices. It's important to learn the notes and the fingering, so I'll only be doing this for the first few tunes.
As above X = hole closed, O = hole open. Why this way and not a filled circle for hold closed - simply because I cant type that easily. A filled circle would really be a picture and would be a pain to try and insert.

Low Half (played twice)
Play intro then bars 1 to 8, then repeat 1 to 7 and play bar (8*) instead of bar (8) - then play the high half
(intro) G A 
G - X X X O O O
A - X X O O O O

(1) B D D E D
B - X O O O O O
D - X X X X X X
D - X X X X X X
E - X X X X X O
D - X X X X X X

(2) E F# G E'
E - X X X X X O
F# - X X X X O O
G - X X X O O O
E' - X X O O O X

(3) D' B B A G
D' - O X X X X X
B - X O O O O O
B - X O O O O O
A - X X O O O O
G - X X X O O O

(4) B A A G A 
B - X O O O O O
A - X X O O O O
A - X X O O O O
G - X X X O O O
A - X X O O O O

(5) B D D E D
B - X O O O O O
D - X X X X X X
D - X X X X X X
E - X X X X X O
D - X X X X X X

(6) E G G E'
E - X X X X X O
G - X X X O O O
G - X X X O O O
E' - X X O O O X

(7) D' B A B A
D' - O X X X X X
B - X O O O O O
A - X X O O O O
B - X O O O O O
A - X X O O O O

(8) G G G A
G - X X X O O O
G - X X X O O O
G - X X X O O O
A - X X O O O O
(go back to bar 1 and play from there to bar 7, second time through the low half we'll play the bar 8* instead of bar 8 - this gives as a higher note goign up into the high half)

(8*) G G B C#
G - X X X O O O
G - X X X O O O
B - X O O O O O
C# - O O O O O O (is what I play) - sounds better to me, might be the fife - some people would call this C natural and not C Sharp (I'm no expert!)

-> so when you play bar 8* which is finishing your second time through the low half of the tune go into the high half below (bar 17)

High Half (played twice)
Play bars 17 to 24 once (note this high half has some variation, so the first time its played and the second time are a little different). On the first go through play 17 to 24, on the second go through play 17 to 21 then skip to the [2] marker and play the three bars that follow (i.e. (22*) (23*) (24*))
(17) D' E' D' D' C# D'
D' - O X X X X X
E' - X X O O O X (if you find this change difficult, simplify and hold the high D note for longer, I did that when I first learned it)
D' - O X X X X X
D' - O X X X X X
C# - O O O O O O (debatable if this is strictly the correct note, but it sounds ok to me)
D' - O X X X X X

(18) E' F#' G' F#' E'
E' - X X O O O X
F#' - X O X X O X
G' - X O X O O O (when I change up from the F#' I leave the little finger on the last hole - so I'm playing X O X O O X for the G' - doesn't seem to make any difference to the sound, but this fingering might be easier and maybe a little lazier!)
F#' - X O X X O X (as I play X O X O O X for the high G' its easier to change back to high F#)
E' - X X O O O X

(19) D' B B A G
D' - O X X X X X
B - X O O O O O
B - X O O O O O
A - X X O O O O
G - X X X O O O

(20) B A A B C#
B - X O O O O O
A - X X O O O O
A - X X O O O O
B - X O O O O O
C# - O O O O O O (or if you're fussy the correct way is probably O X X X O O) I think all open sounds better (could be my fife)

(21) D' E' D' D' C# D'
D' - O X X X X X
E' - X X O O O X
D' - O X X X X X
D' - O X X X X X
C# - O O O O O O
D' - O X X X X X

(22) E' F#' G' F#' E'
E' - X X O O O X
F#' - X O X X O X
G' - X O X O O O (I play X O X O O X - up to you which sounds better)
F#' - X O X X O X
E' - X X O O O X

(23) D' B A B A
D' - O X X X X X
B - X O O O O O
A - X X O O O O
B - X O O O O O
A - X X O O O O

(24) G G B C# (first time through the high half play this bar, the B C# is basically the same two notes played in bar 8* to lead into the high half)
G - X X X O O O
G - X X X O O O
B - X O O O O O (this notes and the C# is taking you back to bar 17, play from there to bar 23 second time through and then finish on bar 24*)
C# - O O O O O O

(24*) G G (basically 2nd time through just play and hold G on the last bar).
G - X X X O O O
G - X X X O O O

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Luton and Bedford Lambeg Drumming Club