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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 2005 (SND, online supplement).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GRACE NOTE, n.comb. In Bagpipe music, an extremely short note, theoretically not counted in the time of the music, sometimes made with a false fingering, which serves to divide two melody notes of the same pitch, or to give emphasis. See also Crunluath, Cutting, Doubling, Taorluath, throw, s.v. Thraw v., n., adj. II. 4.Sc. 1840 William MacKay The Complete Tutor for the Great Highland Bagpipe [4-5]:
… the last mark in Bagpipe Music and which characterises the Instrument is the Warbler, or Appogiatura or Grace Note ... it is just a tuch [sic] so quick as not to be in the number of the notes, or measure of the time of the tune...
Sc. 1988 Roderick D. Cannon The Highland Bagpipe and its Music (1990) 24:
Consequently the low grace notes, which are especially important in piping, sound weaker than they should while the high grace notes sound too strong. They come out with a bright chirping sound and can be heard as actual notes, which is not the intention.
Sc. 1999 Hugh Cheape The Book of the Bagpipe 14:
Gracenotes, as rapid short notes or elaborate combinations of short notes inserted between the notes of the melody, give the native musical idiom of Scotland much of its strength and distinctiveness.

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"Grace Note n. comb.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/snd00090455>

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