The Dreary Plains Of Toil

strathspey

Key signature: Gdorian

Submitted on October 1st 2001 by Will CPT.

This tune has been added to 17 tunebooks.

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Dreary Plains of Toil

I'm still hoping that the tune titles I proposed in the "learning styles" discussion will inspire the composers among us. The above title just begged for a morose little strathspey, so here we go. Play it not too fast, and (if you play like I do) overwrought with more despair (at being unable to correctly do the "Scottish Snap") than the tune (and listener) can bear.
Will

# Posted on October 1st 2001 by Will CPT

Okay, so I don't know anything about Scottish music (well, that's not quite right, I DO know what a strathspey is). What's a Scottish Snap, Will?

Zina

# Posted on October 1st 2001 by Zina Lee

Erratum

Must be the source of inspiration for these tunes, but I've goffed again, in the first measure of Part B. Should be |dF DF|

Zina--the snap is that wrist flick the Scot's use to dislocate dancer's hips when playing strathspeys...to get the peculiar rhythm spot on. It's what gives you the snap from a 16th note to an eighth in the usual strathspey timing.

Jeremy, I promise not to type in anymore tunes until my fingers heal....apologies for the corrections.
Will

# Posted on October 1st 2001 by Will CPT

Will, I LOVE this tune! Nice work. A perfect little angry strathspey. A work of art. I was playing it last night and it sounds great, especially when I get frustrated.

# Posted on October 2nd 2001 by Kerri Brown

Thanks, Kerri, high praise indeed coming from a clearly talented composer yourself. The "keepers" always seem to almost write themselves, as this one did.

Thanks, too to Jeremy for correcting the sheet music and midi after my blundering broken fingers smeared the posting.

# Posted on October 4th 2001 by Will CPT

The Dreary Plains Of Toil in A min.

In this way it woks better on the flute.

# Posted on October 10th 2003 by gian marco

"woks" means "works"

# Posted on October 10th 2003 by gian marco

Will, more I play this tune ( in A min ) more I like it.
I have to confess I have changed a little the 4th bar.

# Posted on October 11th 2003 by gian marco

"The Dreary Plains of Toil" gan Wilhelm das Burgemeester

From G Dorian to A Dorian to ~

Key signature: E Dorian
Submitted on October 8th 2003 by fiel.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/2042

~ A duplication that survived for a reason ~ see comments, including the link to the 'discussion'...

# Posted on October 21st 2006 by ceolachan