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[Nick Collis Bird]

Join the club George and Julian. 

[Julian S]

Off topic but I did spend some of a sleepless night pondering how to improve my playing of the tune - maybe including a key change after a couple of times through...and then worrying about when I could get my favourite box serviced...and which box(es) to take to Sid as favourite is not playing well...
Maybe we need to open a discussion on recommended tunes for bedtime listening and relaxation !::)

J

[Anahata]

There are a small but significant number of tunes on my site that in written notation simply require two sharps, f# and c#, but which are patently not in D major. But when using ABC you have to determine a key/mode in order to display the signature.

I'm sure ABC notation lets you spell out a key signature by specifying explicitly which notes are sharp or flat, instead of having to lie about what "key" it's in just to get the right key signature.

It's the only way you can do many Balkan and middle Eastern tunes that have both flats and sharps in the key signature and aren't on any of the seven usual modal scales. (typically gapped scales with 3-semitone steps in them).

[fishfeathersmacteeth]

George

Don't you mean ABC#DEF#GA

That's what they call the notes (they also have a low G as well) but they sound sharp...the A sounds in the neighbourhood of B flat or in some modern sets and pipe bands in particular getting on for B...

...edited to read sound SHARP...

[ChrisP]

I'm sure ABC notation lets you spell out a key signature by specifying explicitly which notes are sharp or flat, instead of having to lie about what "key" it's in just to get the right key signature.

It's the only way you can do many Balkan and middle Eastern tunes that have both flats and sharps in the key signature and aren't on any of the seven usual modal scales. (typically gapped scales with 3-semitone steps in them).

That's what I thought too, but couldn't find it in the Guide. Maybe it's hidden away in the 2.1 standard document. Anyway, Hp did the job OK as they were mostly ex-bagpipe tunes, plus that is simple to recover in a database.

[Thrupenny Bit]

I use abcexplorer for abc notation and the tools > tune tools has a tab that is 'transpose'
You can either increase/ decrease the tune in half tone steps or inflict a key onto it.
I usually copy the abc notation ( so keeping an original copy in case of mishaps).,
Paste it as a new tune then play with the keys to get it where I want it.
It's a useful option and I use it a lot.
Dunno if it's of help here.....
Q

[Tone Dumb Greg]

...I am told that bagpipers long ago, after a lot of agonising, gave up trying to force these double-tonic tunes into the "received" theoretical modal system, and simply adopted "Highland (bag)Pipes" shortened to "Hp" as the key/mode.yourself....

I think I finally have a more, or less, definitive answer to my original question. Except that I have moved it to a different tonic.