hi o dro ha chin, ha chin hi chin,
hi o dro hi ri, hi an an in ha ra,
hi o dro ha chin, ha chin hi a chin,
hi o dro hi ri, hi an an in ha ra,
hi o dro ha chin, ha chin hi chin.”
It is impossible to discover whether the pipers built up their tunes, as tunes are nowadays built up from a certain scale, or simply used the syllables as convenient signs to represent certain fixed notes. Perhaps no better illustration of the subject is to be found than a pamphlet published in 1880 by Mr. J. F. Campbell, of Islay, the compiler of Popular Tales of the West Highlands, and entitled Canntaireachd. An interpreter of the notation who could play it at sight, could not explain it to Mr. Campbell. “It was like asking a thrush to explain the songs which Mother Nature had taught him”:—
“A party, of whom three were good musicians and the fourth was used to play upon human nature, met, the interpreter came, we chose a word in a tune and, asked—
“‘What is hirrin?’
“‘That is hirrin,’ said the piper, and played three notes deftly with his little finger by striking a note on the chanter once. Two were open notes; one closed.
“‘Do you know the name of the fingers?’ said the teacher.