84: Musettes

A musette is a type that often occurs inside a Gavotte, but isn’t really it’s own properly distinct form. The key that makes a musette a musette (“musette” after all is French for “bagpipe”—this, truly, I have always know  since I started working on a musette for the first time [the only time, actually], just a few months after learning my first Gavotte.) is that it always has a drone/pedal line in the accompaniment, just like real bagpipes do. 

In fact, many years ago, I remember working on this Musette with Laura in a group setting, through which we’d all take turns either playing the melody or playing the pedal point while she played the prescribed teacher (on the violin)/pianist accompaniment. 

Look at the score here, beginning at 14:30:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOhVgN_0a8o&list=RDGOhVgN_0a8o&start_radio=1

Notice the G pedal all the way through the section labeled “Gavotte II” (this is what makes Gavotte II the musette). 

Here’s the Suzuki recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl8emo0hP8E&list=RDyl8emo0hP8E&start_radio=1 


Now turn your attention to this (standalone) musette and notice how the harpsichordist is always doing one of two things: either jumping between notes an octave apart (to create a drone/pedal effect) or doubling the right hand in octaves.

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkl2-BZ9WBg&list=RDmkl2-BZ9WBg&start_radio=1
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBjjfUexPCA
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl8emo0hP8E&list=RDyl8emo0hP8E&start_radio=1


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