Usually sung, used (instead of the now common music notation) to transmit Pìobaireachd (Pibroch) tunes; Melody notes are largely represented by vowel sounds, gracenotes by preceding consonants; It is generally believed that it was initially a private system developed by the McCrimmons, who kept it fairly secret, but that other piping schools borrowed the idea; According to Collinson, its origin is "shrouded in misty tradition", and no date can be assigned to its first use, but Podnos, who fails to reveal his source, enigmatically claims it to be "possibly in use as early as 1446"; Collinson mentions 3 different systems: MacCrimmon, MacArthur, and Nether Lorn, the latter of which is supposed to be a development of the MacCrimmon system, and "has been adopted for modern use by the Pìobaireachd Society in their published volumes of pìobaireachd"; The full range of its vocalisations runs to 101.

Bandre, Bare, Chebandre, Chebandreenda, Chebare, Chedari, Chedarid, Cherede, Dam, Dan, Dare, Dari, Darid, Dili, Do, Dre, Dro, Ea, Embari, Endare, Endre, Eo, Habandre, Habandreenda, Habare, Hadarid, Hadeda, Haen, Haeo, Hebandre, Hebandreenhe, Hebare, Hebarhe, Hedarid, Herere, Hibandre, Hibandreendi, Hibare, Hibarhi, Hidarid, Hiharara, Hiharin, Hihorodin, Hihorodo, Him, Himdandre, Himdarid, Himen, Hin, Hinbain, Hinbandre, Hinbandreendan, Hinbandreendi, Hinbare, Hindadre, Hindaenda, Hindaendan, Hindaende, Hindaendhe, Hindaendo, Hindaeni (1), Hindaeni (2), Hindaento, Hindarid, Hindo, Hindodre, Hintodre, Hio, Hiobandre, Hiobandreemto, Hiobare, Hiodarid, Hiodin, Hiodo, Hiodroeo, Hioea, Hioen, Hiotradre, Hiotraea, Hiotro, Hiotrodin, Hiotrodre, Hiriri, Ho, Hobandre, Hobandreendo, Hobare, Hodarid, Hodro, Hodrodin, Hodrodre, Hodroeo, Ibandre, Ibandreeni, Ibare, Ibari, Idarid, To, Tra, Tradarodo, Tro