The Music of Scotland

1. The Music of Scotland Features of Scottish MusicWhat makes Scottish music sound Scottish? • Instruments • Melody • Scales • Grace notes • Rhythm

2. Bagpipes Listen to the sound of the bagpipes Pipe Band A pipe band includes drums as well as pipes. Most commonly marching bass drums & snare drums. Listen to the sound of a pipe band

3. Bagpipes • Drones • Chanter • Reed Styles of Bagpipe music • Pipe Band • Pibroch

4. Instruments Fiddle The fiddle, is just a Scottish word for violin. Listen to this example of Scottish fiddle music This fiddle is accompanied by which instrument? This bass – chord, bass – chord style of piano accompaniment is called a vamp. Listen out for it in future excerpts. Accordion The accordion is very much associated with Scottish music. Listen to the sound of an accordion

5. Instruments Clarsach The clarsach is a Scottish harp. It comes in a number of sizes, but is smaller than an orchestral harp. Listen to the sound of the clarsach See a Clarsach being played here

6. Scottish Vocal Music • used to tell a story • to work to • to dance to • to entertain

7. Scots Ballad • Tells a story • Handed down through word-of-mouth • Often through travelling people • Unaccompanied Listen to this Scots Ballad Listen to another

8. Waulking song • Working song • Listen for the ‘Thud Thud’ • Call & Response technique • Singing in Unison Listen to this waulking song Listen to another

9. Puirt-a-beul (mouth music) • Music to dance to • No instruments (Unaccompanied) • Very rhythmic Listen to this Puirt-a-beul Listen to another

10. Gaelic Psalm Singing • ‘Eerie’ sound • Slow • Congregation follows minister • Singing in Unison Listen to some Gaelic Psalm singing

11. Bothy Ballad • Sung by men • Tales of Farming • Often humorous • Unaccompanied Listen to this Bothy Ballad

12. Diddling (another type of mouth music) • Music to dance to • No instruments • Very rhythmic • Sounds like “diddle–di–diddle” Listen to some diddling

13. Scottish Dance Music Played by a Scottish Country Dance Band Heard at a Ceilidh Listen to the sound of an Scottish Country Dance Band Click the picture above to view Click the picture above to view

14. The Reel A quick dance In Simple time 2/4 or 4/4 ‘Straight’ rhythms (quavers / crotchets etc.) No ‘jumpy’ rhythms Sounds like “Running Reel, Running Reel” Listen to this reel Here’s another one

15. The Jig Another quick dance In Compound time 6/8 ‘Jumpy, Skippy’ rhythms (triplets & ‘dotted-sounding’.) You can hear:“Straw-ber-ry Straw-ber-ry “one-and-a-two-and-a” or “skippity-skippity skippity-skippity” Listen to this jig Here’s another Jig

16. The March A dance at a ‘marching’ pace Can be in 4/4, 2/4 or 6/8 time Sounds like you could ‘march to the strong beat’. Listen to this march Here’s another one

17. The Strathspey A more slow dance (at a walking pace) In Simple time 4/4 The only dance to contain Scotch Snaps Listen to this strathspey Here’s another one

18. The Waltz A slow dance In 3/4 time Count “ 1,2,3 1,2,3” Listen to this waltz Listen to another one

19. Melody Pentatonic Scale The easiest way to find the pentatonic scale is the black notes on a piano keyboard. Grace Notes

20. Rhythm Scotch Snap Ally Bally Bee Strathspey

21. Modern Folk music Folk music is still very much alive & well Here’s an example of modern folk music Here’s another

22. End of Scottish Music Unit