Why are we studying this?
• To learn more about our culture.
• To expand our musical vocabulary.
• To be able to recognise traditional Scottish
instruments and dances when we hear them.
How to use this revision material:
• For sound examples go to
• http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learnlisteni
ngonline/atozdictionary/index.asp
or
• http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqmusic/c
oncepts/index.asp
You can also use http://www.youtube.com/
to find sound clips.
The Music of Scotland
Features of Scottish Music
What makes Scottish music sound Scottish?
• Instruments
• Melody
• Scales
• Grace notes
• Rhythm
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
Bagpipes
• Drones
• Chanter
• Reed
Styles of Bagpipe music
• Pipe Band
• Pibroch
•http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqmusic/nat
ional5/concepts/pibroch.asp
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
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
Clarsach
Pedal Harp
Clarsach means small harp.
Notice the difference in height!
Instruments
Bodhran
The bodhran is an Irish wooden drum,
held in one hand and played with a
wooden beater. It is often used in Scottish
folk music.
Listen to the sound of
the bodhran
Modern Folk music
Folk music is still very
much alive & well
Here’s an example of
modern folk music
Here’s another
Celtic Rock
A style of music that mixes folk
music and rock music together
Here’s an example of celtic
rock music
Here’s another
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
Folk Group
A group of two or more
musicians who perform
music in a traditional style
usually accompanied by
guitars.
Perform traditional music from
a particular country e.g.
Scotland.
Some extra instruments you might hear in
Scottish music...
• Piano
•Guitar
•Drumkit or Snare Drum
The Scottish Dances
•Scotland has a rich dance tradition and dancing requires
music!
•Ceilidh dancing, Highland dancing, country dancing,
Scottish step dancing
•
•
•
•
•
March
Strathspey
Reel
Jig
Waltz
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
LETS WORK ON RHYTHM!
REEL
The Jig
Another quick dance
In Compound time 6/8
‘Jumpy, Skippy’ rhythms
(triplets & ‘dotted-sounding’.)
You can hear:
“one-and-a-two-and-a” or
“skippity-skippity skippity-skippity”
Listen to this jig
Here’s another Jig
JIG
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
STRATHSPEY
The Waltz
A slow dance
In 3/4 time
Count “ 1,2,3
1,2,3”
Listen to this waltz
Listen to another one
WALTZ
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
• ‘Scotland the Brave’ is a march
Scottish Dance Quiz!
1– Name the dance being played.
2 – Name both the style of music
and the dance being played.
3 – Name the dance being played.
4 – Name the dance being played
and the type of group playing.
5 – Name the dance being played
and whether the dance is in simple
or compound time.
Melody
Pentatonic Scale
Auld Lang Syne
& b4
4
Ï
j
Ï
Ï. Ï Ï
Ï . Ïj Ï Ï Ï
jÏ
Ï. Ï
ú.
Ï
The easiest way to find the pentatonic scale is the black
notes on a piano keyboard.
Grace Notes
Grace note
Bagpipe
### j
&
Ï
j
ÏÞ Ï
Ï Ï Ï Ï Ï
∙
∙
Ï
Auld Lang
Syne
Auld Lang Syne
Rhythm
ÏÏ . ÏÏj .Ï
j jÏ
& b4
4& b4
Ï 4 Ï Ï . Ï Ï. Ï Ï Ï
Scotch
Snap
6
Bagp.
ÏÏ j ÏÏ Ï Ï. Ï Ï j ÏÏ . Ï Ï j úÏ . Ï
. Ï . Ï Ï . Ï ÏÏ .Ï .Ï ÏÏ. ÏÏ .Ï . ÏÏ ÏÏ .. ÏÏ
b
Ï
ú
&
b
&
Ally Bally Bee
ÏÏ.. Ï ÏÏ .Ï .Ï ÏÏ. ÏÏ . Ï .
∙∙
Scot ch snap
& bÏ Ï Ï Ï Ï Ï Ï Ï Ï
Al ∙ ly Bal ∙ ly Al ∙ ly Bal ∙ ly Bee
∙
Ï
Ï
Ï
.
.
Ï Ï
Ï Ï
Sit ∙ tin' on yer Mam ∙ my's knee
Strathspey
∙
&b ∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
&b
∙
∙
CONCEPTS!
•
Vamp
A rhythmic accompaniment with a bass note played on the beat and a chord
off the beat. Usually played by piano or guitar.
•
Scotch Snap
A very short accented note before a longer note
•
Simple Time
The music has 2,3 or 4 beats in a bar. Each beat is usually 1 crotchet beat.
•
Compound Time
The beat is divided into groups of 3 pulses. 2 dotted crotchet beats in a bar6/8
Vamp
A rhythmic accompaniment with a bass
note played on the beat and a chord off
the beat. Usually played on piano or
guitar.
Scotch Snap
A very short accented
note before a longer
note.
Simple Time
Music has two, three or four beats in each bar. Each
beat is usually one crotchet. The first beat of each bar
is slightly accented.
1+ 2 + 3 + 4 +
Compound Time
The beat is divided into 3 pulses.
1 + a
2 + a
Scottish Vocal Music
•
•
•
•
used to tell a story
to work to
to dance to
to entertain
Waulking song
• Working song
• Listen for the ‘Thud Thud’
• Call & Response technique
• Singing in Unison
Listen to this
waulking song
Listen to another
Bothy Ballad
• Sung by men
• Tales of Farming
• Often humorous
• Usually unaccompanied
Listen to this
Bothy Ballad
Scots Ballad
• Tells a story
• Handed down through word-of-mouth
• Often through travelling people
Listen to this
Scots Ballad
Listen to another
Mouth Music
(Puirt-a-beul)
• Music to dance to
• No instruments (Unaccompanied)
• Very rhythmical
• Gaelic nonsense words sung in
imitation of the sound of bagpipes
Listen to this
Puirt-a-beul
Listen to
another
Gaelic Psalm Singing
• ‘Eerie’ sound
• Slow
• Congregation follows minister
• Singing in Unison
Listen to some Gaelic Psalm
singing