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Scottish Music
Scottish music and music in Scotland varies from area to area.
Scottish music is not one thing but lots of different genres which sound different depending on what part of Scotland you're in.
E.g. Shetland fiddle music is different from Borders Fiddle music and Gaelic song in Skye is different from Scots song in Aberdeenshire.
In Scotland there are bagpipe music (Solo Bagpipes, Pipe Bands, Pìobaireachd (Pibroch), Scottish Smallpipes), fiddle music from all the different regions of Scotland (Highland fiddle music, Shetland fiddle music, Orkney fiddle music, North-East fiddle music, Borders fiddle music, World fiddle music), many Scottish bands performing traditional and contemporary material with bagpipes, fiddles, guitars and song.
A popular instrument is the Scottish harp also known as the clarsach.
There is lots of Scottish song which includes Scots song and Gaelic song, the language of the Western Isles.
Let's not forget the accordion, a sound which is often synonomous with Scotland and with the great players of the past including Jimmy Shand and Bobby MacLeod.
Scottish Songs
Scottish songs come in several forms, e.g. ballads, bothy songs, puirts.
At least three languages: Lowland Scots, Doric and Scottish Gaelic. Scottish songs in their purest form are unaccompanied although many singers accompany themselves on guitar.
Scottish traditional bands (typically fiddle, bagpipes, guitar) also include accompanied songs in their repertoire but mainly in an arranged format.
Nowhere else in the western world possesses such a fine tradition of balladry and folk song as does the north east of Scotland. In particular a small tract of countryside in Aberdeenshire called Buchan formed the "cornkister" or "bothy ballad".
These were nurtured from the experiences of the men and women working in and around the farms or fairmtouns of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The bothy ballads were composed, (not necessarily written down initially), and set largely to existing pipe and fiddle tunes. This was done by the men and less frequently the women who were hired to work on the land.
The songs were sung in the broad North East dialect known as Doric. Many of the bothy songs were humorous but a fair number reflected the harsh conditions endured by workers at the time.
There were also the 'Muckle Sangs' which comprised historical ballads relating to actual events and the romantic ballads often telling of the path of true love or even treachery. Scotland has many fine tradition bearers such as Jock Duncan, Lizzie Higgins, Gordeanna McCulloch, Stanley Robertson, Jeannie Robertson.
The Scottish Borders during the 16th Century is known as a place where life was brutal and often tragically short. Constant cross-border battles created a desolate wasteland but from this emerged the tradition of Border ballads.
Many survive today and 'The Dowie Dens of Yarrow' and 'The Twa Corbies' are two fine examples of Scottish songs. More recently, Borders shepherd Willie Scott who was from the same stock and musical traditions as James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd recorded the Borders way of life. He recorded The Shepherd's Song - Border Ballads
and a book Herd Laddie o the Glen.
We shouldn’t forget of course Robert Burns (Ayreshire/Dumfries) and Robert Tannahill (Paisley) who were both excellent composers.
Robert Burns is of course known for his beautiful poems but his song collection The Scots Musical Museum is really worth investigating.
There are lots of amazing Scottish songs in the collection with beautiful folk melodies to accompany them. It is a masterpiece.
The Gaelic language is full of beautiful songs many attributed to certain areas and islands.
Gaelic songs are sheer poetry - literally. Until the mid-twentieth century, nearly all Gaelic Scottish poetry was essentially created to be sung.
Music and words were bound together, each dependent on the other. Love songs, work songs, bardic songs, mouth music (Puirt a Beul), Songs of the land and the sea. 'Waulking' songs are a musical form unknown elsewhere in Western Europe and often sound African.
They are very rhythmic and were composed to keep the beat when the cloth was being waulked. I.e. when tweed is made, it needs to be 'fulled' to increase its ability to keep out the wind.
This task was only done by women in Scotland and involved soaking the tweed in a solution of urine and water. In Puirt a Beul the rhythm and sound of the song often have more importance than the depth or even sense of the lyrics. These often highlight the vocal dexterity of the singer and are great fun to listen to.
There are many wonderful Gaelic singers in Scotland today including Mary Smith, Arthur Cormack, Margaret Stewart, James Graham, Julie Fowlis, Flora MacNeil, Margaret Bennett and Kenna Campbell.
Gaelic psalm singing is another unique music form: This is a type of music that those brought up in Scotland's Western Isles, within the Presbyterian religious tradition, know well from childhood and beyond.
The format of psalm singing revolves around the precentor. He is the person that puts out the line and then waits for the response from the congregation.
The practise of precenting is not exclusive to Gaelic or the Gaelic Presbyterian tradition.
On hearing Gaelic psalm-singing for the first time, some who are outside the culture find it an intensely moving experience.
You can hear Scottish songs at different music festivals around the U.K. and abroad.
Harp and harp music
In Scotland, the Scottish harp or Clarsach (lever harp) is a national instrument known from ancient times.
Under the Clan system, the harpists had several functions amongst which was accompanying the Chief into battle, playing for ceremonial occasions and for making soothing music for clan members as they lay down to rest.
Harpists were part of Court life during the reign of King James l.
For information on the harp the National Museum of Scotland has an instrument made in the 15th century said to have belonged to Mary Queen of Scots.
Playing harp music to a certain level of proficiency was part of the necessary accomplishments of an educated person.
There are 3 different types of harp instrument.
The lever harp which is commonly found in folk music - Scottish music and Irish music and is relatively transportable, the pedal harp which as the name says has pedals rather than levers which allow it to play chromatically (the notes being changed by the feet).
They are more commonly found in orchestras or venues where they're not moved. The 3rd type is the electric harp and is electric (no way I hear you say).
The tuning is controlled by levers.
A typical lever harp has up to 38 strings while a pedal harp has up to 47 strings which is about 6 octaves from G00 to D44.
Scottish Dance Music
Scottish dance music can be divided into different genres: Scottish country dance music - a form where the musicians have to play to strict tempo.
Country dance bands have a standard make up of 2 accordions, fiddle, piano and drums.
Ceilidh dancing - less strict but maybe slightly wilder and played by ceilidh bands.
Ceilidh bands can be made up lots of different instruments as there is no strict form.
Contemporary Scottish dance bands do not play for dancing but people enjoy shuffling along to their music. When they do gigs there are usually dance floors in front of the stage.
These Scottish bands are popular world wide and can be heard at any world festivals.
There are other forms of dance including Scottish Step dancing.
You would normally see this dance with a solo musician - fiddler or a ceilidh band providing the music.
To watch it is very like tap dancing.
It is very intricate and percussive and great to watch.
Many people are learning this style at the moment. It was originally widely practiced in Scotland but was lost in the 18/19th centuries when many Scots emigrated.
In recent years the Scots rediscovered it in Cape Breton, Canada where it was live and well and hardly changed in style.
Another famous type is Highland dancing.
The dancers usually dance to solo bagpipes.
Famous dances include the Highland Fling,
Sword dance and the Seann Triubhas (pronounced sean trews) and all these dances have famous tunes associated with them.
© Foot Stompin' Celtic Music |
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