Scotland (Alba)
More than 5.3 million people call Scotland home. Fully 87,000 Scots claim some skill in the gioedlic Celtic language of Scots Gaelic. That’s more than 16% of population. Scotland lays claim to the highland pipes and the dance traditions of the Strathspey. Musicologists report that Scotland was where the jig originated.
The population of Scotland is roughly the same size as the population of Minnesota. The land area of Scotland is about the same size as South Carolina.
A significant, and beautiful, component of Scottish music comes from the fiddle traditions of the Shetland Island. These island lie along the seam between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Shetland is about fify miles north of the Orkney Island and a bit more than 100 miles north of the Scottish mainland. Shetland has historically been a convenient stopover point between Scandinavia and the British Isles (think Vikings). So the music of Shetland has had many influences and that makes it complex compelling and unique.
The population of Scotland is roughly the same size as the population of Minnesota. The land area of Scotland is about the same size as South Carolina.
A significant, and beautiful, component of Scottish music comes from the fiddle traditions of the Shetland Island. These island lie along the seam between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Shetland is about fify miles north of the Orkney Island and a bit more than 100 miles north of the Scottish mainland. Shetland has historically been a convenient stopover point between Scandinavia and the British Isles (think Vikings). So the music of Shetland has had many influences and that makes it complex compelling and unique.
The strathspey is Scotland’s contribution to traditional Celtic music. "Strath" is a Scottish word for a wide river valley. "Spey" is a river in northeast Scotland. The river Spey is a major area for salmon fishing and production of Scotch whisky. Strathspey is the region around the river.
A strathspey is a type of reel. The 4|4 time meter is punctuated by the “Scottish Snap”. This technique is an exaggerated style of playing a 16th note before a dotted 8th note. This notation “snaps” the melody. The technique can be a bit jerky, but without doubt the technique produces a lot of rhythmic tension and energy. Think of the tune of Coming Through the Rye. and sing it in staccato. That’s the essence of the Scottish snap and what underlies the playing style of a strathspey.
The strathspey and its Scottish Snap were original conceived for the fiddle. A unique bowing technique was developed to produce the style.
A typical tempo for a strathspey is a bit slower than that of a reel. Something around 105 to 110 bpm would do for a strathspey. A step dance might be up to 160 bpm.
Scotland “owns” the bagpipe. At least it has a strong claim on the highland form of the pipes. It is that form that most people recognize as the true bagpipes. The ubiquity of the great highland bagpipe is likely due to the vast reach of the British Empire during the 19th century. The English military embraced the pipes as a means to inspire troops and put fear into enemies. Those soldiers were stationed around the world. North America, India, Pakistan, Australia. And the pipes were in those places too.
Scholars believe that the bagpipe was an invention of ancient Egypt. As Greek and Roman cultures clashed with Egyptian culture the pipes were brought to Europe. There are coins from ancient Rome depicting the Emperor Nero playing the bagpipes. Perhaps Nero actually pipping while Rome burned. For more information on the history of bagpipes visit Soctia Pipes.
http://www.scotiapipers.co.uk/about-scotia-pipers/bagpipe-history
Two important traditional Scottish musicians to note are Neil Gow and Robert Burn. Neil Gow was a composer and violinist, His sons created a publishing house that printing a great volume of traditional music. Robert Burns played the fiddle, and was an avid collector of traditional tunes. He set much of his poetry to the music of Scotland. The melody of Auld Lang Synge is a traditional Scottish tune.
A strathspey is a type of reel. The 4|4 time meter is punctuated by the “Scottish Snap”. This technique is an exaggerated style of playing a 16th note before a dotted 8th note. This notation “snaps” the melody. The technique can be a bit jerky, but without doubt the technique produces a lot of rhythmic tension and energy. Think of the tune of Coming Through the Rye. and sing it in staccato. That’s the essence of the Scottish snap and what underlies the playing style of a strathspey.
The strathspey and its Scottish Snap were original conceived for the fiddle. A unique bowing technique was developed to produce the style.
A typical tempo for a strathspey is a bit slower than that of a reel. Something around 105 to 110 bpm would do for a strathspey. A step dance might be up to 160 bpm.
Scotland “owns” the bagpipe. At least it has a strong claim on the highland form of the pipes. It is that form that most people recognize as the true bagpipes. The ubiquity of the great highland bagpipe is likely due to the vast reach of the British Empire during the 19th century. The English military embraced the pipes as a means to inspire troops and put fear into enemies. Those soldiers were stationed around the world. North America, India, Pakistan, Australia. And the pipes were in those places too.
Scholars believe that the bagpipe was an invention of ancient Egypt. As Greek and Roman cultures clashed with Egyptian culture the pipes were brought to Europe. There are coins from ancient Rome depicting the Emperor Nero playing the bagpipes. Perhaps Nero actually pipping while Rome burned. For more information on the history of bagpipes visit Soctia Pipes.
http://www.scotiapipers.co.uk/about-scotia-pipers/bagpipe-history
Two important traditional Scottish musicians to note are Neil Gow and Robert Burn. Neil Gow was a composer and violinist, His sons created a publishing house that printing a great volume of traditional music. Robert Burns played the fiddle, and was an avid collector of traditional tunes. He set much of his poetry to the music of Scotland. The melody of Auld Lang Synge is a traditional Scottish tune.
The Scottish tunes below are presented in both standard notation and ABC notation. Click on the audio players to hear the tunes. If you want to download an mp3 file of a tune to study it in greater depth, go to the tune download page.
Performance examples of Scottish music are available at this link.
Performance examples of Scottish music are available at this link.
Advanced Beginners
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Intermediate Tunes
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Shetland Tunes
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More Scottish Tunes
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