3. 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.

4. How to use this revision material:
For sound examples go to or
You can also use
to find sound clips.

5. The Music of Scotland
Features of Scottish Music What makes Scottish music sound Scottish?
Instruments
Melody
Scales
Grace notes
Rhythm

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

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

8. Instruments Fiddle Accordion
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

9. 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

10. Notice the difference in height!
Clarsach Pedal Harp
Clarsach means small harp.
Notice the difference in height!

11. 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

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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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.

16. Some extra instruments you might hear in Scottish music...
Piano
Guitar
Drumkit or Snare Drum 16

17. The Scottish Dances March Strathspey Reel Jig Waltz
Scotland has a rich dance tradition and dancing requires music!
Ceilidh dancing, Highland dancing, country dancing, Scottish step dancing
March
Strathspey
Reel
Jig
Waltz

18. 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

19. LETS WORK ON RHYTHM! REEL

20. 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

21. JIG

22. 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

23. STRATHSPEY

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

25. WALTZ

26. 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

27. ‘Scotland the Brave’ is a march27

28. 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.

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

30. Rhythm
Scotch Snap
Ally Bally Bee
Strathspey

31. 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 bar- 6/8

32. Vamp
A rhythmic accompaniment with a bass note played on the beat and a chord off the beat. Usually played on piano or guitar.

33. A very short accented note before a longer note.
Scotch Snap
A very short accented note before a longer note.

34. 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. 34

35. Compound Time
The beat is divided into 3 pulses.
a a 35

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

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

38. Bothy Ballad Sung by men Tales of Farming Often humorous
Usually unaccompanied
Listen to this Bothy Ballad

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

40. 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

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