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= Scales and Modes in Scottish Traditional Music =
= Jack Campin =
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Leading Notes and Alternate Rising/Falling Modes
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In some traditions like Arabic music, modes are more complicated in
having two alternate forms used when the melody is rising or falling.
In Scottish music it sometimes happens like this, where the tune is
heptatonic, but the seventh only occurs in ascending lines:
X:0
T:The Birks of Invermay
G:strathspey
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=120
F:http://www.campin.me.uk/Music/Modes/Modes-leadingnotes.abc 2024-04-27 021919 UT
K:G
B>c|d3e d>BA>G|A>GA>B E3G |D>ED>B, D2G>D |B,2D>E D2G>B|
d2ef/g/ d<BA>G|c>BAG E2B>A|G>ED>B, D2G>A |B2A>G G2 ||
D>C|B,3D E>DE<G|A>GA<B E2e2 |d>ed>B c>BA<G|c>dc>B A2d>c|
B>de>f g3e |d>BA>G E2B>A|G>ED>B, D2 G>A|B2A>G G2 |]
This tune does the opposite: the seventh only occurs in descending motion.
X:0
T:Kelvingrove
M:C
L:1/8
G:song
Q:1/4=80
K:A
AB|ce Bc AG FE|F2 B2 B2
AB|ce Bc AG FE|F2 A2 A2
Bc|d>c de f2 cd|ec BA B2
AB|ce Bc AG FE|F2 A2 A2|]
Or this:
X:0
T:Scots Wha Hae
G:song or march
M:2/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=80
K:EMix
E|E2 E>C|E>F A>A|F2 F>E|F>G AB |c2 B>A|A>B c>B|A>F F>E|E3||
c|c2 c>B|c>d e>c|c<B B>A|B>c d>f|e>c B>A|A>B c>B|A>F F>E|E3|]
which would be dorian/mixolydian hexatonic except for the use of the G in
the rising sequence in bar 4. Scale patterns and sequences often result
in gaps getting filled in; they are more frequent in English and Irish
music, which is why they use gapped scales less often than Scottish tunes.
Distinct rising/falling mode occurs frequently in Western classical music
with minor-key tunes (as "sharpened leading notes"). These asymmetric
scales are more common in the Lowlands, perhaps because harp and bagpipes
were not such dominant influences. (They're also common in Simon Fraser's
Highland music transcriptions from the early 19th century, but Fraser was
equally unreliable as a historical or musical source: he wrote what he
imagined he heard - Highland peasants trained to sing Mozart).
The seven-note version is called the MELODIC MINOR scale, used in this
18th century strathspey:
X:0
T:Watson's Class
G:strathspey
C:Niel Gow
M:C
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
K:EMin
G/F/| EBGB EB e>^c |d>B A/d/A/G/ G/F/E/D/ D
G/F/| ABGB EB e>b |a/g/f/e/ g/f/e/^d/ eE E :|
g/f/|:e>fg>e g/a/b/g/ e>f |d>fad f/g/e/f/ d
[1 f | e>fge g/a/b/g/ ea |g/a/b/g/ f/g/a/f/ ge e>B:|
[2 a | g/a/b/g/ f/g/a/f/ e/f/g/e/ ^d/e/f/d/|B/^c/d/B/ e/c/d/F/ GE E |]
and in these 19th century reels:
X:0
T:Tarbolton Lodge
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/2=100
K:EMin
F|Eee^d e2BA|GBAF GEEF|Ddd^c d2AF|GBAG FDD
F|Fee^d efga|fedf eBBA|GABG FGAF|BGAF GEE||
f|gfef gebe|gebe geef|dfeg adfd|ABAG FDD
F|G2BG F2AF|Eeef gefd|B^cdB AGFA|BGAF GEE|]
X:0
T:Miss Shepherd
C:Scott Skinner
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/2=110
K:AMin
{^G}A|A,B,``CD E2 DC |B,G``^FG DB,`G,B,|A,B,CD E^GAc|BA^GB cAA:|
^g|a2 ed cB A^F|G2 DC B,A,G,^g|a2 ed cB`Ac|BA^GB cAA
^g|a/a/a ed cB A^G|G/G/G DC B,A,G,B,|A,B,CD E^GAc|BA^GB cAA|]
and this Swedish hymn tune:
X:0
T:Om alla berg
B:Lars Edlund, Modus Vetus
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=80
K:EMin
E |EE GB ^df e=d|BG Bd/c/ A2 z
G/A/|BB dc Ac ed |B4 z2 z
G |EE GB ^df e=d|BG Bd/c/ A2 z
B/A/|BA cB G2 FF |E4 z2 z|]
X:0
T:Melodic Minor Scales
L:1/4
M:10/4
K:FMin
"^F" F2 GA Bc =d=e f2|f2 ed cB AG F2||
M:10/4
K:CMin
"^C" C2 DE FG =A=B c2|c2 BA GF ED C2||
M:10/4
K:GMin
"^G" G2 AB cd =e^f g2|g2 fe dc BA G2||
M:10/4
K:DMin
"^D" D2 EF GA =B^c d2|d2 cB AG FE D2||
M:10/4
K:AMin
"^A" A2 Bc de ^f^g a2|a2 gf ed cB A2||
M:10/4
K:EMin
"^E" E2 FG AB ^c^d e2|e2 dc BA GF E2||
M:10/4
K:BMin
"^B" B2 cd ef ^g^a b2|b2 ag fe dc B2||
M:10/4
K:F#Min
"^F sharp" F2 GA Bc ^d^e f2|f2 ed cB AG F2||
M:10/4
K:C#Min
"^C sharp" C2 DE FG ^A^B c2|c2 BA GF ED C2|]
A reduced minor scale with a gap at the sixth, along with a sharpened
seventh, occurs in this Border ballad tune of about 1800:
X:0
T:Fine flowers in the valley
G:song
S:C.K. Sharpe/Lady John Scott, NLS MS.843
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
K:GMin
% dorian/minor hexatonic, sharp seventh at the end
D2 |G2G>F D2D>D|G2G>F D4||\
B4 A2Bc |d2c2 B2||
Bc |d2d2 d>cBA|G<GA>B D2||\
D>D|D2B2 BAG^F|G4 G2|]
in this 19th century strathspey, based on a song at least as old
as the early 18th century:
X:0
T:I'll Hap Ye in My Plaidie
S:Kerr's Merry Melodies book 1
M:C
L:1/8
Q:1/4=108
K:EMin
g|d>BA>G E>DE>G |d>ed>B d3g| d>BA>G E>DE>G |e>fe>d e2e:|
g|d>eg>a g/a/b a>g|d>ed>B d3g|[1 d>eg>a g/a/b a>g|e<ba>g e3 :|
[2 d>BA>G E>DE>G |e>fe>d e3 |]
and in this jig published by Niel Gow:
X:0
T:The Sailor's Wife
G:jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:3/8=112
K:DMin
% hexatonic, sharpened C leading notes
E|DEF E2D|d2e f2g|agf edc |AcA GEC|
DEF E2D|d2e f2g|agf ed^c|d3 D2:|
e|f>ga fga|fga agf|ecg ecg |ecg gfe|
f>ga agf|efg gfe|def ed^c|d3 D2:|
and in this 19th century reel:
X:0
T:Glenburnie Rant
G:reel
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/2=110
K:EMin
e2|E2EF E2EF|DEFG AFDF|E2EF E2B2|efe^d e2:|
B2|e2ef g2fe|defg afdf|e2ef g2fe|efe^d e2
B2|e2ef g2fe|defg afdf|g2ag f2gf|efe^d e2|]
The sharpened seventh usually occurs only immediately before the tonic,
as in this tune (also with a gap at the sixth) which uses it in three
different phrases and also has a natural seventh in the descending runs:
X:0
T:The Sun Rises Bright in France
S:Loesberg, Traditional Folksongs and Ballads of Scotland
G:song
M:2/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=69
K:AMin
E |A2 A>B |A>G E>B|ce dc |B3
E |A>^G Ac |A>B EC |D2 E>^G|A3||
c/d/|e2 ce |d2 cB |cA d>c |B3
e/d/|c>B A>^G|A>G EC |D2 E>^G|A3|]
Sometimes the same tonality appeared when old tunes were modified into
minor keys, like the changes introduced into this old Highland reel in
the dorian mode during the 18th century:
X:0
T:An Caora crom
G:reel
S:McFarlan MS, 1740-3
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/2=100
K:GDor
DG2B AGFE|DG2B cABG|ABcB AGFE |DG2B ABGA:|
Gg2a fgfd|dg2a bgag|f>gfd c>BAF|DG2B ABGA:|
X:0
T:The Crooked Horn Ewe
G:reel
S:Sharpe MS, late 1790s
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/2=100
K:GDor
DG(GA) FGAF|.D(GGB) cABG|cABG FGAF|D(GGB) A^FG2:|
.G(gga) fgaf|.d(gga) fagd|fgdf cfAF|D(dd).c A^FG2:|
The later version also introduced a gap at the sixth. The same
scale is in effect used in this well-known tune, originally a
trade guild march from the Lowlands (the c is barely noticeable):
X:0
T:Gloomy Winter's Now Awa
G:strathspey
S:Alexander Robertson, Caledonian Museum book 3 p57
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=120
K:EMin
% near-hexatonic, sharpened seventh on rising phrases
e>ee>f e>dB2|g>gg>b a>gf2|e>eb>e e>dBG|A<AB^d eEE2:|
G>GGB A>GF2|G>FEG FB B2|g>gg>b a>gfa|g>e g/f/e/d/ Bee2:|
g>gd'>g f>ga2|g>feg fb b2|B>d d/c/B/A/ Bef>a|g>e g/f/e/d/ Bee2:|
And the sixth gap got filled in with a later version of "An caora crom",
using the art-music minor scale where the sixth is sharpened, though it
is still not an important note in the tune:
X:0
T:The Ewie Wi' The Crookit Horn
G:strathspey
S:Kerr's Merry Melodies volume 3
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=120
K:GMin
D<GG>A F>GA>F|D<G GA/B/ c>AB>G |A>Bc>B A>G F>C |D<G G>B A>^FG2:|
G<gg>a f>ga>f|d<g g>a f>ag2 |d<gg>a b/a/g a/g/f|d<g b>g a>^fg2 |
f>gf>d c>BA<F|G/A/B/c/ d>B c>Ad>=e|f<ad<f c<f A<F |G/A/B/c/ d>B c>A G2|]
It happens much earlier. This is from the Skene Manuscript of lute tunes
from 1625; this is a still-well-known tune, in the mixolydian/dorian
hexatonic mode. Among the fast scales at the end, the gap is filled in
and a sharpened leading note is introduced. The manuscript was heavily
influenced by the art music of the time.
X:0
T:Adew Dundee
G:song arrangement
S:Skene MS via Dauney
N:I play the fast runs dotted; the MS doesn't say you can't
M:6/4
L:1/8
Q:3/4=70
K:DDor
[A2A,2] d2 d2 [d4D4] d2 |[c4C4] d2 e2 g4 |\
[a4A4] c'2 [a4A4] c'2 | a2 g2 e2 [d4D4] D2:|
a2 c'2 c'2 [c'4c4] c'2 |[c4C4] d2 e2 g4 |\
[a4A4] c'2 [a4A4] c'2 |[a2A2] g2 e2 d6 :|
dcAc d2 dcAc d2 | edcd e2 edcd e2 |\
ageg a2 [aA]geg a2 | gac'age d6 :|
c'bc'd' c'2 c'bc'd' c'2 | cBcdef [g4G4] g2 |\
d'^c'd'e' d'2 d'^c'd'e'd'2 | d'2 e'd'c'b [a6A6] |
c'bc'd' c'2 c'bc'd' c'2 | cBcdef [g4G4] g2 |\
ageg a2 ageg a2 | gac'age [d6D6] |]
David Johnson's "Scottish Fiddle Music in the Eighteenth Century" has a
substantial discussion of how art music influenced traditional music; most
of it is beyond the scope of this document. And any classically-oriented
music theory text will explain the various forms of the minor mode and
where they tend to be used. This is the appropriate framework to describe
some of the more consciously "artistic" work of the Gows, Marshall and Scott
Skinner; but this is a small part of the Scottish repertoire, and, as in the
example of "Miss Cruickshank's Reel", modal idiom has a habit of taking over
once these tunes get into circulation.
"Fy gar rub her o'er with straw" is a song first noted about 1700, but
perhaps much older. This version of the 1760s for the flute changes mode
on rising phrases:
X:0
T:Fy gar Rub her o'er with Straw
G:song
S:NLS MS.3327, Inglis.12
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=120
K:AMin
c3 B A2e2|decd B2AG|c3 d e^fg2|edcB A4:|
g2e2 e2dc|Bcde B2AG|g>agf e2 g2|ageg a3b|
g3 f e2dc|Bcde B2AG|c3 d e^fg2|edcB A4:|
There are other tunes like this where the sixth rather than the seventh is
the note that gets sharpened on rising phrases. Perhaps this was a local
development of the art-music minor scale in a more idiomatically Scottish
direction. But the classical minor scale was thoroughly incorporated into
traditional music long ago and is now an integral part of it.
A surprising coincidence. This tune is from the Hungarian minority in
northern Moldavia. It's basically the same tune as "Scallowa Lasses"
from Shetland, which I included among the dorian examples here, but it's
been put into the asymmetric minor scale, perhaps under Gypsy influence.
If anyone can work out how one or other tune travelled between two of the
most remote parts of Europe I'd like to know.
X:0
T:Magyaroska
S:S. Balogh, Moldvai Hangszeres Dallamok, Etnofon, 2001
M:2/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=192
K:AMin
A2 a2|a g2 f/e/|defd| e c2 B |
AA ag|a g2 f/e/|defd|[1 e2 e2:|\
[2 ee ^fg||
gf`ed|d c2 B/A/|BGAB| cd``e^f|
gf`ed|d c2 B |GABG| A2 A2:|
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== (c) Jack Campin http://www.campin.me.uk/ May 2011 ==
== 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland ==
== ==
== these pages: http://tinyurl.com/scottishmodes ==
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