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= Scales and Modes in Scottish Traditional Music =
= Jack Campin =
=============================================================================
Oddities
========
Gaps can occur other places in the scale. This tune eliminates the sixth
from a mixolydian scale:
X:0
T:The Barmaid
G:Reel
S:Glenallan Collection p19
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/2=96
F:http://www.campin.me.uk/Music/Modes/Modes-oddities.abc 2024-04-19 035202 UT
K:AMix
% but with no f's
e|a2 e>c A<Ae>c|B>GG>B g>ed>B|a2 e>c A<Ae>c|B>GG>B e2A:|
a|c>AA>a c<Ae>c|B>GG>g B<Gd>B|c>AA>a c<Ae>c|B>GG>B e2A:|
This one would be mixolydian/dorian/minor pentatonic, except that
the g's are included (to my ears they sound just plain weird, and
they are normally played sharp when the tune is done on fiddle or
accordion). So it doesn't use the normal hexatonic pitch set.
X:0
T:The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders at Modder River
N:commemorates a catastrophic defeat in the Boer War
G:March
C:Wm. Robb
S:Peter Henderson's tutor
M:2/4
L:1/16
Q:1/4=76
K:BMin
f2|BBBc B2ce|f2ae f2ec|AAAB AAce|f2aA c2BA|
BBBc B2ce|f2ae f2ec|BABc Bfec|c2B2 BB :|
ce|f3a f2e2|fefa f2ec|AAAB AAce|f2aA c2BA|
[1 f3a f2e2|fefa f2ec|BABc Bfec|c2B2 BB :|
[2 BBBc B2ce|f2ae f2ec|BABc Bfec|c2B2 BB ||
f2|BBBc fBce|fBBB f2ec|AAAB AAce|faga f2ec|
BBBc fBce|fBBB f2ec|BABc Bfec|c2B2 BB :|
ce|fefa fece|faga f2ec|AAAB eAce|faAa f2ec|
[1 fefa fece|faga f2ec|BABc Bfec|c2B2 BB :|
[2 BBBc fBce|fBBB f2ec|BABc Bfec|c2B2 BB |]
The same pitch set is used in the second half of this little-known pipe
march, which eliminates the fourth (the d) from a mixolydian scale:
X:0
T:Queen of the Hebrides
G:March
C:John McLennan
B:8th (The Argyllshire) Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders: A
B:Collection of Pipe Tunes (Paterson's Publications Limited, July 1933)
M:2/4
L:1/16
Q:1/4=80
K:AMix
ec|A2A>B c2A>c |e2A>B c<ef>g |a2ed c<eA>B|c<Ae>c B<dc>B |
A2A>B c2A>c |e2A>B c<ef>g |a2ef A>Bc>B|c2A2 A2 :|
cd|e>ca>g f2ec |A>Bc>B c<eA>c |e>ca>g f<ae>f|c<Ae>c B<B[1c>d|
e>ca>g f2ec |A>Bc>B c<eA>c |a2ef A>Bc>B|c2A2 A2:|[2ec|
A2A>B c2Ac |e2AB c<ef>g |a2ef A>Bc>B|c2A2 A2 ||
ec|A>Bc>B c<eA>c|a>gf>e f<ae>c |A>Bc>B c<ea>g|f<ae>c B<Be>c |
A>Bc>B c<eA>c|a>gf>e f<a(3efg|a2AB c<ec>B|c2A2 A2 :|
g2|a2ae f<ae>c|A>Bc>B c<eA>c |a2ae f<ae>f|c<Ae>c BB[1g2 |
a2ae f<ae>c|A>Bc>B c<ef>g |a2ef A>Bc>B|c2A2 A2:|[2ec|
A>Bc>B c<eA>c|a>gf>e f<a(3efg|a2AB c<ec>B|c2A2 A2 |]
And this uses the same pitch set again, eliminating the d from
a B-final minor scale. Again the solitary g sounds peculiar, as
if dorian was intended. (The composer was an accordion player).
X:0
T:Macleod of Mull
G:march
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:3/8=84
K:BMin
f2B B>cA|A>ce f2a |e>ce f>ec|A>Bc e2f |
a>cc B>cA|B>ce f2e |f>aa f<ae|f>ec B3 :|
a2f a>ff|e>fa f2c |e>ce f>ec|A>Bc e2f |
[1 a2f a>ff|e>fa f2e |f>aa f<ae|f>ec B3 :|
[2 a>cc B>cA|B>ce f2e |f>aa f<ae|f>ec B3 ||
B>cA B3 |B>ce f>ga|c<AB c2B |c2A c<ef|
B>cA B3 |B>ce f2e |f>aa f<ae|f>ec [1 B3 :|\
[2 B2f||
a2f e>ff|B>ff f2e |f>aa e>ff|A>ee e2c |
[1 a2f e>ff|B>ff f2e |f>aa f<ae|f>ec B2f:|
[2 B2B c>Bc|B>ce f2e |f>aa f<ae|f>ec B2 |]
This showy pipe reel manipulates gaps to produce an extraordinary
effect of continuous modulation upwards, like an Escher staircase.
This is superposed on a scheme of alternating 3-gap and 7-gap modes:
X:0
T:The Sheepwife
G:reel
S:Glendaruel Collection
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/2=92
K:Hp
% c and f gaps
B<dG>B e2 g2 |d>BB>g B<BB<G|B<dG>B e2 g2 |d>Bg>B A<AA<G |
B<dG>B e2 g2 |d>BB>g B<BB<G|B<dG>B e2 g2 |d>Gd>B A<Aa2 ||
% high g gap, d only introduced at the end
c<AA<A c<AA<A|c>AA>c B<BB<G|c<AA<A A<Ac<A|B<BB<G A<AA<G |
c<AA<A A<Ac<A|A<ec<A B<BB<G|c2 A>c f>ec<A|B<Gd>B A<AA<G||
% c gap
B>GG>B g2 f<e|d2 G<g B<BB<G|B>GG>B g2 f<e|d>BG>B A<AA<G |
B>GG>B g2 f<e|d2 G<g B<BB<G|B>GG>B g2 f<e|d>Gd>B A<Aa2 ||
% d, f and high g gaps
c<AA<A A<Ac<A|c<Ac<e B<BB<G|c<AA<A A<Ac<A|B<Gd>B A<AA<G |
c<AA<A A<Ac<A|c<Ac<e B<BB<G|c<Ac<A c<cc<A|B<BB<G A<AA<G||
% c gap
g2 f<g d2 G<B|e<gf<g B<BB<G|g2 f<g d2 G<B|e<gd>B A<AA<G |
g2 f<g d2 G<B|e<gf<g B<BB<G|g2 f<e a2 g<f|g2 d>B A<Aa2 ||
% high g gap
c2 c<A c<ccA |c2 c<A B<BB<G|c2 A>c f>ec<A|B<Gd>B A<AA<G |
c2 A>c c<ec<A|c<ee>c B<dB<G|c2 A>c f>ec<A|B<Gd>B A<Aa2 |]
This tune (from the G.S. McLennan tune file on my website, but with
the gracenotes omitted) leaves out the low G and low B from the
pipe scale. It's hard to say what mode it is closest to, perhaps
D major? The idea seems to have been to use the notes low in the
chanter's range as little as possible:
X:0
T:Dalnahassaig
C:Pipe-Major G.S. MacLennan
M:C
L:1/8
Q:1/4=122
K:Hp
f2 e>d d<f A2 |f2 e>f d>f a>g |\
f2 e>d d<f A>f|g2 e>g c>g (3efg:|
a2 f>a d>f A>f|a2 f>a d>a (3efg |\
a2 f>a d>f A>f|g2 e>g c>g (3efg:|
The next tune is, on the face of it, a normal dorian/mixolydian hexatonic
piece, melodically related to "Mrs MacLeod of Raasay". But Johnstone meant
it to be played one note higher on the repeat.
X:0
T:Seonaid
C:Duncan Johnstone
M:C
L:1/8
K:AMix
g2 ed B<A B2|B2 dB eG B2|[1 g2 ed B<A B2|B2 AB AB e2:|[2 efgf e<g B2|B2 AB AB e2||
G<G B2 dG B2|e2 de eG B2|[1 G<G B2 dG B2|B2 AB AB e2:|[2 efgf e<g B2|B2 AB AB e2||
B<G B2 g2 ed|eG B2 dG B2|[1 B<G B2 g2 ed|B2 AB AB e2:|[2 efgf e<g B2|B2 AB AB e2||
dG B2 G<G B2|eG B2 e2 [1 de| dG B2 G<G B2|B2 AB AB e2:|[2 dB|efgf e<g B2|B2 AB AB e2|]
This is the transposed repeat form, which is in no regular mode (minor with
the third missing):
X:0
T:Seonaid
C:Duncan Johnstone
M:C
L:1/8
K:BMin
a2 fe c<B c2|c2 ec fA c2|[1 a2 fe c<B c2|c2 Bc Bc f2:|[2 fgag f<a c2|c2 Bc Bc f2||
A<A c2 eA c2|f2 ef fA c2|[1 A<A c2 eA c2|c2 Bc Bc f2:|[2 fgag f<a c2|c2 Bc Bc f2||
c<A c2 a2 fe|fA c2 eA c2|[1 c<A c2 a2 fe|c2 Bc Bc f2:|[2 fgag f<a c2|c2 Bc Bc f2||
eA c2 A<A c2|fA c2 f2 [1 ef| eA c2 A<A c2|c2 Bc Bc f2:|[2 ec|fgag f<a c2|c2 Bc Bc f2|]
The 15th century composer Johannes Ockeghem used a similar idea in his
four-part "Missa Cuiusvis Toni": it will work in any of the four basic
liturgical modes.
There are a few Scottish tunes which have a narrow range but are not
exactly pentachordal, like this old Border song, allegedly a mediaeval
war cry:
X:0
T:Teribus ye Teri Odin
G:song or march
N:the Hawick border tune noted by J. Fingland
S:NLS Acc.8985/103(1), Francis Collinson papers
M:2/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
K:AMix
% sixth gap because the tune doesn't go that high or low
A>A A/B/c|e>e cA|A>A A/B/c|dd Bd |\
c>d ee |e>e cA|A>A A/B/c|d>d Bd |
cA AA |ce cA|BG GG |Bd BG |\
A>A AA |ce cA|B>A GA |Bd BG|]
Or this mysterious pibroch (nobody has any idea what the title refers
to) which except for gracenotes uses only the lower end of the chanter
scale and omits the C even in that, leaving the notes GABde:
X:0
T:Grain in hides and corn in sacks
S:Kilberry Book of Ceol Mor
N:6,6,4 structure
M:C
L:1/8
Q:1/4=40
K:HP
{ge4}d<{G}d {G2dc}d2 B{g}d{e}A{d}A|{ge4d}B{G2dc}d3 A{g}B{e}G{d}G |
{ge4}d<{G}d {G2dc}d2 B{g}e{g}A{d}A| {ge4}d<{G}d {G2dc}d2 B{g}d{e}A{d}A |
{g}e2 {g}A{d}A {g}d2 {e}A{d}A|{ge4d}B{G2dc}d3 A{g}B{e}G{d}G||
{ge4}d<{G}d {G2dc}d2 B{g}e{g}A{d}A| {ge4}d<{G}d {G2dc}d2 B{g}d{e}A{d}A |
[1 {ge4d}B{G2dc}d3 A{g}B{e}G{d}G| {ge4}d<{G}d {G2dc}d2 B{g}d{e}A{d}A |
{g}e2 {g}A{d}A {g}d2 {e}A{d}A|{ge4d}B{G2dc}d3 A{g}B{e}G{d}G:|
[2 {g}e2 {g}A{d}A {g}d2 {e}A{d}A|{ge4d}B{G2dc}d3 A{g}B{e}G{d}G|]
And this very archaic-sounding Gaelic song from the Western Isles; the
genre of songs to the dying is an uncommon one anywhere and this is
the only one I know of from Western Europe. It only uses four notes
spanning a fifth, with the tonal centre in the middle. It's a kind
of tune more often found in Stone Age cultures, from the Americas to
Melanesia.
X:0
T:The Death Croon
S:Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, Songs of the Hebrides, volume 1
N:sung to the dying in Eigg
M:3/2
L:1/4
Q:1/2=100
K:Fphr
FF|F3 E F2|A4 F2|E4 E2|F2 F3 F|\
F4 F2|AF3 E2|EE3 E2|F2 F2
FF|F3 E F2|A4 F2|E4 E2|F2 F2F2|\
F3 E F2|A2F2 E2|E4 E2|F2 F4 ||
FFF4 |A4 E2|\
FF2F3 |A4 E2|\
FFFF3 |A4 E2|
E3 E E2|E3 E E2|D4 E2|F6 |\
F3 E F2|AF3 E2|E4 E2|F6 :|
F3 F FF|A3 E E2|\
F3 F FF|A3E E2|\
F3 F FF|A3 E E2||
E3 E E2|E3 E E2|D4 E2|F6 |\
F3 E F2|A2F2 E2|E4 E2|F6 |
F4 F2|A2F2 E2|D4 E2|F6 |\
F4 F2|AF3 E2|E4 E2|F6 ||
F3 F F2|A6 |E3E E2|F6 |\
F3 E F2|A6 |E3E E2|F6 |]
This tune is tetratonic, but with a range of an octave:
X:0
T:Dairymaid's Croon
S:Kennedy-Fraser, Songs of the Hebrides
G:milking song from Barra
M:3/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=240
K:G Mixolydian
B2 d-|d D G|B2 A|A2 G|A2 A-|A G A|B2 A|A G2 |
B d D-|D B2-|B2 A|A2 G|A A A |A G A|B2 A|A2 G||
B d D-|D G2 |B2 A|A2 G|A2 A-|A G A|B2 A|A G2 |
B2 d-|d D G|B2 A|A2 G|AA A |A G A|B2 A|A G2||
B2 d-|d D G|B2 A|A2 G|A2 A-|A G A|B2 A|A G2 |
Bd D-|D B2-|B2 A|A2 G|A A A |A G A|B2 A|A2 G|]
And the verse part of this ballad tune uses a different tetratonic scale,
also with an octave range, expanding to a pentatonic scale for the refrain:
X:0
T:Clerk Colven
S:Bronson, Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads
M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=90
K:GMix
zD>G|G2 G2 A2|Ad3 cG|A3
zD>G|G2 G2 A2|Ad3 cA|G3
zD>G|G2 G2 A2|Ad3 cG|A3
DD>G|G4 A2|Ad3 cA|G3||
zG>F|D2 F2 G2|A2 GF
G>F|D2 F2 G2|A2 G3|]
This is probably the best-known tetratonic tune. This version is Irish
but it's found all over the British Isles.
X:0
T:The Dusty Miller
S:http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4323
M:9/8
L:1/8
Q:3/8=112
K:AMin
d|A3 A2G A2G | A3 A2G B2 \
d|A3 A2G A2G |
[1 BBB B2A B2:|\
[2 B2G G2A B2||
d|A2D DDD A3 | A2D DDD B2 \
d|A2D DDD G2A |
[1 B2G G2A B2:|\
[2 BBB B2A B2|]
This fairly modern Scottish tune uses the same scale as "How Many Miles to
Babylon?" in its first half but adds an octave note above it in the second
part. It has only five notes, but fits none of the usual pentatonic scale
patterns:
X:0
T:Dancing the Baby
G:jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:3/8=120
K:AMix
% both f and g are missing
e|cee dee|cee dcB|cee dee|AAA cBA|
cee dee|cee dcB|AAc BBc|AAA A2:|
e|acc ecc|acc dcB|acc dcB|AAA cBA|
acc ecc|acc dcB|AAc BBc|AAA A2:|
There are traditional tunes that use the same scale, like this
Hebridean tune that again uses the upper octave note only in
the second part:
X:0
T:The Water-Horse's Lullaby
S:Karpeles, Folk Songs of Europe
M:2/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
K:D
F/|A2 F>D|EE G> F| A2 F>D|EE D2 |
D>D DD |E>E G2 |({F}A>)G FD |E>D D2 |
d2 (FD)|EE G2 | d2 (FD)|EE D2 |
DD DD |EE G2 | A>A FD |EE D3/|]
This is the best-known tune using that scale, though it's plagal with
the gaps in the bottom of the range:
X:0
T:Ode to Joy
C:Beethoven
M:C
L:1/4
Q:1/4=160
K:D
f f g a |a g f e|d d e f |[1 f>e e2 :|\
|[2 e>d d2 ||
e e f d |e f/g/ f d|e f/g/ f e | d e A f-|
f f g a |a g f e|d d e f | e>d d2 |]
Many east European melodies are constructed by repeating a narrow-range
tune transposed by a fifth to make a full-range one. This is a Hungarian
example, shifting the same primitive arch phrase down from A minor to F
to D dorian:
X:0
T:Kibujt a haz az ablakon
G:dance song
M:2/4
L:1/4
Q:1/2=120
K:DDor
A>B|cd|cB|AG |\
A>B|cd|cB|AG |
F>G|AB|AG|AA |\
D>E|FG|FE|DD|]
This does the same thing in the major, using an ABBA form with the
middle lines a fifth higher:
X:0
T:Szanyvarosba
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=123
K:D
ADDD EFGF |ED3 Dz3|\
dAAA Bcdc |BA3 Az3|
dAAA Bcd>c|B2GF Ez3|\
ADDD EFGF |ED3 Dz3|]
Kodaly thought the idea came from the Uralic peoples of northwestern
Asia, like the Cheremis; it's very common in Hungarian music. It's a
natural thing to do on an overtone whistle that can overblow to both
the octave and the twelfth. I don't know a Scottish example of it.
=============================================================================
== (c) Jack Campin http://www.campin.me.uk/ July 2011 ==
== 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland ==
== ==
== these pages: http://tinyurl.com/scottishmodes ==
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