Scots Music
Scots traditional music was so vibrant throughout the 20th century that their
music was famous internationally. This music emerged when the worldwide music
had lost its popularity. As the pop music arose, this traditional music had lost
its popularity. Even though there was music imported from the rest of Europe and
the United States, but still the music of the Scotland had kept many of its
traditional aspects.
The Scottish traditional music although was very influential and it was also
influenced by the Irish traditional music. In spite of the western popular
music gaining fame internationally, the traditional music was not completely
lost. It still played importance in the music world of pop music. There are
several Scottish record labels, music festivals and a roots magazine, living
tradition.
The Great Highland Bagpipe played an important part in the Scottish music as
it was used in playing the Scottish folk music. Even though there are other
bag piping traditions that remain across Europe but this particular form of
bagpipe was developed exclusively in Scotland. These bagpipes were
introduced in Scotland as early as the sixth century. These pipes were also
used in the military marching.
The oldest forms of music in Scotland are Gaelic singing and harp playing.
The harp playing was lost but is still being revived by contemporary
players. Later the instruments namely strathspeys, reels, jigs and horn
pipes, became more popular. The piping tradition is strongly connected to
Gaelic singing.
In the 17th century the step dance also appeared in Scotland that was done
with the rhythm and the tunes. This dance music was played at the weddings.
Many modern Scottish dance bands are becoming livelier with the influence of
western music. Vocal music was also popular in Scotland.
The ballads and laments are generally sung by a singer with the traditional
instruments such as harp, fiddle, bagpipes etc. The music hall performers
such as Harry Lander and Will Fyffe made many popular songs. The Accordion,
known as the Scottish kitsch has been a part of Scottish music. In the 20th
century the melodeon was popular among the rural folk of Scotland.
Bagpipes are actually the instrument of Scotland but it is also found in
parts of Europe, North Africa and South Asia. Bagpipe competitions take
place in Scotland in which both the solo player and the pipe bands take
part. People from Australia come to attend this bagpipe competition, as it
is very famous.
These World Pipe Band Championships concerts are performed in public
concerts. The fiddle instrument arrived in the late 17th century. In the
18th century Scottish fiddling is said to have reached new heights. Fiddlers
like William Marshall and Neil Gow were very famous in Scotland and their
first collections were published in mid-century.
The guitar was also played in Scotland in the early 1960’s. Many modernist
composers tended to concentrate on shorter forms like songs rather than
symphonies or operas. The Scots music was very traditional and religious.
Though it had lo its popularity because of the rise of pop music but it was
still very popular in areas of Europe and the United States.
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