Styles of music

March

A piece of music originally dating back to Egyptian times when music was used as part of the advance of an army and which is still used for military purposes. In Scottish music, military marches are usually played by pipe bands, a band of bagpipes and drums, but the style is also played by solo instruments, military bands, Scottish dance bands, fiddle orchestras and modern-style Scottish folk and folk rock groups.

Listen to a pipe band playing a march.

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Now here is a short example of a march played by a solo fiddle. Notice a drone is played on an open string giving a similar effect to the drones on the bagpipes.

Here is another example of a march played by a fiddle.

Now listen to a traditional Scottish dance band playing a march in which the main instrument is an accordion.

Finally listen to an excerpt played by a military band. Listen carefully to the excerpt which is in a major key and be sure to note the sound of the glockenspiel which is playing the melody along with the band.

Reel

A fast Scottish dance in simple time with four beats in a bar and usually in a major key.

First of all listen to an excerpt on bagpipes. Notice again the use of grace notes.

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Here is a solo fiddle playing in the major key. Notice the same melody is exactly the same the second time, creating repetition.

Now listen to a traditional Scottish dance band playing a reel in which the main instrument is an accordion. Listen also for the two sections of this excerpt. Tune A is repeated followed by a new tune B which is also repeated. This shape is known as binary form.

Folk band:

Bagpipe players, pipe bands and other groups regularly perform all three of these as 'set', a 'march, strathspey and reel'. Listen to all three, one after the other, and notice the tempo changes between each section and played here by a pipe band.

Folk Music

Music which is traditionally handed down from one generation to another by word of mouth. It is an important part of the folklore of many countries and Scotland in particular. Listen to this example with two voices and two bodhrans, Irish war drums often used in folk music.

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Today folk music is usually written down to preserve the traditions of the country concerned. This is a traditional Scottish folk song accompanied by acoustic guitars, one of which can clearly be identified as being strummed.