Scottish Music: Vital and Living Musical Tradition of Scotland

Music has a significant place in the Scottish culture. The music of Scotland has got both traditional as well as modern influences. The traditional music of the country has been able to maintain a special position of its own alongside the immensely popular pop music of the present times. Traditional Scottish music has been influenced by both the Irish and the English traditional music. This has also cast its own influence on the music of the two countries. This stays as a vital and living tradition of Scotland.

 

Bagpipes and other musical instruments of Scottish music

 

Scottish folk music is often associated exclusively with bagpipes. It may be pointed out that though bagpipes have for long been an important part of the Scottish music yet it is not unique or indigenous to Scotland. It had been imported into the country around the fifteenth century. This instrument finds usage in other parts of Europe and elsewhere also. The great Highland Bagpipe is the bagpipe that is the most distinctively Scottish form of bagpipe. Apart from the bagpipe the other musical instruments that are extensively used in Scottish music are the accordion, the fiddle, the guitar, the harp and the tin whistle.

 

Forms of the music of Scotland

 

The folk music of Scotland takes many forms. However, there are no rigid dividing lines between the forms and there are a number of artists who work across boundaries between the folk musical forms conforming to a broad musical tradition. There is a cultural difference between the Gaelic tradition and the Scots tradition of music of Scotland.

 

Scottish music is nowadays offered in many forms. The summer shows are there that are primarily aimed at tourists visiting the Scottish country. Ballads and laments are popular that are usually sung by a lone singer with backing. These may also be played on traditional instruments like the harp, fiddle, accordion or bagpipes. Traditional folk songs are there in Scotland that can be melodic, haunting or rousing in feel. Emerging folk music groups usually seek to perform these and these tend to region specific.

 

Revival of Scottish music in 1960s

 

After a somewhat decline of the folk music in the preceding period Scotland underwent a roots revival in the 1960s. Numerous young Scots had begun to think themselves as being separate from their country’s musical culture. The urge to bring revival became keener upon receiving inspiration from the American traditionalists.