People wonder why Scottish music is pentatonic

[beloitpiper]

Scottish folk music, and indeed the bagpipe, is in the pentatonic scale. So is most Native American music. As is Greek, Vietnamese, Hungarian, Ethiopian, and Polish folk music. As an anthropologist who dabbles in ethnomusicology, I have wondered why the pentatonic scale seems so universal in folk and "primitive" music. Well this isn't the answer, but it sure does make you think.

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/08/01...rin-hacks.html

Truly the universal language.

[piperdbh]

Scottish folk music, and indeed the bagpipe, is in the pentatonic scale. So is most Native American music. As is Greek, Vietnamese, Hungarian, Ethiopian, and Polish folk music. As an anthropologist who dabbles in ethnomusicology, I have wondered why the pentatonic scale seems so universal in folk and "primitive" music. Well this isn't the answer, but it sure does make you think.

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/08/01...rin-hacks.html

Truly the universal language.

It's because leading tones are so hard to sing in tune!

Really, the pentatonic scale is much easier to sing descending than are other scales. It probably has something to do with there being no leading tone, or subtonic.
Also, when the melody moves from V to I, everyone feels the strong cadence and knows they've arrived at tonic together. That is, when the melody cadences to I, and not to V!

[george7]

I really enjoyed that one. I really like the 9 notes I have to work with.

When I play bagpipes it's about playing 9 notes with rhythmic and tonal precision.

Maybe that's why bagpipes work so well with tribal drumming.

[highlander_Daz]

Guys the pentatonic scale has 5 notes (penta =5) Bagpipe has a 7 note scale plus the additional G and A

[Dall_Piobaire]

I was wondering if that wasn't confusing it with Ionian and Aolian, as opposed to the mixylodian pipes?

[beloitpiper]

Guys the pentatonic scale has 5 notes (penta =5) Bagpipe has a 7 note scale plus the additional G and A

Pentatonic means five pitches per octave. Mixolydian means that the fifth is the tonic in the scale.

[Dall_Piobaire]

Oh okay, I was thinking Mixolydian reffered to the steps in the scale, sharps to naturals to flats.

[GDub]

Scottish folk music, and indeed the bagpipe, is in the pentatonic scale. So is most Native American music. As is Greek, Vietnamese, Hungarian, Ethiopian, and Polish folk music. As an anthropologist who dabbles in ethnomusicology, I have wondered why the pentatonic scale seems so universal in folk and "primitive" music. Well this isn't the answer, but it sure does make you think....

Besides the "universal" appeal (as in the McFerrin clip), perhaps it depends on the instruments being composed on or for...? Seems logical that pipes and/or flute-centric folk music would gravitate towards the pentatonic scale. I "dabble" in Irish trad music (on a not so trad instrument--guitar). Irish tunes in "pure" pentatonic are not nearly so prevalent...

BTW, thanks for the Bobby McFerrin clip! Very cool!

[drobin]

Cool vid, I wish is was longer. Another fun fact was used by Carl Orff in his method. One can play any combination of tones in the Pentatonic scale together and there will be none of the dissonances which are found the in the Ionian Heptatonic, due to the lack of the leading tone and tritone.

[beloitpiper]

Besides the "universal" appeal (as in the McFerrin clip), perhaps it depends on the instruments being composed on or for...? Seems logical that pipes and/or flute-centric folk music would gravitate towards the pentatonic scale. I "dabble" in Irish trad music (on a not so trad instrument--guitar). Irish tunes in "pure" pentatonic are not nearly so prevalent...

BTW, thanks for the Bobby McFerrin clip! Very cool!

You're right. Like I said, Scottish folk music tends to be pentatonic. Irish folk music has an entirely different flavor.