Wikibooks: Ethnography of Fiddle/Cape Breton Fiddle

• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Subjects: Breton Island; The Heel
• Online Access: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Ethnography_of_Fiddle/Cape_Breton_Fiddle

Cape Breton fiddling is a regional violin style which falls within the Celtic music idiom. Cape Breton Island s fiddle music was brought to North America by Scotland Scottish immigrants during the Highland Clearances. These Scottish immigrants were primarily from Scottish Gaelic language Gaelic speaking regions in the Scottish Highlands and the Outer Hebrides. Although fiddling has changed considerably since this time in Scotland it is widely held that the tradition of Scottish fiddling music has been better preserved in Cape Breton. Dance styles associated with the music are Cape Breton step dancing Cape Breton square dancing (Iona Nova Scotia Iona style and Inverness County Nova Scotia Inverness style) and highland dancing. In 2005 as a tribute to the area s traditional music the construction of a tourism center and the world s largest fiddle and bow was completed on the Sydney Nova Scotia Sydney waterfront. =Playing style= Cape Breton playing is highly accented characterized by driven up bowing. The tunes of other music origins (Irish Canadian French Canadian etc .) sound quite different when performed by Cape Breton players. The strong downbeat pulse is driven by the fiddler s heel into the floor. The pattern tends to be heel and toe on reels the heel on Strathspey (dance) strathspeys. Timing is a notable trait of Cape Breton music because good timing brings dancing alive. Citation needed date=February 2010 Cape Breton fiddle music is strongly influenced by the intonations of the Scottish Gaelic Scots Gaelic language especially Puirt a Beul Puirt a Beul (mouth music) and strathspeys. The ornaments are adapted from those used on the Great Highland Bagpipe Great Highland bagpipe. The ornamentation (cuts aka. Turn %28music%29 trebles Drone (music) drones and double stops doubling) brings out the strong feeling of Cape Breton fiddle. A century ago the violin and pump organ were the common instruments the latter has been supplanted by piano. =Repertoire= The types of tunes commonly associated with Cape Breton ...