CAPERCAILLIE – SKYE WAULKING SONG
Tonality:
1. Section 1 – Minor, Section 2 - major
2. Section 1 – E minor, Section 2 – G major
Tempo/Meter:
1. 6/8, 2 beats in a bar
2. Strong rhythm helped the workers keep in time
Harmony:
1. Harmonised backing vocals
2. Section 1 chords Em and G
Texture:
1. Polyrhythmic texture, the singer’s part has a different rhythm to the rest of the band
2. Backing vocals
3. 9 instruments used in band
4. Section 1 none of the instruments really stand out
5. Section 1 – focused on the singer
6. Section 2 – pipe solo and drums/bass guitar stop to make texture thinner
Timbre/Instrumentation:
1. Traditional – fiddle, pipes, whistle, accordion and bouzouki
2. Modern – guitar, bass guitar, drum kit and keyboard
3. Female singer – scots gaelic language
4. Pipe solo in section 2
5. Full rhythm section play in section 2
Dynamics:
1. Section one is quiet, piano
2. Section two is louder, forte
3. Fade out ending
Word setting:
1. Vocables – nonsense syllables (lines that everyone can join in with)
2. Scots Gaelic
Form and structure:
1. Strophic form
2. Two verses with pipe solo in between each verse
3. Melody is the same for both verses
4. Key change in second verse
5. After a few intro lines an insert (seisd) is sung in between each line of the verse
Melody :
1. All instruments play in their middle range
2. Vocal melody line
3. Based on the pentatonic scale
Rhythm:
1. At some points the singer’s part is in 6/8 while the hi-hat plays 3 crotchets in a bar making it feel like 3/4.
2. Syncopation