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| Cape Breton fiddling | |
|---|---|
 The World's Largest Fiddle (and bow) on the Sydney waterfront in Cape Breton. | |
| Etymology | Cape Breton |
| Cultural origins | Scottish |
| Local scenes | |
| Cape Breton Island | |
Cape Breton fiddling is a regionalviolin style which falls within theCeltic music idiom. The more predominant style inCape Breton Island's fiddle music was brought to North America byScottishimmigrants during theHighland Clearances.[1] These Scottish immigrants were primarily fromGaelic-speaking regions in theScottish Highlands and theOuter Hebrides. Although fiddling has changed since this time in Scotland, it is widely held[who?] that the tradition ofScottish fiddle music has been better preserved in Cape Breton. While there is a similar tradition from the Irish-style fiddling, that style is overlooked as a result of the Scottish presence in the area.
In the span of the 1920s to the 70s, Cape Breton's fiddling style faced decline.[2]
Dance styles associated with the music are Cape Bretonstep dancing, Cape Bretonsquare dancing (Iona style andInverness style), andhighland dancing.
In 2005, as a tribute to the area'straditional music, the construction of a tourism center and the world's largest fiddle and bow was completed on the waterfront inSydney, Nova Scotia.
Cape Breton- Scottish playing is accented, characterized by driven up-bowing.[3] The tunes of other music origins (Irish,Canadian,French-Canadian,etc.) sound different when performed by Cape Breton- Scottish players. The downbeat pulse is driven by the fiddler's heel into the floor. The pattern tends to be heel-and-toe on reels, the heel onstrathspeys.
Cape Breton fiddle music is influenced by the intonations of theScots-Gaelic language, especiallyPuirt a Beul (mouth music) and strathspeys. The ornaments are adapted from those used on theGreat Highland bagpipe. The ornamentation (cuts aka.trebles,drones anddoubling) brings out the feeling of Cape Breton fiddle.
A century ago the violin andpump organ were the common instruments; the latter has been supplanted bypiano to provide a rhythmic accompaniment.Guitar is also used for accompaniment but it's less prominent than piano.
The types of tunes commonly associated with Cape Breton - Scottish fiddling arejigs,reels,marches,strathspeys, clogs (hornpipes), andslow airs. Many of the tunes associated with this style fiddle music are also commonly performed on other instruments, especiallybagpipes,piano andguitar. It is not unheard of for the music to be performed onharmonica,tin whistle,mandolin orbanjo.
Modern Cape Breton players draw on a large body of music, from the Scottish and Irish traditions, and from modern compositions. Several older books of tune collections have been popular sources:
A number of recent publications also document a substantial amount of the modern Cape Breton - Scottish repertoire:
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