February 11,2015

Reporters:

TOPIC:CELTIC MUSIC

Ordeniza,Jovelyn V.(Instrument of Celtic Music.)

Gultia, Nicholeen V.(VOCAL TRADITION)
Bazan, Irah(Historical element of celtic music
Jonneth Mae Labuan Comparison/contrast/Similarities
in Western Music
Bilarde, Examples of Musicians

Celtic Music
The definition of "Celtic" music must start with a
definition of what a "Celt" is. The origin of the term goes
back to the wordkeltoi, which was used by the ancient
Greeks to refer to certain barbarian tribes. In modern
terminology, "Celtic" is used to refer to a certain branch
of the Indo-European language group. Some of the tribes
calledkeltoispoke Celtic languages. However, it is not
certain that the Greeks appliedkeltoionly to Celticspeaking tribes. (In general, the ancient Greeks
considered languages other than Greek to be little more
than childish babble, which is what their termbarbaros
indicates

Celtic Music

The term 'celtic music' is a rather loose

one; for the purpose of Ceolas, it covers
the traditional music of the celtic
countries - Ireland, Scotland, Wales,
Brittany (in France), Galicia (in Spain)
and areas which have come under their
influence, such as the US and the
maritime provinces of Canada, as well as
some newer music based on the tradition
from these countries.

Celtic music is a broad grouping of musical genres

that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the
Celtic peoples of Western Europe. The term Celtic
music may refer to both orally-transmitted traditional
music and recorded popular music with only a
superficial resemblance to folk styles of the Celtic
peoples. Most typically, the term Celtic music is
applied to the music of Ireland and Scotland, because
both places have produced well-known distinctive
styles which actually have genuine commonality and
clear mutual influences. The music of Wales,
Cornwall, Isle of Man, Brittany, Northumbria and
Galicia are also frequently considered a part of Celtic
music, the Celtic tradition being particularly strong in
Brittany, where Celtic festivals large and small take
place throughout the year. Finally, the music of

Instruments
The sounds of Celtic music are both entrancing and
enlivening. Celtic music can be a haunting melody, a
storytelling accompaniment, or a lively dance tune.
Songs may be sung in English, Irish, or Gaelic. And
whether its for a party, called a Ceilidh, or at a pub,
the music will definitely be danceable! Celtic musical
instruments tend to be simple and portable, so that
the party can go anywhere, at any time. The Celtic
music diaspora has spread from Scotland and Ireland
across the world. There are hundreds of well-known

Celtic Harp

Probably most well-known, globally, because

of its placement in the logo of the Irish
Guinness Stout! The Celtic Harp is also the
symbol of Ireland. Its an ancient musical
instrument, used by musicians for thousands of
years to entertain, enhance their stories, and
enliven gatherings. The stringing used to be
gut-strung, but is now wire strung (bell-like
tones) or nylon strung (soft tones). Modern
Celtic Harps stand 4 feet high and boast 34
strings.

Pipes

traditional Scottish Highland bagpipes

or Uillean pipes, these instruments are
made from a leather bladder, inflated
through a pipe by the musician. Yes, work
on your lung capacity! The musician
presses the bag underneath his/her arm
and plays the tune by deft finger work on
the chanter (which looks like a recorder

Fiddle

Probably the most well-known of Celtic

instruments, the fiddle provides haunting,
soulful sounds, or rollicking, danceable tunes.
Its a very familiar sound. A fiddle is strung
with steel, while a violin is usually strung with
gut or nylon. The musical instrument itself is
the same. The techniques involved in fiddling
are different from playing the violin sharper,
shorter bursts, and quick fingerwork. There are
definitely regional variations in fiddle playing.

Tin whistle

The easiest to carry, the tin whistle has

been a mainstay in Celtic music for ages.
It is closely related to the flute. The tin
whistle is a metal cylinder, like a recorder,
with 6 stops on which the musician can
finger the different notes. The instrument
is held vertically. The tin whistle is mostly
used for accent notes, as well as the main
melody in a song.

Flute

Celtic musicians tend to prefer the oldfashioned wooden flutes to the more
modern, metal flute. The instrument is
held horizontally. It is a simple system
transverse flute. The tone holes are
covered with the fingers to produce
different notes. It plays in a major scale.
There are usually no metal keys. The flute
can be used to achieve ethereal accents, or
also contribute to the main melody.

BODHRAN

Wondered when percussion would show up?

No Celtic music is complete without the
bodhran (pronounced bow-ran), a circular
frame drum. Usually made from treated
goatskin stretched over a round wooden frame
and a crossbrace in the back, the bodhran
makes delicious-sounding tones. It is played
with a drumstick, called a beater. It can also be
played with the hands. Bodhran players can
obtain different tones depending on where they
play the drum, with deeper tones coming from
the middle of the drum, and shorter ones from
the sides.

BONES

Also known in the US south as Spoons, since

they can be played with two spoons! Bones are
a percussion instrument, composed of two
identical pieces of wood (in the olden days,
sheep ribs). They should be about 5-7 inches in
length the right size of a sheep rib! You hold
two or four of them between your fingers and
tap away. The percussion sounds arise from
them hitting each other (or your legs, or your
fingers, etc.). These are fun and very portable.
And, the learning curve for playing them is
very short and fun.

ACCORDION

There are several types of accordions,

including a ten-key and a 2-row button
accordion. The rows in a two-row button
accordion used in Celtic music are tuned a
semi-tone apart, and are usually tuned to
B/C and C#/D. The accordion is played by
moving the bellows back and forth, while
fingering the notes. It is a push-pull
action, which blows air across paired
metal reeds.

CONCERTINA

A small hexagonal accordion, the

concertina is much smaller and can be
held in your lap. Its generally a two-or
three button row musical instrument, and
is also a bellows instrument. Both the
concertina and the accordion are
considered mainstays of the Celtic folk
music tradition.

Irish Bouzouki

A relatively new instrument, this was

developed in the 1960s as a modification to the
traditional Greek bouzouki. It is a stringed
instrument, similar to a banjo or mandolin, but
plays with a lighter sound. The front of the
instrument is flat or slightly raised, and the
back is also flat (as opposed to the rounded
back in a Greek Bouzouki). There is a long neck
upon which the musician plays notes with
fingering and strumming or picking.

Comparison /differences ,sililarities in western

music
Melodic variationcan be easily introduced. Melodic variation is
widely used in Celtic music, especially by the pipes and harp.
It is easier to anticipate the direction that the melody will take,
so that harmony either composed or improvised can be
introduced: cliched cadences that are essential for impromptu
harmony are also more easily formed.
the melody of western music is in contrast the relatively
asymmetrical and elaborate melodies of Baroque music,
classical era melodies are generally balanced and symmetrical,
and often have a question-answer relationship in the cadences