Scottish Highland "Pentatonic-ish" Scales

[djomni]

I'm just wondering if anyone has any information regarding the tonal structure of the scottish highland scale from an analytical point of view. Most of the information I've found is more qualitative in nature. I know it's a hybrid of nine different pentatonic scales, however the frequency of a given note in that scale does not translate to the same note in a more mainstream western scale. I have to assume this is because of the structure of the instruments used, but I don't know anyone with a bagpipe so I can't accurately measure it.

I would be most interested in an analysis from a dsp point of view.


Thanks much!

[jancivil]

well [the 'chanter', the 'scales' part of] the Great Highland Bagpipe is tuned more to mixolydian: as given, A B "C#" D E "F#" G, with the lowest note a tone below the tonic 'A' (actually a pretty sharp note to be called 'A' generally speaking).

the particular intonation owes to how it's bored. the tuning has a lot to do with being in concord with the drones, albeit I would think that could be reduced to just intonation. NB: traditionally the C and F you see there is kind of a medium third, quite flat compared to ET or just third; kind of like some Arabic thirds. I think most people go for something more on the order of just intonation today.

"[G 7/8 harmonic 7th]
A 1/1 Tonic
B 9/8 perfect major tone
C# 5/4 perfect major 3rd
D 4/3 perfect 4th
E 3/2 perfect 5th
F# 5/3 perfect major 6th
g 16/9 perfect major tone down from high A"

CF: http://www.thesession.org/discussions/d ... 1/comments