HARP SCALES
The following system of scales is not presented as a historical reconstruction. It is a map
of theoretical options for the possible positions on the natural gamut of the most common
scales in Gaelic music. However, there is an area of overlap between what Bunting
indicates was done in the past and what is technically possible.
There are two ways a Gaelic harper can look at diatonic scales. Seeing them modally as
overlapping on the gamut such as D, C, A & G is one way. Another way is to see them as
retunings of each other (like transpositions of key), eg, a G scale with an F# is like a scale
of C. I look at them in both ways in this article as this is how they work in practice on the
Gaelic harp.
Four steps of a diatonic ladder separates D and A scales no more than the fact that it only
takes the retuning of one string to produce two forms of minor scales which vary from each
other only in the 6th degree of the scale. Certain versions of songs which have gaps in
their scales often fill in the gaps with notes which could relate them to one specific position
on the gamut rather than another eg an added minor 6th would make a hexatonic minor fit
on the gamut in A but an added major 6th would make it fit on D.
The names I employ here for the diatonic Gaelic scales are therefore merely a convention
to denote the intervallic relationships within and between the diatonic Gaelic scales as we
can see them in the tunings on the Gaelic harp.
I do not use Greek appellations such as dorian, phrygian and lydian etc for these modes,
as these names have been used in different and conflicting ways at various times in
different disciplines of Greek/Roman music theory. Instead, I name the modes
alphabetically after the key pitch of each scale as they appear in relation to the basic
diatonic series. This might also make identification of the scales more immediate to the
mind.