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Scotch snap

noun

  1. music a rhythmic pattern consisting of a short note followed by a long one Also calledScotch catch
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of Scotch snap1

C19: so named because it is characteristic of, though not exclusive to, Scottish dance music, esp that for strathspeys
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Example Sentences

The New York critic Henry Krehbiel gave a sneak preview in the Tribune the day before the premiere, arguing that it projected a truly American character through its blend of ethnic musical traits like the folky, syncopated “Scotch snap” and “the mood inspired by the contemplation of Indian legend and romance.”

The set’s concluding Gavot takes on Scottish bagpipe colors, with some wrong-note grace notes in the opening drone and plenty of Scotch snap rhythms .

Marcello Panni conducts with a Scotch snap.

The "Scotch snap" is a constant rhythmic device, the old scale and the old Scottish cadences seem to be native to his heart.

The third consists of the mannerism known as the “Scotch snap,” and is a rhythmic device which probably originated in that trick of jumping from one register of the voice to another, which has always had a fascination for people of simple natures.

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