Atholl Highlanders Balkan Version jig

Graham Townsend on the Piper’s Broken Finger

The G chords are often “modernized” to E7, except for the last line, which always has G.

I know this version well but why is this called the balkan version?

Probably because it’s in an awkward key.

It´s called Balkan because it´s not possible here at thesession to specify the correct key, which should be B flat {not b} AND C sharp {not c natural} all the way through.

In that case shouldn’t the key be D minor, the scale of which in one form goes D-E-F(nat)-G-A-Bflat-c#-d (as anyone who has flogged through scales when learning the piano will agree).

One can argue that it should be D minor {one of them anyway}, if you want to be hypercorrect it is HIDJAZ if you speak arabic or HICAZ in turkish. AHAVA RABA if it is to be associated with klezmer. This is actually the intial words in a jewish prayer.

Try this……
http:www.klezmershack.com/articles/horowitz/horowitz.klezmodes.html

http://www.musiq.com/makam/

http://www.fotuva.org/music/theory.html

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:Fmfb5Ht5TnkJ:cip.cornell.edu/DPubS/Repository/1.0/Disseminate/seap.indo/1106968962/body/pdf+gamelan+theory&hl=da&gl=dk&ct=clnk&cd=16

http://www.klezmershack.com/articles/horowitz/horowitz.klezmodes.html