Jigs, Reels etc....What Makes them So??

[Lori Peters]

Hi everyone,

I know this might seem like a stupid question...and it's one I should know (or maybe not, I studied piano for 9 years)...but what EXACTLY is the difference between jigs, reels, and aires??

Would it be the time signature, the key, etc?? The only reason I'm asking is because I truly want to know All I know is piano logic....I can do sonatas, etudes and adagios LOL!

[Ron Rowe]

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but with the exception of aires all Irish and Scottish music is dance music, the music is for the different types of dances, thus you see jigs, reels (a highland dance), polkas ect. The time signature plays a big part I think in what sets the different types of dance tunes apart but also where the emphasis is placed. For example a hornpipe and a polka might both be in 4/4 but where the emphasis is placed is quite different giving you two distinctly different rythms. Does that make sense or did I confuse you more?

[LeeMarsh]

Lori,
Below is review of a book by Chris Smith. It has the best explanations of what makes celtic music celtic. It not only explains the forms to a certain extent it allow has excellent exercise for learning to hear the things he discusses in the book.
<hr>
<b>Review: Celtic Back-Up for all Instrumentalists by Chris Smith.</b> <br>
Published by Mel Bay and includes Compact disk.<br><hr>
<br>
This is the first tutor I've seen on playing Irish music by ear. IMHO, A book that should be on every beginning session player's must read book: a tutorial, a guide, and a reference.<br>
<br><blockquote>
Chris' stated purpose for the book is to help the instrumental session musician "to play tasteful, interesting, imaginative, and supportive improvised accompaniment".<br></blockquote>
<br>
The book covers theory, celtic rhythms, celtic harmonies, Keys and their modes. It provide nice notation and explanations but also integrate training the ear to hear the Irish. Exercises and explanations include hearing the various rhythms associated with the various forms such as hornpipes, jigs, reals, etc. It has a wide variety of harmony approaches organized in a 15 point plan and exercises for each of the approaches. The CD has 99 tracks including tracks that just demonstrate each of the rhythms, each of the 15 approaches, the tones in each of the keys, the tones ineach of the modes, as well as some practice sets of tunes.<br>
<br>
One of the foci of the book is on being able to accompany songs in sessions where you are hearing the melody for the first time. Playing by ear, what to look for, what does it sound like, what does it mean, what to avoid.<br>
<br>
The book is written primarily for stringed accompanyment like guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, piano but applies to any instrumental accompanyment.
This is the best twenty buck's I've spent on learning Irish music.
The book is available at the Whistle Shop on-line and Lark in the Morning. Links follow:<br><br>
<a href=http://www.thewhistleshop.com/catalog/t ... htm>Celtic BackUp at The Whistle Shop</a><br>
<a href=http://www.larkinam.com/MenComNet/Busin ... tar>Celtic BackUp at Lark in The Morning</a><hr>Hope this helps you to ...

[Whistlepeg]

Lori, welcome to traditional music!
If you have done any "classical" theory at all you will be familiar with the different time signatures. Basically a jig is in 6/8 time with a feeling of 2 beats per bar. A slip jig is in 9/8 with a feeling of 3 beats per bar. A reel is in cut time....a time signature of 4/4 but counted in 2 beats per bar (half note gets the beat). A polka is usually in 2/4. A hornpipe is in cut time like a reel but is often (though not always) a dotted eighth/sixteenth pattern which makes for a very bouncy rhythm. A slow air is usually based on a Sean Nos song which is free form & unaccompanied, with no time signature, although some people call slower tunes that are not dances slow airs (these would include things like O'Carolan harp tunes etc.) Now the problem comes when you try to play these tunes, because if you check out an earlier thread of "to play by ear or sheet music" you will find a hot debate about whether people can learn to play traditional music from sheet music or whether they should learn to play it by ear. My own opionion is that if you can read music, it is helpful in learning new traditional tunes, but if you want to sound "Irish" (for example) you really need to listen to a lot of good Irish players and imitate them. A lot of the subtle things that make it sound tradtional Irish cannot be notated. Listen to hundreds of hours of Irish music and before you know it you will sound Irish! (Same goes for other traditions too!) Good Luck,
Sue

[Champ]

- 2/4 = polka
- 4/4 with fast even rhythm = reel
- 4/4 a little slower with dotted (ie, swinging) rhythm = hornpipe
- 3/4 slow = waltz
- 6/8 quicker = jig
- 9/8 = slip jig

[Lori Peters]

Thank you!

[Guest]

As you now know Jigs, Reels etc are Dance Tunes.

Dancing in the Celtic style is mostly Shlapping the Floor with Hob Nail Boots to a steady tempo. It is like drumming but without a drum.

So the Tunes mirror these 'points' as they are played.

In Irish Trad these 'emphases' can be made by slightly overblowing, in Novice class play that would be Huffing.

In Reels there are always 2 Huffs to a bar but can be 4, in Jigs there are 2.

Why is 6/8th Jig just 2 Huffs?
Simply this time sig can also be decribed as compound 2/4. Think of Jiggle Bow Fiddle but with equal note value.

Since the Dance Music evolved in a Folk Tradition you'll soon notice the practice of
'4 Barring', these are not places where beer is served but division of Tunes into 'Phrases', typical example is Phrase 1 with a 're' ending, repeat with a 'do'.
This in effect is the structure of the A part.

The very next notes are always the "Turn" of the tune or the first couple of notes of the B Part.

B Parts often but not always echo A parts and they share the same 'Phrase' shape.


You can take a simple Folk Song and make it into a Reel by fiddling around with the 'ends' of the 1st four bars and the end of the next four.

[TonyHiggins]

The song, Lord of the Dance, makes a nice reel melody.

[Mark_J]

A similar topic was posted in the old coolboard. Check out this <a href="http://chiffboard.mati.ca/archive/whist ... 22009.html"> archive link </a> to see the other discussion. My old post was intended for a beginner with little listening experience. My over simplification may have been a dis-service as I found that Stevie J had some good insights to the flavor of the real thing. I think what it comes down to is that either sheet or ear learning needs to be supplied with a healthy dose actual music instead of rules and such.