reels and hornpipes

totst · Post by **totst** » Sun Mar 17, 2002 1:30 am

Whats the difference between the two? They look the same to me on paper. With all the different ways people play them I can't tell which is which.
THanks for all the replies to the flute tunes thread, you've all been a great help.

Tots

ChrisLaughlin · Post by **ChrisLaughlin** » Sun Mar 17, 2002 9:10 am

Really simple answer -
listen to them. Notice the difference? That's the difference

Best,
Chris
P.S. - I don't mean this rudely at all, I just mean that there is a reason Irish music should be learned by ear, and it's that the sheet music is inadequate for conveying the true structure of the music.

Eldarion · Post by **Eldarion** » Sun Mar 17, 2002 7:45 pm

Totst, I agree with Chris. Theres absolutely no substitute for listening. But people usually describe a hornpipe as a swingy rhythm. The notes are relatively more even on a reel, and I like to describe it as a more driving rhythm. I think there might be more detailed explainations in the Ceolas websites or something..

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Sun Mar 17, 2002 10:52 pm

Both reels and hornpipes can be played either with a slight "swing" or straight. The difference is in speed and accented beats.
A reel has a strong accent on 1 and a weak accent on 3, and is usually played at a very rapid clip. Movement is usually stepwise and in thirds.
A hornpipe has a strong accent on 1 and a stronger accent on 3, and is played somewhat slower. Movement usually involved arpeggios and thirds.
Another difference is the cadence. Hornpipes usually (but not always) end both the A and B section with three accented quarter-notes. Reels generally do not.
--James
http://www.flutesite.com

totst · Post by **totst** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 9:09 pm

Thanks, James. Just what I needed.

Chris,
Yes I've been listening but the hornpipes just sound like slow reels to me. I use my ear most to learn music and use the ABC when I have no recordings to refer to. Cheers!

Tots

ChrisLaughlin · Post by **ChrisLaughlin** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 10:17 pm

It's cool Tots. I really hope I didn't sound arrogant or offensive or anything like that in my post.... I just think learning by ear is the only way to really learn how Irish music is meant to sound. I'm glad that some of the other guys here were able to give you a better description of the difference between the two than I was.
All the best,
Chris

totst · Post by **totst** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 11:53 pm

Chris,
No problem.
I just wanted to express agreement to your comment about learning by ear. Trad and folk music IMHO should be learned by ear. I could never have figured out the ornamentation without hard listening. But the ABCs serve thier purpose too, when you want to learn a tune and have no other basis.

Best to you too,
Tots

staten island · Post by **staten island** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 2:28 pm

To give a more hornpipey feel to the tune when you play, you can play the eighth notes long-short, long-short. The only techinical difference is the speed at which they are played, as far as I know. You can actually play reels as hornpipes, and hornpipes as reels.