jig or 6/8 march

For all instruments -- please read F.A.Q. before posting.
Post Reply
User avatar
Steve Bliven
Posts: 2973
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2004 2:06 pm
antispam: No
Location: Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA

jig or 6/8 march

Post by Steve Bliven »

I'm a bit befuddled about differences between a 6/8 jig and a 6/8 march. Is there a way to tell one from the other (other than the name)? Is there a difference in playing techniques/style between the two? For example, is the Butcher's March/Butcher's Fancy a jig or a march—and does it matter?

Thanks and best wishes for the holidays.

Steve
Live your life so that, if it was a book, Florida would ban it.
User avatar
benhall.1
Moderator
Posts: 14785
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:21 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe

Re: jig or 6/8 march

Post by benhall.1 »

I would say that The Butcher's March is an ordinary jig. That's how it's usually played, it seems to me. There are 6/8 marches - Parnell's March springs to mind (although somewhere I've heard that it's more properly a "military two-step").

There are definitely differences between the sound of a jig and the sound of a 6/8 march. A march, to me, has a more insistent strong beat on each half bar rather than the 6 in a bar with accents feel of a jig. Trying to write it makes it sound like a pretty subtle difference, and I suppose it probably is. It still sounds different though.
User avatar
Mr.Gumby
Posts: 6603
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:31 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Location: the Back of Beyond

Re: jig or 6/8 march

Post by Mr.Gumby »

While there are many tunes that are clearly one or the other, there's always going to be a grey area. A lot of tunes from the old 6/8 marches have been recycled into jigs. The Butcher's March would be one of them. It's played as a jig and perfectly fine that way, whatever it was before. There are many examples of the practice, I would be able to name a few more but it's early and the coffee is only just sinking in. Later. Tunes like Hunt the Squirrel or the Drocketty (see the Bakerswell recording), March of the King of Laois are all firmly in marching territory.

The Butcher's March really shone on Ciarán MacMathúna's famous recording after the Miltown Fleadh of 1958 of Séamus Ennis playing in Doolin. Most pipers will still play Tá'n Coileach ag fógairt an Lae after it, as Ennis did on the recording. Another coupling you hear often is with the Clare jig, after Tom Ennis and James Morrison's 78rpm.

FWIW, I have seen Parnell's march convincingly written in 12/8.
My brain hurts

Image
User avatar
Steve Bliven
Posts: 2973
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2004 2:06 pm
antispam: No
Location: Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA

Re: jig or 6/8 march

Post by Steve Bliven »

Mr.Gumby wrote:The Butcher's March..... Another coupling you hear often is with the Clare jig, after Tom Ennis and James Morrison's 78rpm.
Not having the recording, does the Clare Jig also go by a different name. Didn't find it on the mustard pages.

Thanks and best wishes.

Steve
Live your life so that, if it was a book, Florida would ban it.
User avatar
Mr.Gumby
Posts: 6603
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:31 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Location: the Back of Beyond

Re: jig or 6/8 march

Post by Mr.Gumby »

Not having the recording, does the Clare Jig also go by a different name. Didn't find it on the mustard pages.
it's this one eAA fAA faf gfe dBG GFG BAG B.....

I'll send a link for both clips later.
My brain hurts

Image
User avatar
NicoMoreno
Posts: 2098
Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2001 6:00 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I just wanted to update my location... 100 characters is a lot and I don't really want to type so much just to edit my profile...
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: jig or 6/8 march

Post by NicoMoreno »

I'd say the Butcher's March, Alexander's/Alistraum's March (both or all of them), O'Sullivan's March, and others can be used as jigs or as marches, and I don't think there's any structural difference, but there would be a played difference. Like Ben, played as march would be slower and with a stronger / more insistent strong beat, and maybe a bit straighter.
Post Reply