Slip Jigs, help!

[Fishie]

I'm having trouble nailing the rythm of slip jigs. I can play along fine, if someone else starts it, or along with a recording. However, when I play at home with my friend who is learning the bodhran, I have trouble getting the rythm right. I think I keep falling into 4/4. Does anyone have any pointers on getting slip jig right?

[Congratulations]

I think of slipjigs in 1. That is, I tap my foot only once per measure, and the other 8 beats come between that and the next foot tap. I doubt this helps you, though.

One way you might try is to think of it as a waltz. So, instead of 9/8, think of it in 3/4 but with a lot of eighth-note triplets. This might help if you're comfortable with 3/4. I'm sure you've tried thinking of it as a jig with an extra beat every measure, so I won't suggest that.

[BigDavy]

Hi Fishie

Is your friend playing the rhythm properly??. If he is learning maybe he is playing in 4/4 and this causes you to do the same. Maybe if you both played along to a recording, then this would keep you both in rhythm.

David

[djm]

Just to confuse you even more I think of and play slip jigs with the same rhythm as double jigs. This means that it takes 3 measures of a slip jig to resolve itself, but it works. If you think of slip jigs in this way you will also find it easier to move from slip jigs to double jigs and back again.

djm

[Congratulations]

Just to confuse you even more I think of and play slip jigs with the same rhythm as double jigs. This means that it takes 3 measures of a slip jig to resolve itself, but it works. If you think of slip jigs in this way you will also find it easier to move from slip jigs to double jigs and back again.

djm

Oh, wow. I just tried that, and it blew my mind.

[Wanderer]

when I play at home with my friend who is learning the bodhran

I think we have pinpointed your problem..

[Fishie]

I would love to blame the bodhran palyer, but he's a trained drummer, so i get the feeling it's me.

These pointers may help, especially both playing along to a recording. thanks for the help!

:)

[s1m0n]

I would love to blame the bodhran palyer, but he's a trained drummer, so i get the feeling it's me.

Plenty of drummers can be quite extensively trained without ever encountering 9/8.

If you can play to a record or solo but fall into 4/4 with the drummer, I'd double check that the drummer has a feel for 9/8.

Or you might have incorporated an extra beat or two--maybe you should slow yourself down and work out one or two favorite tunes with a metronome. It's horrifying what you can learn abpout tunes you think you know well a play smoothly when you actually measure them.

[BigDavy]

Hi Fishie

If you have another friend that plays ITM, have them listen while you are playing with your bodhran playing friend. Then get him to go over what he heard with a fine tooth comb. It may not be pleasant getting your playing criticised, but at least it may pinpoint where you are going wrong.

Is there a CCE branch near you, if so maybe they have an experienced adjudicator that can do this and give you the approriate feedback.

David

[SteveShaw]

Dig out all your ITM CDs and find the slip jigs, then just listen to 'em until they get under your skin. The playing along can come later. I always used to think of 'em as a jig-and-a-half...

Steve

[talasiga]

I do not play enough Irish music to give ITM specific advice here but I have played percussion accompaniment for many many years on and off stage and so I hope something here in my comment may help you, "universal" rather than ITM specific that it may be.

If you are having probs with this 9 beat cycle, get your friend to drop out of the prescribed time signature and slow the thing right down to even as slow as 9/2. Now play around with the following arrangements of beats in a 9 cycle (very slowly as I said)

1 2 3 | 1 2 3 | 1 2 3 ||

and

1 2 | 1 | 1 2| 1 | 1 | 1 2 ||

and

1 2 3 4 | 1 2 | 1 2 3 ||

ask your friend to keep it siimple until you lock in to one of the patterrns that fits the piece the best. Then spped it up to 9/8.

I suspect the latter 2 patterns may fit the best. Let me know how you go either here or by PM. I am experimennting with you. Thanks.

[Cynth]

Here is a slip jig. For me the simplest thing is to think of each measure as being composed of 3 groups containing 3 eighth notes each. If I were having serious trouble with the rhythm I would tap out nine beats, emphasizing the 1st, 4th, and 7th beats. I'd use my metronome. When I got faster I would switch to 3 beats/measure. I would be thinking "triplets". I am a beginner, so this is a beginner's approach.

[Congratulations]

If you are having probs with this 9 beat cycle, get your friend to drop out of the prescribed time signature and slow the thing right down to even as slow as 9/2.

I'd just like to make the annoyingly anal point that 9/2 is not necessarily any slower than 9/8. In fact, unless you change the tempo marking, they're the same speed (just notated differently).

I think your point is well made, though.

[Cynth]

When I look at the 3 patterns, I would pick pattern 1. Is that right? I may not be understanding the patterns.

[Congratulations]

When I look at the 3 patterns, I would pick pattern 1. Is that right? I may not be understanding the patterns.

That's how I count it. And, to my understanding, that's how it should be counted. Otherwise the notes would be grouped together differently.

For instance, in a 9/8 measure, if the first 3 notes were barred together, then the next 2, and then the next 2, and the next 2, then you'd actually count 4 in that measure: |123,12,12,12|123,12,12,12| ad infinitum.

But, were the first 2 barred, then 3, then 2, then 2, it would be: |12,123,12,12|12,123,12,12|.

But most slipjigs that I've seen look to be counted |123,123,123|123,123,123|.

Does that make any sense? I guess the point is you interpret by the way their grouped (that is, barred together). At least, that's how it works in a classical setting...

(I hope I didn't just show my trad ignorance.)