Favourite jig or reel

[Guernseyman]

Let's get some chat going. What is your favourite 32 bar jig or reel to play and why?

 

[george garside]

Thanks for starting this thread guernsyman . The trouble is there are so many out there that I like but working on the basis of the ones I have been humming and whistling for years ( so presumably I must particulary like them) I would nominate 2 jigs - Muckin of Geordys Byre , which I use as a signature tune as it is the only one with more or less my name in it! ( loosely it translates as the cleansing of georges cowshed) and its a cracking tune. My other 'most humable ' one is roaring Jelly , also known as Smash the Windows -- for no other reason I must like it because I have hummed it and plyed it for more than 50 years and it goes quite well with geordies byre as a set.

I also have many 'favourite reels but where possible I like to play 'singy ' tunes so that both dancers and those sitting out can join in so '' Keep your feet still Geordy Hinny'' - ''Maggie ''''and Let him go let him Tarry'' semm to work well for something like the Virginia reel

For a faster reel set ''lass of patties mill,, and ''come let us dance and sing''

Apologies for being greedy and having 6 favourites but there are so many great tunens out there

La Russe and Caddam Woods is another -- sorry!

george {} {}

 

[jarvo]

No accordions .....but what a tune.........................

 

[mjh]

Though I know next to nothing about British folk music, Ive heard a tune here and there, and the first tune at will definitely be my favourite reel to play some of these days. Does that still count? Says its called Banshee.

 

[Pippa]

I'm yet to learn any on the accordion (unfortunately! maybe I'll get some ideas here...) but in my previous incarnation as a fiddler, I just loved playing Cooley's reel. I'm a sucker for a minor key! The Merry Blacksmith was great fun to play too.

I've tried them a couple of times on the accordion but the right hand is so jumpy on PA! Not ideal for a beginner like me.

 

[Matt Butcher]

The Wise Maid, because of the Joe Cooley recording, but I've never played it up to speed. So maybe that's a challenge... To listen to, The New Mown Meadow because of the way it builds up.

 

[george garside]

Though I know next to nothing about British folk music, Ive heard a tune here and there, and the first tune at will definitely be my favourite reel to play some of these days. Does that still count? Says its called Banshee.

there are 3 tunes in the set being played!. This is to me an example of Irish Trad music at its best and unusually being played on a 4 row continental box. Irish traad music has a sou;nd of its own but unfortunaltely, in my opinion, often gets played far too fast and loses a lot when so played.

Lots of info , tunes with ABC or dots are available on http://www.thesession.org a very useful resource

English reels tend to be played slower and with more bounce. Scottish reels tendd to be somewhere in between but there are no hard and fast rules . Reels are also used for American sqaare dances , which are often danced at English Ceilidhs and tunes such as coming round the mountains can work very well with the right speed and rhythm applied.

george

 

[george garside]

Im yet to learn any on the accordion (unfortunately! maybe Ill get some ideas here...) but in my previous incarnation as a fiddler, I just loved playing Cooleys reel. Im a sucker for a minor key! The Merry Blacksmith was great fun to play too.

Ive tried them a couple of times on the accordion but the right hand is so jumpy on PA! Not ideal for a beginner like me.

Pippa - a jumpy right hand is no bad thing when it comes to playing jigs & reels etc as staccato ( used in the sense of keeping it crisp and putting a gap between notes rather than reducing notes by a set amount) is essential to get the right sound. Same goes for treble and bass i.e. get a bit of fresh air between the keys/buttons and the fingers!

I think that problems sometimes occur when those new to this type of music try to play at dance speed too soon. This can apply particularly to good dot readers who in effect can often read faster than they can play! This can lead to a mad scramble of the right notes played in the right order only!

2 things needed;

development of a high level of manual dexterity on the keyboard - scales,scales and faster scales etc.

playing through a tune many times slowly but rhythmically and sorting out the length of notes ** phrasing, dynamics etc all at the slow speed. Then when everything is in place aand sounding good gradualy build up the speed to the proper dance speed.

** In trad/folk music it is customery to lengthen or shorten notes to get the best effect as playing them precisely as per the dots tends to come out bland. i.e. you can write 7/8ths of a crochet but you can play it, same goes for .8 of a quaver etc etc. In other words in tradd dance music its the way you play the gaps that counts!

george

 

[Pippa]

I think that problems sometimes occur when those new to this type of music try to play at 'dance speed' too soon. This can apply particularly to good dot readers who in effect can often read faster than they can play! This can lead to a 'mad scramble' of the right notes played in the right order only!

Yep, sounds about right!

 

[mjh]

Oups, sorry about the Irish trad Will keep closer watch, consider me informed. Thank you for the informative post George.

 

[george garside]

I see no problem with discussing Irish trad music on the forum as long ass it is part of a balanced forum and does not become the be all and end all ( there are forums specialising in ITM) Irish traad music is widely played in the british isles both by its strict adherents and by others , such as me, who some of the tunes but perhaps with a slightly different emphasis to the full blown irish trad enthusiasts

That's my personal opinion but what is or isn't on the forum isn't up to me to decide

george

 

[Guernseyman]

I suppose I should state mine. When I played with St.Albans English folk packet years ago, our signature jigs were lilting fisherman and Midlothian pipe band. They work well in combination. Also we liked to play Father Kelly and lass o killiecrankie as a combination too.
Come on all you other folk dance players...what is your favourite?

 

[Anyanka]

I'm happy to include Irish music in the "Brit Folk" section - I expect some Irish people might complain... but it's so closely related/has had an influence on the music of the rest of these isles that it'd be difficult to separate out.

My main problem with answering the question about favourite 32-bars is that I can't count... Seriously.

What about the Hundred Pipers? How many bars in that?

 

[george garside]

a hundred pipers was originaly a 6/8 march but like many such pipe marches it also works well as a jig or played a bit slower as a tune for the gay gordons dance. I usually link it with Cock of the North and sometimes Lilly the pInk!

It is a 32 bar tune as are the majority of 'country dance tunes' No need to count, what is refered to as a ''32 bar jig, reel or whatever simply has an 8 bar A part and an 8 bar B part = 16 bars. Played as per convention as 2 x A and 2x B it comes to 32 bars. Some dances require 48 bars and there are tunes with AB&C parts totalling 24 bars which twice through provides the 48. Hamilton house is such a tune.

Many trad tunes can be played with different dance rhythms by modifying note length etc on the hoof but I suppose avid dot readers would require the dots altering. A good example is that grand old tune The Keel Row (4/4) Generaly played as a hornpipe it will also work just s well as a march or a reel. To make this point there is a page in Mally's melodeon tutor book with the Keel row written properly for the 3 types of dance.

george

 

[Glenn]

Though I know next to nothing about British folk music, Ive heard a tune here and there, and the first tune at will definitely be my favourite reel to play some of these days. Does that still count? Says its called Banshee.

Great recording by this player.

Can I ask a stupid question?
What constitutes a jig (regardless of whether its Irish or Scottish etc.)?

 

[george garside]

don't know what the precise definition of a jig is but the common factor is the rhythm i.e 6/8. However its not quite that simple as 6/8 can in dance terms also be a slow march, waltz, march, two step or jig

A reel is a 4/4 but so are marches, polkas, hornpipes, strathspeys, etc (and some 4/4's can be played on the hoof as 3/4 waltzes eg Rowan Tree, Loch Lomond) etc
To complicate matters further many English country dances or ceilidh dances will work ok to a 4/4 or a 6/8.

perhaps somebody with a more academic interest in trad music and dance can come up with a better answer?

george

 

[Don Roberts]

For Jigs I like Kilfenora and The One Hundred Pipers played together as a set but at a quick march tempo with plenty of bounce.
For reels I like Miss McLeods, The Wise Maid, and my all time favorite is Julia Delaney.

 

[jarvo]

What is "bounce".......and please .......not the dog food or the stuff you put in the Tumble Dryer..........!!

Cheers

Jarvo

 

[Don Roberts]

What is bounce.......and please .......not the dog food or the stuff you put in the Tumble Dryer..........!!

Cheers

Jarvo

Bounce might describe using more emphasis on the first beat of a 6/8 rather than the tune being played smooth and flowing.

 

[Glenn]

Hi Don,

That sounds like a good description.
In reality is it a slight bellows push (tough for me to keep even) that gives the bounce of a delay between the bars (much easier)?