I would like some info and advice from you more experienced players.
Most Ir-trad tunes are mainly dance music from the beginning. And that's why reels are put together with other reels in sets, jigs with other jigs and so on...
But on most recordings with slip jigs that I have heard, they are put together with other kinds of jigs or even reels. Or they are played as standalone pieces.
I would like some advice and ideas of how to treat slip jigs in sets.
How do you play them? How have they been treated traditionally?
When you play for dancers - are slip jigs standalone or put together in sets?
Lars
My daughter uses a CD for dance practice which puts 3 slip jigs into a set for the slip jig sequence; "The Whilly Hills of Leitrim", "The Kid on the Mountain", and a third one I haven't been able to find the name of. (Posted it here as a "Gan Ainm" in A mixolydian.) And at feissana, the box players play (long!) sets of slip jigs for the dancers.
I've heard, however, sets where they begin with a double jig or two, and then go to a slip jig; for example, the Carrilion (sp?) set on one of my Solas albums. I like the way that goes together.
When playing for stepdancers (which is about the only time you will play slip jigs for any kind of dancer), you always play slip jigs by themselves, as they are a very specific kind of dance that only goes with music in 9/8, and you will totally screw up the dancer if you switch to a double jig (for the dancer, a light jig if it's played quickly or a double/heavy jig if played slowly) in the middle. The simpler the step (ie, a beginner step) the faster the slip jig. Always check with the dancer ahead of time to find out how fast they want the slip jig (or any other dance).
The exception is if you're in a show situation and the dancer(s) and yourself have set it up as an exhibition.
In performance situations, though, you can do whatever you like, although it will be less awkward metre-wise if you keep to jigs rather than trying to mix slip jigs up with reels or hornpipes.
Do not, however, try to launch a slipjig into a double jig or whatever or anything tricky like that in a session, unless the session is made up of members of your band. It's usually considered grandstanding or showing off in that setting (at least if no one else knows that set).
Slip Jigs in sets
Slip Jigs in sets
I would like some info and advice from you more experienced players.
Most Ir-trad tunes are mainly dance music from the beginning. And that's why reels are put together with other reels in sets, jigs with other jigs and so on...
But on most recordings with slip jigs that I have heard, they are put together with other kinds of jigs or even reels. Or they are played as standalone pieces.
I would like some advice and ideas of how to treat slip jigs in sets.
How do you play them? How have they been treated traditionally?
When you play for dancers - are slip jigs standalone or put together in sets?
Lars
# Posted on January 1st 2002 by lars
Re: Slip Jigs in sets
My daughter uses a CD for dance practice which puts 3 slip jigs into a set for the slip jig sequence; "The Whilly Hills of Leitrim", "The Kid on the Mountain", and a third one I haven't been able to find the name of. (Posted it here as a "Gan Ainm" in A mixolydian.) And at feissana, the box players play (long!) sets of slip jigs for the dancers.
I've heard, however, sets where they begin with a double jig or two, and then go to a slip jig; for example, the Carrilion (sp?) set on one of my Solas albums. I like the way that goes together.
# Posted on January 2nd 2002 by jomac
Re: Slip Jigs in sets
When playing for stepdancers (which is about the only time you will play slip jigs for any kind of dancer), you always play slip jigs by themselves, as they are a very specific kind of dance that only goes with music in 9/8, and you will totally screw up the dancer if you switch to a double jig (for the dancer, a light jig if it's played quickly or a double/heavy jig if played slowly) in the middle. The simpler the step (ie, a beginner step) the faster the slip jig. Always check with the dancer ahead of time to find out how fast they want the slip jig (or any other dance).
The exception is if you're in a show situation and the dancer(s) and yourself have set it up as an exhibition.
In performance situations, though, you can do whatever you like, although it will be less awkward metre-wise if you keep to jigs rather than trying to mix slip jigs up with reels or hornpipes.
Do not, however, try to launch a slipjig into a double jig or whatever or anything tricky like that in a session, unless the session is made up of members of your band. It's usually considered grandstanding or showing off in that setting (at least if no one else knows that set).
Hope that helps...
# Posted on January 2nd 2002 by Zina Lee