Saw Dervish last night in San Francisco with my friend Rick Epping on harmonica and Anglo concertina. Great show!
They played a set of hop jigs (don't recall the titles) that sounded to me (and others) like slip jigs - in 9/8, similar sounding melodic rhythm. Wondering if anyone can characterize what distinguishes a hop jig from a slip jig?
As an irish dancer, I consider a hop jig to be the same as a single jig, in 6/8 time. We use hop jig and single jig as interchangeable terms. Only the slip jig is 9/8. They are of course similar in that they use triplets in which all three notes have a different duration.
Hop jigs are 9/8 tunes that are played with a livelier, syncopated 3/4 feel. That is, they have a prevalence of long-short rhythmic figures instead of triplets comprising most of the tune. And they're quite a bit faster; imagine a waltz on crack and you've got the concept.
As for the tunes, they're very old, perhaps some of the oldest tunes in the tradition. Examples include: Cucanandy, Barrack Hill, Top It Off, The Promenade, and The Dusty Miller. It is also possible to play some of the standard slip jigs with a hop jig feel, for example: The Foxhunters' and the Rocky Road to Dublin.
This type of jig is not danced in competiton to my knowledge, but musicians still play them because they're fun and can be quite challenging.
I've seen this discussed several times here on the old orange board. Can't say I've ever seen a consensus, but there is some good reading on the subject in the following threads:
Thought I'd better correct this before some philatelist weasel pounces on it: Barrack Hill is in 12/8 time, not 9/8 time, so it does not qualify as a 9/8 hop jig tune, but you might be able to dance a hop jig to it 8 0 whatevuh.
Hop Jig, Slip jig - what's the difference?
Hop Jig, Slip jig - what's the difference?
Saw Dervish last night in San Francisco with my friend Rick Epping on harmonica and Anglo concertina. Great show!
They played a set of hop jigs (don't recall the titles) that sounded to me (and others) like slip jigs - in 9/8, similar sounding melodic rhythm. Wondering if anyone can characterize what distinguishes a hop jig from a slip jig?
WInslow
# Posted on October 30th 2006 by Winslow Yerxa
Re: Hop Jig, Slip jig - what's the difference?
As an irish dancer, I consider a hop jig to be the same as a single jig, in 6/8 time. We use hop jig and single jig as interchangeable terms. Only the slip jig is 9/8. They are of course similar in that they use triplets in which all three notes have a different duration.
# Posted on October 30th 2006 by reeler
Re: Hop Jig, Slip jig - what's the difference?
I've heard hop jigs used as another term for slip jig.
# Posted on October 30th 2006 by enirehtac
Re: Hop Jig, Slip jig - what's the difference?
Hop jigs are 9/8 tunes that are played with a livelier, syncopated 3/4 feel. That is, they have a prevalence of long-short rhythmic figures instead of triplets comprising most of the tune. And they're quite a bit faster; imagine a waltz on crack and you've got the concept.
As for the tunes, they're very old, perhaps some of the oldest tunes in the tradition. Examples include: Cucanandy, Barrack Hill, Top It Off, The Promenade, and The Dusty Miller. It is also possible to play some of the standard slip jigs with a hop jig feel, for example: The Foxhunters' and the Rocky Road to Dublin.
This type of jig is not danced in competiton to my knowledge, but musicians still play them because they're fun and can be quite challenging.
# Posted on October 30th 2006 by Hanley
Re: Hop Jig, Slip jig - what's the difference?
I've seen this discussed several times here on the old orange board. Can't say I've ever seen a consensus, but there is some good reading on the subject in the following threads:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/9910/
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/8481/
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/4906/
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/2748/
FMT
# Posted on October 30th 2006 by RogueFiddler
Re: Hop Jig, Slip jig - what's the difference?
Thought I'd better correct this before some philatelist weasel pounces on it: Barrack Hill is in 12/8 time, not 9/8 time, so it does not qualify as a 9/8 hop jig tune, but you might be able to dance a hop jig to it 8 0 whatevuh.
I'd rather play them then talk about them.
# Posted on October 30th 2006 by Hanley