Can anyone tell me when the term "slip jig" first came into use? I've seen 9/8 pieces from the 18th Century, but have not been able to find the phrase "slip jig" until the 1860's.
If it has to do with the dancing, that might explain it - at least up to Coleman's days, 9/8 was hop jig time, not slip jig time. Seamus Connolly kindly played at my teacher's house once, with his nephew Damien (I believe?) the accordion player, and they played Foxhunter's first as a slip jig and then as a hop jig for a snazzy comparison.
I don't know about that, Dan - O'Neill's refers to them as "Hop or Slip Jigs", so the term must have been around for at least the majority of Coleman's lifetime. I would have thought it was much more, but I don't have that info.
TimT, could you direct me to the information you do have to date? It sounds interesting.
I remember an Archie Fisher song where he makes reference to a woman who would "slip to the beat of the drum." Now, was this reference a diminutive of "slip jig" or something that gives a hint to the origin?
Both Slip Jigs and Hop Jigs are in 9/8, but I pretty sure they are two different types of tune. Slip Jigs usually have 9 notes per bar and are played a bit slower. Hop Jigs have more of the "long short long short long short" pattern (quarter eighth quarter eighth quarter eighth) and are played at a livelier pace. They're great tunes, but not as often played these days.
I don't know why they are called "Slip" or "Hop" but I can only imagine that it describes the type of dance that went with it.
I think you can compare the difference with the difference between Single Jigs and Double Jigs (now only differentiated in dancing).
I found several 9/8s in O'Farrell's union pipe book (from around 1799-1806) -- O'Farrell's Welcome to Limerick and McDonnell's Rant among others. He refers to anything in 3
as a "jigg tune" but doesn't differentiate between types.
History of the term "Slip Jig"
History of the term "Slip Jig"
Can anyone tell me when the term "slip jig" first came into use? I've seen 9/8 pieces from the 18th Century, but have not been able to find the phrase "slip jig" until the 1860's.
Thank you,
TimT
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by TimT
Re: History of the term "Slip Jig"
Don't quote me, but I think it has something to do with how they're danced.
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by rob_handel
Re: History of the term "Slip Jig"
If it has to do with the dancing, that might explain it - at least up to Coleman's days, 9/8 was hop jig time, not slip jig time. Seamus Connolly kindly played at my teacher's house once, with his nephew Damien (I believe?) the accordion player, and they played Foxhunter's first as a slip jig and then as a hop jig for a snazzy comparison.
--DtM
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Dan the Man
Re: History of the term "Slip Jig"
I don't know about that, Dan - O'Neill's refers to them as "Hop or Slip Jigs", so the term must have been around for at least the majority of Coleman's lifetime. I would have thought it was much more, but I don't have that info.
TimT, could you direct me to the information you do have to date? It sounds interesting.
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by benhall.1
Re: History of the term "Slip Jig"
I remember an Archie Fisher song where he makes reference to a woman who would "slip to the beat of the drum." Now, was this reference a diminutive of "slip jig" or something that gives a hint to the origin?
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Ailin
Re: History of the term "Slip Jig"
Both Slip Jigs and Hop Jigs are in 9/8, but I pretty sure they are two different types of tune. Slip Jigs usually have 9 notes per bar and are played a bit slower. Hop Jigs have more of the "long short long short long short" pattern (quarter eighth quarter eighth quarter eighth) and are played at a livelier pace. They're great tunes, but not as often played these days.
I don't know why they are called "Slip" or "Hop" but I can only imagine that it describes the type of dance that went with it.
I think you can compare the difference with the difference between Single Jigs and Double Jigs (now only differentiated in dancing).
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by fiddleK
Re: History of the term "Slip Jig"
benhall.1,
I found several 9/8s in O'Farrell's union pipe book (from around 1799-1806) -- O'Farrell's Welcome to Limerick and McDonnell's Rant among others. He refers to anything in 3
as a "jigg tune" but doesn't differentiate between types.
The 1861 reference to a slip jig is from "Duffy's Hibernian magazine: a miscellany of literature, science and art" found in Google books here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=ancAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA43&dq=king+denmark+slip+jig
TimT
# Posted on March 28th 2008 by TimT
Re: History of the term "Slip Jig"
Thanks Tim. That's a start. I know that 9/8 tunes are way way older than that. I'll see what else I can come up with.
# Posted on March 28th 2008 by benhall.1