A few weeks ago, at the O'flaherty's Irish Music Retreat, Seamus O'connoly told me how to make a slip jig a hop jig, and I realy liked the sound of the hop jig, but now I forget how to play it. Can someone please help me out?
Hmmmm.... Not sure if I've the same understanding of this particular question as your friend... however:
The best person to ask would be a dancer as they are those to whom the difference matters most.... In my estimation a hop jig differs from a slip jig primarily in tempo (the hop being a fair bit quicker) and feel. In terms of feel, there is more of an emphasis on - and subsequent lift off - the first beat of the bar (the "hop" as it were). Two slip jigs that, according to an expert dance accompanist I spoke with at the Chris Langan weekend in Toronto, are more effectively hop jigs are the ubiquitous 'Butterfly' and the less commonly played 'Cuchanandy' (both of these tunes tend towards a quarter or dotted quarter at the first of each bar...)
To summarize: Take your slip-jig, bring the tempo up significantly, and give a distinct - perhaps somewhat staccatto - punctuation on the first beat of each bar....
I have never performed a 'hop-jig' with dancers but I believe that the punctuated first beat of the bar corresponds with a relative hop step in the dance form....
If anyone has anything to add (complementary or contradictory) I'd be most interested to know myself!
Well, I know that slip jigs can be played like jigs, but with 3 extra beats (I think maybe the Bothy BAnd played some of them that way but I can't think of a track), or they can be played sort of like overactive waltzes or mazurkas (but not really, just that they sound like they have 3 beats as opposed to 9.) Brian Conway plays some like that on his album. I think one of those might be the slip, and one the hop, but I'm not sure which is which.
Aaron - As you will discover reading the discussion from a few months ago, members of this site seem unable to agree on a definition of a hop jig.
My advice is to get back in touch with Seamus O'Connolly and persuade him to register at www.thesession.org so that he can enlighten us all with an explanation of how a slip jig can be turned into a hop jig.
I have read with interest everything I could find in this subject here and on the Irtrad list. As this has failed to enlighten me I have come to the conclusion that even amongst the most highly thought of musicians there is disagreement as to what exactly defines the Hop Jig other than the fact that it feel more like fast three time and not so much like 9. This is achieved by having groups of quarter and eighth notes and playing quickly as oppose to 9 x 1/8th notes.
But to confuse matters further some musicians play these (Groups) as two notes of slightly more equal length which has the effect of blurring the boundaries with an ordinary 6/8 jig.
As to what the dancers do (when "hop"ping), I haven't come across a hop-jig-dance that bears any resemblance to what musicians call a hop jig.
At a workshop with Lunasa, Crawford and Vallely seemed to disagree over whether a particular tune was a slip or hop jig.
My advice is don't go there. Just learn the tunes and to hell with what they are called.
To answer the topic question about how to change hop - slip: Don't.
Hop Jigs do exist, they are 9/8 tunes which have a "quater note/eighth note" rhythm. Similar to the difference between a double jig & a slide (AKA single jigs). Hop Jigs are usually played fast & they end up having a waltzy feel to them. Brian Conway just recorded some Hop Jigs on "First Through the Gate", one of the only commercial recordings of Martin Wynn is him playing "The Boys of Ballysodare" as a Hop Jig. I've heard many others play them as well.
Dear Aaron
I refer you to Michael Coleman's 1925 recording of The Foxhunters'- Coleman was reputedly a good dancer too so I'd go with his way of playing a hop jig - 6 quavers to a bar (3/4 time)- like a fast waltz. I also recorded hop jigs for my track on Wooden Flute Obsession 2. I just tried converting some slip jigs to hops and most seemed to work - you basically have to lose 1 note of each triplet, while retaining (most of) the tune. Other hop jigs I play are Tommy Hunt's and Top It Off, and The Boys of Ballisodare converts easily to a hop jig. Good luck!
Sharon Creasey
Correct me if I'm wrong about this please, Eoin, but I think most modern stepdancers don't have a clue what a hop jig is anymore, because we no longer dance them, at least us Southern/Munster style dancers. I've been told (and think I've said here) that a hop jig is to a slip jig (musically speaking) what a slide is to a double/treble jig. I've no idea what the dance the hop jig looks like, as I don't believe I've ever seen one danced. Many dancers use the term interchangeably with the slip jig, is my impression.
How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
A few weeks ago, at the O'flaherty's Irish Music Retreat, Seamus O'connoly told me how to make a slip jig a hop jig, and I realy liked the sound of the hop jig, but now I forget how to play it. Can someone please help me out?
# Posted on November 8th 2004 by Aaronjw
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
There was a discussion about this before. Do a search for "hop jigs" under the discussion tab.
# Posted on November 8th 2004 by m_gavin
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
Hmmmm.... Not sure if I've the same understanding of this particular question as your friend... however:
The best person to ask would be a dancer as they are those to whom the difference matters most.... In my estimation a hop jig differs from a slip jig primarily in tempo (the hop being a fair bit quicker) and feel. In terms of feel, there is more of an emphasis on - and subsequent lift off - the first beat of the bar (the "hop" as it were). Two slip jigs that, according to an expert dance accompanist I spoke with at the Chris Langan weekend in Toronto, are more effectively hop jigs are the ubiquitous 'Butterfly' and the less commonly played 'Cuchanandy' (both of these tunes tend towards a quarter or dotted quarter at the first of each bar...)
To summarize: Take your slip-jig, bring the tempo up significantly, and give a distinct - perhaps somewhat staccatto - punctuation on the first beat of each bar....
I have never performed a 'hop-jig' with dancers but I believe that the punctuated first beat of the bar corresponds with a relative hop step in the dance form....
If anyone has anything to add (complementary or contradictory) I'd be most interested to know myself!
# Posted on November 8th 2004 by bestcraic
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
Well, I know that slip jigs can be played like jigs, but with 3 extra beats (I think maybe the Bothy BAnd played some of them that way but I can't think of a track), or they can be played sort of like overactive waltzes or mazurkas (but not really, just that they sound like they have 3 beats as opposed to 9.) Brian Conway plays some like that on his album. I think one of those might be the slip, and one the hop, but I'm not sure which is which.
# Posted on November 8th 2004 by m_gavin
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
Aaron - As you will discover reading the discussion from a few months ago, members of this site seem unable to agree on a definition of a hop jig.
My advice is to get back in touch with Seamus O'Connolly and persuade him to register at www.thesession.org so that he can enlighten us all with an explanation of how a slip jig can be turned into a hop jig.
# Posted on November 8th 2004 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
Aaron,
now aren't dancers confused enough!!
# Posted on November 9th 2004 by Eoino
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
I have read with interest everything I could find in this subject here and on the Irtrad list. As this has failed to enlighten me I have come to the conclusion that even amongst the most highly thought of musicians there is disagreement as to what exactly defines the Hop Jig other than the fact that it feel more like fast three time and not so much like 9. This is achieved by having groups of quarter and eighth notes and playing quickly as oppose to 9 x 1/8th notes.
But to confuse matters further some musicians play these (Groups) as two notes of slightly more equal length which has the effect of blurring the boundaries with an ordinary 6/8 jig.
As to what the dancers do (when "hop"ping), I haven't come across a hop-jig-dance that bears any resemblance to what musicians call a hop jig.
At a workshop with Lunasa, Crawford and Vallely seemed to disagree over whether a particular tune was a slip or hop jig.
My advice is don't go there. Just learn the tunes and to hell with what they are called.
To answer the topic question about how to change hop - slip: Don't.
# Posted on November 9th 2004 by Donough
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
FWIW, in Fintan Vallely's "Companion to Irish Tradition Music," Liz Doherty makes no distinction between slip and hop jigs.
# Posted on November 9th 2004 by Will Harmon
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
As far as i know, there is NO disctintion between hop jigs and slip jigs.
# Posted on November 10th 2004 by Toni Ribas
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
Hop Jigs do exist, they are 9/8 tunes which have a "quater note/eighth note" rhythm. Similar to the difference between a double jig & a slide (AKA single jigs). Hop Jigs are usually played fast & they end up having a waltzy feel to them. Brian Conway just recorded some Hop Jigs on "First Through the Gate", one of the only commercial recordings of Martin Wynn is him playing "The Boys of Ballysodare" as a Hop Jig. I've heard many others play them as well.
# Posted on November 10th 2004 by B Rad
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
Dear Aaron
I refer you to Michael Coleman's 1925 recording of The Foxhunters'- Coleman was reputedly a good dancer too so I'd go with his way of playing a hop jig - 6 quavers to a bar (3/4 time)- like a fast waltz. I also recorded hop jigs for my track on Wooden Flute Obsession 2. I just tried converting some slip jigs to hops and most seemed to work - you basically have to lose 1 note of each triplet, while retaining (most of) the tune. Other hop jigs I play are Tommy Hunt's and Top It Off, and The Boys of Ballisodare converts easily to a hop jig. Good luck!
Sharon Creasey
# Posted on November 15th 2004 by The Archivist
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
Correct me if I'm wrong about this please, Eoin, but I think most modern stepdancers don't have a clue what a hop jig is anymore, because we no longer dance them, at least us Southern/Munster style dancers. I've been told (and think I've said here) that a hop jig is to a slip jig (musically speaking) what a slide is to a double/treble jig. I've no idea what the dance the hop jig looks like, as I don't believe I've ever seen one danced. Many dancers use the term interchangeably with the slip jig, is my impression.
# Posted on November 16th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: How do I turn a slip jig into a hop jig?
Ah HA -- it was YOU, Alcock! ;) I'd never have managed to find that again. Good on you.
# Posted on November 16th 2004 by Zina Lee