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Jig or slide?

Jig or slide?

I'm a novice, still trying to figure out the difference between a slide and a jig. I was just listening to the Martin Hayes CD with "I buried my wife and danced on her grave" on it, and it "felt" like 12/8 rather than 6/8 to me. To me, it sounded like the phrases were much longer than in a typical jig. "Aha!" thinks I, "perhaps this is a slide!" So, I came here to look it up, and found it classified as a jig.

Can you teach me how to hear the difference between a slide and a jig over the internet? If not, maybe refer me to some recordings?

Many thanks,
Sarah

# Posted on May 9th 2002 by x

Re: Jig or slide?

Good question Sarah, I often times mix them up myself. I buried my wife & danced on her grave is listed here at the session
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/383
It's a double jig in 6/8.

There is a bit of a rhythmic difference a double jig is usually
has more emphasis on the first & fourth beats giving a
DUM-de-duh DUM-de-dah feel to it.
A Slide seems to me to have more emphasis on the first and sixth but the sixth beat doesn't have as much emphasis as the first.
DUM-de-duh dum-de-dah Dum-de-duh dum-de-dah
Slides also have more quater note eight notes in them.
Like
A2 B c2 d e2a gfe |

Martin Hayes has that sweet sound that could make Metallica sound sweet & pleasant, he also plays thing much slower & lilted (swung) than most fiddlers. He could very well be playing it with a slide rhythm - I'm not familier with the recording, but most people know that jig as a Double Jig. Just keep on listening to as much ITM as possible & you'll be able to pick up the difference between the two.

# Posted on May 9th 2002 by Mad Baloney

Re: Jig or slide?

listen to beginish or sliabh notes to get a good feel for slides.

cara

# Posted on May 9th 2002 by carafiddle

Re: Jig or slide?

Sarah, the bit where Brad talked about slides having more quarter note-eighth note pairs in is quite important -- around my dance school, we have something of a private joke that calls single jigs (which are often danced to slides) the "pop goes the weaselly ones."

It's also good to know that you can often play a double jig/treble jig as a slide and sometimes vice versa. (Though not so often the latter way.)

Zina

# Posted on May 10th 2002 by Zina Lee

Re: Jig or slide?

I was told that the tune "Pop goes the Weasel" was derived from a Slide.

# Posted on May 10th 2002 by Mad Baloney

Re: Jig or slide?

The feis musicians, to make everyone laugh, will often pull out Pop goes the Weasel during a competition. :)

Zina

# Posted on May 10th 2002 by Zina Lee

Re: Jig or slide?

Commencing again with 'I'm no expert', but down under slides are almost invariably played the same as double jigs, and I have found myself mumbling: "Oh, gee! I don't play them this way" (but who am I to make waves, with my ITM experience 'over the oceans' and many 'mooncoins' ago?).

My thinking is, because they are 12/8 you should be able to play them with 6/8 but also with 4/8 - do you get my drift? That's why, for instance, there is a 'Road to Lisdoonvana' reel, and a 'Road to Lisdoonvana' slide and they are very similar.

I got one slide, that I really love to play, off a Kevin Burke CD, its called 'The Old Torn Petticoat' and surprise surprise he plays the slide then the reel of the same name following it. Being a pretty good copy cat (sometimes), it comes out as a very exciting piece of music. I actually got to play it solo as the show opener in a little drama production I was involved in a couple of years ago.

Just try it with 'Pop goes the Wease'. You can see that you can play it either 6/8 or 4/8 - therefore, I recon it IS a slide.

Hope it helps. More of them is all I can say.
Cheers

# Posted on May 10th 2002 by Jill

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