How fast should jigs and reels be played

[avalk]

I have been listening to many recordings of jigs and reels. How fast
should they be played on the pipes? Is there a "standard" metronome
setting?

[Uilliam]

How fast should they be played on the pipes? Is there a "standard" metronome
setting?

Double Jigs...........127
Single Jigs............137
Slip Jigs................144
Hornpipes.............180
Reels....................224

source:Breandán Breathnach(all bow)
Ceol Rince na hÉireann 1 pge ix.

I have been having a lot of debate with dancers on the hornpipe and it is in two camps.
Modern..much slower than 180 supposedly cos they wear hard shoes,but I think thats a load of bollocks and an excuse.

Traditional..180 ,listen to some of the old timers playing hornpipes.My mother ,who is 75 and an All Ireland Champion dancer
when the music was played as it should be,had no hesitation in saying it was a fast dance and hummed out the tempo to me which would have been about 180.I noticed in a Scottish Music Book they had hornpipes at 76 well that is just ridiculous,ye may as well carry a coffin whilst yer at it!

The biggest killer as far as I can see around these parts is the need for speed when it is patently wrong.The youngsters and some not so young Virtuoso,look at me aren't I brilliant cos I can play a jig at reel speed merchants!
ye probably have them over there as well.
Cos they can thump the floor with their feet as fast and as loud as they can and play like maniacs the adoring public,who havnae a scooby encourage them by applauding !!!they should by rights be booing them back to their imaginary superstar dressing rooms.Edinburgh seems to be full o them
Slango foill
Liam

[Cayden]

Please note Breathnach said:

To play the music at a quicker tempo detracts from the melody, to play it somewhat slower can do no harm. It was customary for many of the older musicians when playing for themselves to adopt a slower tempo than that demanded by the dancers.

[Uilliam]

Thankyou Peter,this is of course very true.
The tempos given are for when playing for dancers
The point I am making is that I think Edinburgh and parts of Glasgow(especially the Ben Nevis Bar) should be visited by the Tempo police
Slan go foill
Liam

[brianc]

"When people lose sight of the boundaries, lose touch with the traditional, they take the beauty out of it. Some of them today should be given speeding tickets."

-- Joe Burke, July 2001

[wydeboar]

Actually, for championship dancers the speeds are like this:

Reels 113 b.p.m.
Hornpipes 113
Slip Jigs 113
Light Jigs 116
Heavy Jigs 73

Set Dances - variable.

[eskin]

Well, that's fine when you're playing for step dancers but why work so hard when they're not around...

I practice my reels and jigs at around 90 bpm... That's about what we play them at the local sessions here in San Diego, and they aren't slow sessions. It just nice to have the time to really play the tunes with some musical expression and not just unleash the notes.

Michael

[snoogie]

It just nice to have the time to really play the tunes with some musical expression and not just unleash the notes.

Michael

I agree, its much better to have the tune played at a reasonable speed with expression, than what my wife and I call 'mad hatter speed'. At too high a speed, then all tunes sound exactly the same and it becomes rather dull.

[jqpublick]

How fast should they be played on the pipes? Is there a "standard" metronome
setting?

Double Jigs...........127
Single Jigs............137
Slip Jigs................144
Hornpipes.............180
Reels....................224

source:Breandán Breathnach(all bow)
Ceol Rince na hÉireann 1 pge ix.


Slango foill
Liam

Ye Gods!!! My metronome only goes up to 208!!! I can't ... I don't .... we... uh..... Bugger!!! I guess I'm not going to be playing anything with Breandan anytime soon.

Mark

[djm]

At too high a speed, then all tunes sound exactly the same and it becomes rather dull.

Oh, you mean like rap music?

djm

Breath out (breath out) Breath in (breath in)
Who writes this stuff?

[Uilliam]

Actually, for championship dancers the speeds are like this:

Reels 113 b.p.m.
Hornpipes 113
Slip Jigs 113
Light Jigs 116
Heavy Jigs 73

Set Dances - variable.

I was not quoting the modern kick the ceiling barbie doll dancing that passes for Irish Dancing today but dancing for the sets!Which is a completely different ball game.

The electronic metros can be tuned up to the faster speed if ye want to be exact,and no doubt some o ye will!but if ye set the mechanical at just past the 208 ye will get a good enough approximation.
Slan go foill
Liam :roll:

[wydeboar]

Actually, for championship dancers the speeds are like this:

Reels 113 b.p.m.
Hornpipes 113
Slip Jigs 113
Light Jigs 116
Heavy Jigs 73

Set Dances - variable.

I was not quoting the modern kick the ceiling barbie doll dancing that passes for Irish Dancing today but dancing for the sets!Which is a completely different ball game.

The electronic metros can be tuned up to the faster speed if ye want to be exact,and no doubt some o ye will!but if ye set the mechanical at just past the 208 ye will get a good enough approximation.
Slan go foill
Liam :roll:

Well, my daughter happens to be a World qualifying "Barbie doll" and I can only say that the amount of strength, dedication, skill and tolerance to pain that these kids exhibit at this level is astonishing..

..careful commenting on something you don't understand.

[eskin]

Having spent considerable time playing for step dancers, I'm always amazed what incredible athletes they all are.

Its funny to me to see contrast between these sleek and elegant dancers and the musicians who generally seem to live a more sedentary lifestyle... The hours of sitting practicing plus the free Guinness in the pub sessions aren't kind to the waistline...

Symbiosis, I guess...

[fel bautista]

Reels 113 b.p.m.
Hornpipes 113
Slip Jigs 113
Light Jigs 116
Heavy Jigs 73

I was out for my lunch time training ride on my road bike and was looking down at my heart rate monitor and saw about the same beats per minute when I'm warming up. I like to get to 120-130 bpm for a warm up rate before doing anything hard. I wonder if there is some correlation to heart rate (light aerobic load) and the speed that we play or dance , some intrinsic unified bpm that brings the musicians and dancers together (kinda like Einstein's unified field theory, but a lot less math).

[eskin]

Ironman Fel is the exception to the rule...