Common Rhythmical Forms in celtic music

• Polka - 2/4
• March 3/2 or 4/4
• Waltz - 3/4
• Mazurka 3/4
• Reel - 4/4
• Hornpipe - Originally 3/2 now 4/4
• Jig - 6/8
• Slip jig - 9/8
• Slide - 12/8

• See more in the rudiments and exercises section

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  Jigs and Reels

  The two basic key forms of rhythms played are either Jigs or Reels. They are 6/8 or 3/4 for a jig and 4/4 for a reel. A handy way of remembering is that there are 3 letters in jig (3/4) and 4 letters in Reel (4/4). A third form is the slipjig which is 9/8

  To teach playing of jigs and reels it is most common to use 'oranges, pineapples and watermelons', I have added Kiwi Fruit.

  Jigs

  Jigs are 6/8. A musician would normally count that as 'ONE two three TWO two three'. It's rarely important however that you define it as either a strict 6/8 or a strict 3/4, it's about a feel or a bounce in the rhythm, count in 6 or 3, it doesn't really matter as long as it's natural.

  When you play with other musicians, the tune will dictate and you shouldn't even be aware

  Because of the alternate pulses in a jig, you will find that every other 3 beat pattern starts on the upstroke, you would normally accent that when playing

  Or-an-ges-pine-a-pples

  To feel a jig rhythm,

  • count 1..2..3..4..5..6..1..2..3..4..5..6..with a regular pulse
  • change that to Or__an__ges .pine__a__pples. Or__an__ges .pine__a__pples

   

In my finest ASCII

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  • 1...2...3..4...5...6...1.. 2.. 3 ..4...5...6...
  • Or-an-ges-pine-a-pples-Or-an-ges-pine-a-pples

This should feel like a rolling rhythm, try accenting the first syllable in each word, Or... Pi.. that's the 3 beat where you would place each step if you were walking to it. This is 3/4

Now try accenting the Or... of oranges, that's half the speed for your step yet the 3 is still going underneath, cool eh. That's 6/8.

Try just playing Oranges etc using alternate hands

Or(Left)_ An (R)_Ges (L)_ Pine(LEFT)_A(R)_Pples(L)

Did you notice how the 'Oranges' start on your left hand yet the 'Pineapples' started on your right. That corresponds to up and down strokes on your drum.

Reels

A reel is probably the most basic form of bodhrán rhythm, it is a straight 4 beat pulse. Generally the accent is on the one.

When learning bodhrán a 4 syllable word is used to give the pulse of the strokes. Watermelon is a common word.

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  • count 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 1.. 2...3..4 .with a regular pulse
  • Say .Wa. Ter Me. Lon Wa. Ter Me .Lon

If you hit the stroke louder when you say WA of watermelon then you are accenting the first beat.

The strokes for this are Wa (down) Ter (up) Mel (Down) On (up) & repeat.

If you can play this then you are playing basic reel time and are on your way.

Slipjigs

Slipjigs are altogether a more complicated beast. The rhythm is split into three groups of three beats. Is it 3 or is it 9?

I would count a slipjig as ONE two three TWO two three THREE two three; I would categorise that as 9/8; but the triplet feel is inherent and it is that awkwardness and reversal within the rhythm which gives it's attractiveness for me. The rhythm is full of quirky variations and has provided many hours of fun and useful rhythmic exploration

Playing the rhythm is no easy feat. Or- an- ges- Pine- ap- ples- Ki- wi- Fruit.

The strokes for the slipjig bar are D U D - U D U - D U D but in the second bar that reverses so you play U D U - D U D - U D U . Note that you are starting on the upstroke and there lies the rub. Technically this is a great rhythm to strengthen the upstroke as you will often be accenting the first beat in the bar

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