Dances of the British Isles
When he first began to play the fiddle, Tim
found that a large portion of American tunes
have their origins in England, Scotland, and
Ireland. To further develop his understanding
of fiddle music, he studied the styles of playing
in those countries.
Many tunes from these places "cross over", and
have just slightly different versions in more than
one country. The types of tunes and the style
they are played in make the greater difference.
When he first began to play the fiddle, Tim
found that a large portion of American tunes
have their origins in England, Scotland, and
Ireland. To further develop his understanding
of fiddle music, he studied the styles of playing
in those countries.
Many tunes from these places "cross over", and
have just slightly different versions in more than
one country. The types of tunes and the style
they are played in make the greater difference.
Jigs Tim has a good repertoire of jigs, and enjoys playing them. Included are single jigs, double jigs, and slip jigs. These are mostly considered Irish or Scottish, but one of the most well-known traditional English dances, "Sir Roger de Coverly", is a slip jig. |
Hornpipes Named after a sailor's instrument, this kind of dance had solo variations that could be done by sailors on board ship. There are also many other ways of dancing to these tunes. American hornpipes are usually played more like reels, but the European variety is quite distinct, |
Reels The reel is the father of the American "breakdown", or square dance tune. Tim's repertoire is very large in this category. |
Strathspeys This syncopated dance is peculiar to Scotland. Tim can play many of these, as well as Scottish marches and airs. |
