Learning music is hard, man! So when I have a beginner student, my biggest challenge to incentivising them to practice. My experience is that for 99% of the humans I teach, ensemble music-making is the most effective incentive for getting them to practice. In Irish traditional music, this translates into: how can I get them into a trad session ASAP?
For me, the biggest challenge within that is getting a student to be able to play a tune at conventional tempo. So what is conventional tempo for the various Irish traditional tune types?
Traditional music sessions vary according to region, venue, day, time and musicians, but the baseline is that Irish traditional music is dance music. So if we take samples of musicians dancing for dancers, we’ll have a pretty good indication of
a) the foundation upon which the instrumental tradition is based, and therefore the likely tempi for a group of Irish traditional musicians
b) what tempo instrumentalists should aspire to … coz let’s be honest, this is dance music. It’d be pretty ridiculous if a dancer walked into a pub and the musicians couldn’t play for them.
With all that in mind, I recorded the tempo, beat-by-beat, of performances of musicians performing various dance types for live dancers. I got the average BPM of a tune type. I then looked at the sheet music of the tune type and chose the shortest common note duration – e.g. a hornpipe is notated in 2/2, but it’s actually played with a heavy swing, so has a high frequency of semiquavers. So for a student to play a hornpipe in a session, they have to be able to execute semiquavers at session tempo. I then translated this shortest common note duration into milliseconds, to facilitate comparison of all the tune types in Irish traditional music. Here are my findings.
So, if you’re learning Irish traditional music, don’t shoot yourself in the foot by starting off with reels. I suspect that if you learn tunes in this order your life will be easier, and more enjoyable!
Alan Ng starts with some useful definitions. Instead of using the word ‘beat’, he uses the word ‘group’ to describe ‘a sequence of notes whose first note is synchronized with the (main) tap of the musician’s foot in a traditional performance.’
‘Heavy-light pair’ is his term for an uneven pair of notes, the first of which is both stronger and longer than the second. So with that established, now let’s get started…
Reel
Two groups of four notes each, adding up to an 8-note bar. Within each group there are two heavy-light pairs. Reels are conventionally notated in 4/4, but Alan notates them in 2/2, which I am in agreement with. Note: reels, more than any other Irish dance type, can have unconventional forms. 44% of the reels Alan has indexed differ from the typical AABB Irish traditional dance tune format.
Sample bar of a reel with ‘heavy-light’ pairs marked in red brackets
A live performance of a reel with set dancers
Single reel
A rare type of tune, the single reel is a typical reel, except with a frequent substitution of a held note for a heavy-light pair, especially on strong beats. Another description is ‘a march-like polka’. Single reels are usually notated in 2/4.
Sample bar of a single reel with ‘heavy-light’ pairs marked in red brackets
In West Cork there’s a particular dance called a ‘Jenny’, e.g. the Borlin Jenny, collected from Bantry Bay. Specific single reels are played for ‘Jenny’ dances. These tunes don’t have individual tune names, they’re just collectively referred to as ‘Jenny tunes‘. They’re a march-like polka; I hear them as being in 2/4.
Sample bars of a ‘Jenny tune’
The single reel may also be known as a ‘lancer‘. Watch out for the confusing terminology mix-up where sometimes a “single reel” refers to a regular reel “played single”.
A recording of a single reel
Hornpipe
Two groups of four notes each, adding up to an 8-note bar. BUT …
they are played more slowly than reels
there is more uneven distribution within the heavy-light pairs, e.g. they sound more ‘swung’ or ‘dotted’
there is more frequent substitution of triplets for some heavy-light pairs
they have tendencies towards certain melodic structures
One common melodic pattern is to end the part with three accented crotchets
Hornpipes are conventionally notated in 2/2.
Sample bar of a hornpipe with ‘heavy-light’ pairs marked in red brackets
A live performance of a hornpipe with set dancers
Jig
There are lots of types of jig in Irish music. When people say the word ‘jig’ on its own, they usually mean a ‘double jig’.
Double jig
A double jig has two groups of three notes each, adding up to a 6-note bar. It’s customarily notated in 6/8. The first note of each group is played longer and stronger than the following pair of shorter notes, giving something like “dotted quaver – semiquaver – quaver.” The final bar often ends in a crotchet. Also known as ‘jig’. Amongst competitive Irish step dancers, a ‘double jig’ is termed a ‘light jig’.
Sample bar of a double jig with ‘jig pattern’ marked in red curved lines
A live performance of a double jig with set dancers
Light jig
This term exists only among competitive Irish step dancers. It’s their name for a “double jig”.
Heavy Jig
A style of playing double jigs which is unique to modern competitive step dancing. A ‘heavy jig’ is a conventional double jig, notated as 6/8, BUT…
it’s played with two groups of precisely equally spaced three notes each
it’s played significantly slower than a double jig. The tune is played slowly for advanced dancers, e.g. 73 BPM, and faster for beginners, e.g. 92 BPM. At 73 BPM a quaver lasts 411 milliseconds; at 92 BPM a quaver lasts 326 milliseconds.
Heavy jigs have occasional rhythmic subdivisions of each quaver into precisely spaced fourths, e.g. two semiquavers followed by a quaver.
As Alan points out: “Only some double jigs work well as heavy jigs. Each musician will have to experiment and practice to determine which of his or her double jigs he or she finds comfortable playing as a heavy jig. I recommend that the best way for musicians to learn this rhythm is to practice playing for Irish step dancers who are very good and confident at dancing heavy jigs.” Also known as a ‘treble jig’.
Sample bar of a heavy jig
A live performance of a heavy jig with competitive step dancers
Treble jig
an alternative name for the heavy jig.
Single jig
A single jig is two groups of three notes each, adding up to a 6-note bar, but with a high frequency of heavy-light pairs of crotchet-quaver, where a double jig would have the jig pattern. It’s usually notated in 6/8, and sometimes notated in 12/8. (Alan Ng notates single jigs in 6/8). Alan observes that single jigs can be notated as hornpipes, and even reels, and that on paper, it’s easy to confuse single jigs with slides. He also notes that a lot of session musicians are not familiar with slides or single jigs, and that single jigs are usually heard in the step dancing tradition.
Sample bar of a single jig with ‘heavy-light’ pairs marked in red brackets
A recording of a single jig, arranged specifically for set dancers
The Donncha Lynch Trio recorded the single jig ‘The Hag At The Churn’ in the album ‘The Magic Of Irish Set Dancing Vol. 6’… you can hear 12 seconds of it here: https://www.irishtune.info/tune/787/
Slide
A slide is four groups of three notes each, adding up to a 12-note bar, with a high frequency of heavy-light pairs (very close to a crotchet, quaver pattern) and precisely equally spaced three notes (not a jig pattern). There tends to be more heavy-light pairs than the groupings of precisely equally spaced three notes. Most slides break this rhythmic pattern once or twice in a tune by delaying the strong note for a bar’s second group until that group’s second half. In essence, it’s a very fast single jig. Slides used to be notated in 6/8, but are now usually notated in 12/8. Although Alan Ng agrees that 12/8 is more accurate, he notates them in 6/8 because that’s how set dancers count them. Slides are played very fast: usually with the dotted crotchet at 150 BPM, so each quaver lasting 133 milliseconds. Slides are peculiar to the southwest of Ireland. According to Breandán Breathnach, a jig ends with a three-quaver group followed by a crotchet, where a slide ends with two dotted crotchets. If that all sounds too mathematical, try this rhyme, invented by amazing poet Ciaran Carson, which apparently goes along with slides: “blah dithery dump a doodle scattery idle fortunoodle”
Sample bars 7-8 of a slide with ‘heavy-light’ pairs marked in red brackets. Note 2 dotted crotchets in bar 8.
A live performance of a slide with set dancers
Slip jig
A slipjig, in its general sense, is a dance tune notated in 9/8. Some call all 9/8 dances a slipjig. However, there are 2 distinct rhythmic styles within Irish 9/8 dances. In summary: a hop jig sounds like ‘Humpty-Dumpty-Dumpty’, whereas a slip jig sounds like ‘Humpity-Dumpity-Dumpity’. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the two types…
a) A 9/8 tune played slower, for step dances, as three groups per bar, most of which are a ‘jig pattern’. Myself and Alan Ng call this a ‘slip jig’. In the Companion To Irish Traditional Music, this is termed a ‘jig type’ 9/8 tune.
Sample bar of a ‘jig type’ slip jig with ‘jig pattern’ marked in red curved lines
A performance of a slip jig with step dancers
b) A 9/8 tune where the notes are played quickly as one group per bar, with more crotchet-quaver, heavy-light pairs than jig patterns. Similar to single jigs; found in the playing of Michael Coleman. In the Companion To Irish Traditional Music, this is termed a ‘swing type’ 9/8 tune. Myself and Alan Ng call this a ‘hop jig’.
Sample bar of a hop jig with ‘heavy-light’ pairs marked in red brackets
A recording of hop jigs
This writer cannily notes that both a slip jig and hop jig have crotchet-quaver patterns plus jig patterns; figuring out whether a 9/8 tune is a slip jig or a hop jig depends on the frequency. In the 9/8 tune ‘Drops of Brandy’, 45 of the 48 beats are jig patterns , whereas only 3 of the 48 beats are crotchet-quaver patterns – so this tune is obviously a slip jig.
Set Dance
A set dance is a particular tune, in either a hornpipe or jig rhythm, which has a corresponding solo step dance choreography. There are at least 40 of these tunes in the Irish tradition. Set dances …
are in 2/4, 4/4, or 6/8 time. Half of all set dances are in duple time, half are in compound time. My experience is that set dances are played slightly more evenly than a typical hornpipe or jig.
are longer than typical Irish dance tunes. Irish traditional dance tunes usually have 2 parts of 8 bars each. However, out of the 40 core set dances, 39 of them have at least one part that is longer than 8 bars.
tend to have asymmetrical form, e.g. the B part of the tune is longer than the A part. 34 of the 40 set dances have a B part that is longer than the A part.
Sample bar of a set dance in hornpipe rhythm with ‘heavy-light’ pairs marked in red brackets
A performance of a set dance in hornpipe time with old-time step dancer, Celine TubridySample bar of a set dance in 6/8
A performance of a set dance in jig time with old-time step dancer, Celine Tubridy
Be warned: a ‘set dance’ can also be called a “set piece”; is sometimes mislabelled as a “long dance”; and ‘set dances’ as described here are not a part of the Irish dance genre of social dancing known as ‘set dancing’.
Single Polka
The most common type of polka, notated in 2/4, from Sliabh Luachra. Also known as a ‘simple polka’.
Sample bar of a single polka
A performance of a single polka with set dancers
Double Polka
A march-like polka, also notated in 2/4, associated with the playing of John McKenna and the music of North Connacht. Also known as a ‘North Connacht Polka’, ‘Sligo polka’, or ‘Clare polka’.
Sample bar of a double polka
A recording of double polkas
Strathspey
A tune type which came from Scotland to Donegal, where it’s most commonly played in Ireland. Strathspeys have 4 beats in each bar, with each beat of the bar being accented, and have lots of dotted rhythms. In particular they often feature the ‘Scotch snap’ – a syncopated rhythm where a short, accented note is followed by a longer one, generally a semiquaver followed by a dotted quaver. They often have triplet passages near the end of parts.
Sample bar of a strathspey (note ‘Scotch snap’)
A recording of a musician from Donegal playing a strathspey
Highland
a tune-type with four beats in a bar, with the accent on the first beat of the bar. The first beat of the bar is usually a crotchet. Highlands are played more slowly than a reel, and are characterised by subtly dotted rhythms, giving them their own unique ‘swing’. If a highland sounds familiar, you’re not going mad… it’s common for popular reels and strathspeys to be converted into this style of playing, and thus a lot of highlands are based on well-known Scottish strathspey melodies. Caoimhín Mac Aoidh notes of this practice ‘Extended strings of triplets which occur in parent strathspeys are often simplified but not totally eliminated.’ Highlands are mainly found in the Donegal fiddle music tradition. Be warned – the terminology around this tune-type and its accompanying dance is quite confusing: within Ulster, the dance to a highland is called a ‘highland schottische’. Outside of Ulster, this dance is more commonly called a ‘fling’ or a ‘schottische’.
Sample bar of a Highland
A recording of musicians from Donegal playing a highland
Schottische
A dance and tune-type which originated in Bavaria in the 1800s, and was then co-opted by the Irish. It’s originally in 2/4 time, but is played more slowly in the Irish tradition, as if it’s in 2/2. To the ear, it sounds like a highland, except with more crotchets.
Sample bar of a Schottische
A recording of a musician from Donegal playing a schottische
Fling
Like a reel, except slower, in cut time, and with a dotted rhythm. The term is derived from the Scottish phrase ‘highland fling’, which is the national dance of Scotland.
Sample bar of a fling
A recording of a fling
Barndance
Barndances have four beats in each bar, with a strong emphasis on the final two crotchets in either the first, fourth or eighth bars of each part of the tune. Also known as a ‘onestep’.
Sample bar of a barndance
A recording of a barndance, arranged specifically for set dancers
German
a type of barndance found in the north of Ireland. Generally referred to by their tune-type, not individual name. Also known as ‘German schottische’. Each eight-bar phrase ends with three lightly-accented crotchets.
Sample bars 5-8 of a German. Note 3 crotchets in bar 8.
A recording of musicians from Donegal playing Germans
Waltz
A dance form from continental Europe in 3/4 time, with the emphasis on the first beat in the bar. Historically considered indecent: a pamphlet from the 1797 cites the waltz as ‘the main source of the weakness of the body and mind of our generation’. ! The Irish must have dispensed with such qualms, as it’s been absorbed into our musical tradition. However, Alan Ng points out that ‘as waltzing is a relatively recent introduction into the Irish tradition, there are very few native Irish waltzes’. It’s common for Irish traditional musicians to convert traditional pieces, airs, marches and songs into waltz form as required – say, for example, at a céilí. Alan wryly observes ‘most of the genuine waltzes … are directly and knowingly imported from other cultures by Irish musicians looking for better waltzes.’!
Sample bars of a waltz
A live performance of a waltz with set dancers
Mazurka
A dance in 3/4 with an accent on the second beat. The mazurka originated in Poland, and spread over Europe in the 1800s, both as tunes and as a dance form. Mazurkas spread to Ireland in the mid-1800s, and are particularly common in county Donegal, where there are at least 17 distinct Irish traditional mazurka melodies.
Sample bars of a mazurka
Fiddlers performing a mazurka for some dancers
March
Marches are most commonly in 2/4, 4/4 or 6/8, but can also be in 9/8 or 3/4. It’s about the style of playing rather than the meter: marches are designed to speed up your travel, celebrate victory, or commemorate death or defeat. So if it’s a slow tempo, played with a strong rhythm, and gives you one of those feels, it’s probably a march. These days, you’re most likely to hear a march or two at a céilí, rather than a session. Marches are one of the most ancient music forms, so the old marches are fonts of ethnomusicological interest, and well worth checking out. Some interesting examples are…
O’Donovan’s March 3/4
O’Sullivan More’s March 3/4
Allisdrum’s March 6/8
The Triumphal 4/4
Shanghai March 4/4
Sample bars from a march in 4/4Sample bars from a march in 6/8
A live performance of a waltz with ceili dancers
Piece
an instrumental piece which is not an air, not for dancing, and not for singing.
Some of the ‘trad terminology’ is quite confusing. So here’s some explanations you may find helpful.
‘céilí’ vs. ‘céilí dancing’
Céilí dancing is a specific genre of Irish dance revived / invented by Irish nationalists in the early 1900s. ‘Céilí dances’ have only two to three simple steps, and are not percussive. Examples include the Walls of Limerick, the Siege of Ennis, and the Haymaker’s Jig.
A Céilí is a social gathering with Irish music and dance. A céilí might have céilí dancing only; a céilí might have set dancing only; a céilí could have a mixture of céilí dancing, set dancing, instrumentals and a few songs.
‘the Lancer’ vs. ‘a lancer’
A ‘lance’ is a weapon; it’s a long wooden stick with a pointed steel head on the top. Lances were used by a horseman while they charged at the enemy, as recently as World War I. “Lancers” is the name for the soldiers on horseback who fought with these lances. Back in 1817, the Dublin dancing master Duval created a set dance for a lancers regiment based in Dublin; this dance became known as ‘The Lancer Quadrilles’ or ‘The Lancers’. This was the first ‘set’ composed in Ireland. Since then, the term ‘a lancer’ is used to describe any other set with similar features to that first set, e.g. a line-up, grand chain and dancing in the corners. It’s also used to describe a single reel played for a lancer set.
‘Jenny tunes’ vs. tunes with the name ‘Jenny’ in the title
In West Cork there’s a particular dance called a ‘Jenny’, e.g. the Borlin Jenny, collected from Bantry Bay. Specific single reels are played for ‘Jenny’ dances. These tunes don’t have individual tune names, they’re just collectively referred to as ‘Jenny tunes’. They’re a march-like polka.
There are also approx 35 tunes in the Irish tradition with the girl’s name ‘Jenny’ in the title. So best to clarify if you’re referring to a tune type or tune title when you’re planning tune sets in West Cork! 😉 Just for fun, here are some of the tune titles with ‘Jenny’ in the title… Jenny And The Weasel, Jenny Dang The Weaver, Jenny Got A Clinking, Jenny Jumped Over The Wall, Jenny Lind Polka, Jenny Lind’s Reel, Jenny Nettle’s Fancy, Jenny Picking Cockles, Jenny Pippin, Jenny Put the Kettle On, Jenny Rocking The Cradle, Jenny, Tie The Bonnet, Jenny’s Chickens, Jenny’s Wedding, Jenny’s Welcome To Charlie
‘set dance’ vs. ‘a set dance’
Set dance / set dancing is a genre of Irish traditional dancing. The format is always four couples facing each other to make a square. It’s social dancing; there’s generally hundreds of people crammed into a hall, dancing to a live band. Each dance has three to six sections (called figures), with little breaks between each section. One ‘set’ takes between 10 and 30 minutes. Here’s a list of ‘sets’, compiled by the amazing Bill Lynch.
On the other hand, a ‘Set Dance’ or ‘traditional set dance’ is a tune with its own accompanying, pre-arranged choreography. In the context of competitive step dancing, ‘a set dance’ is usually one of these tune-and-dance combinations, not the social dance genre called ‘set dance’ / ‘set dancing’. Here’s 38 of the tune-and-dance combinations approved by An Coimisiúin Le Rincí Gaelacha for performance in their competitions. Set dances are usually ‘crooked’, i.e. have a different amount of bars in the first and second parts.
“the tune” vs. “the tune” and “the turn”
“The tune” on its own means the whole tune, the entire piece of music. But if you hear “the turn” in close proximity to “the tune”, then “the tune” means the first part of a tune, i.e. the A part, and “the turn” means the second part of the tune, or the B part.
“single reel” vs. “single reel”
In a typical Irish dance tune, each 8-bar part is usually played twice. The term for this is that the tune is ‘doubled’. However, at least 11% of all Irish tunes are exceptions to this rule, and in these tunes each part is only played once through. These exceptional tunes where each part is played just once are termed ‘played singly’ ‘played single’ or ‘a single <tune type>’, e.g. ‘a single reel’.
The most common tune types in Irish traditional music are reels and jigs. There are 2 different types of reel, which are differentiated from each other with the prefix ‘single’ and ‘double’ … but in this context, ‘single’ and ‘double’ refer to meter, not how many times the parts are repeated. A ‘double reel’ is notated in 4/4 or 2/2, a ‘single reel’ is notated in 2/4.
So a ‘single reel’ can be a conventional reel, with each part played once through … or it can be a reel with the time signature 2/4, with both parts repeated. There’s no way to figure this out except to ask your session buddies which one they mean!
“single jig” vs. “single jig”
As explained above: in a typical Irish dance tune, each 8-bar part is usually played twice. The term for this is that the tune is ‘doubled’. However, at least 11% of all Irish tunes are exceptions to this rule, and in these tunes each part is only played once through. These exceptional tunes where each part is played just once are termed ‘played singly’ ‘played single’ or ‘a single <tune type>’, e.g. ‘a single jig’.
The most common tune types in Irish traditional music are reels and jigs. There are 4 different subcategories of jig: slip jig, hop jig, single jig and double jig. In this context, ‘single’ and ‘double’ refer to meter, not how many times the parts are repeated. A ‘single jig’ and a ‘double jig’ are both conventionally notated in 6/8 – but a ‘single jig’ has a high frequency of heavy-light pairs, whereas a ‘double jig’ has a typical jig pattern of dotted quaver – semiquaver – quaver.
So a ‘single jig’ can be a ‘double jig’, with each part played once through … or it can be a jig with a high frequency of heavy-light pairs, with both parts repeated. There’s no way to figure this out except to ask your session buddies which one they mean!
… that’s my list of confusing terminology for the time being. Now I’m off to play a session in the Teach Ósta, Inis Meáin, where I aspire to communicate extremely clearly for the evening 🙂
A set dance is a particular tune, in either a hornpipe or jig rhythm, which has a corresponding solo step dance choreography. There are at least 40 of these tunes in the Irish tradition. Set dances …
are in hornpipe or in jig time. Half of all set dances are hornpipes, half are in jig time.
are longer than typical Irish dance tunes. Irish traditional dance tunes usually have 2 parts of 8 bars each. However, out of the 40 set dances on my list, 39 of them have at least one part that is longer than 8 bars.*
tend to have asymmetrical form, e.g. the B part of the tune is longer than the A part. 34 of the 40 set dances have a B part that is longer than the A part.**
If you’re an Irish dancer, here’s a list of all 30 set dances (allowed by An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha, no less) with all relevant data, so you can make an informed decision on the best dance for you to learn next.
Rince Seit Traidisiúnta An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha
Traditional Set Dances permitted by Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha, with minimum speed, time signature, bars in step, bars in set, and total bar count. Designed to help dance students choose their optimal set dance for performance.
Teideal: Gaeilge
Title: English
Minimum Speed
Time Signature
Bars In Step
Bars In Set
Total Bars
Cúlú Bonaparte
Bonaparte's Retreat
76
4/4
8
20
28
Gairdín Na Nóiníní
Garden Of Daisies
76
4/4
8
16
24
Cuir Thart An Crúsca
Hurry The Jug
66
6/8
8
16
24
Bhfuil An Fear Mór Istigh?
Is The Big Man Within?
66
9/8 & 6/8
8
8
16
An Greas Giúrnála
Job Of Journeywork
76
4/4
8
14
22
An Marcach Chuig An Aonach
Jockey To The Fair
66
6/8
8
14
22
Rásaí Chill Choinnigh
Kilkenny Races
76
4/4
8
24
32
Rí Na Siog
King Of The Fairies
76
2/4
8
16
24
Madam Bonaparte
Madam Bonaparte
76
4/4
8
12
20
Rogha Iníon De Brún
Miss Brown's Fancy
66
6/8
8
16
24
Plancstaí Daibhéis
Planxty Davis
76
2/4
16
16
32
Plancstaí Drúirí
Planxty Drury
66
6/8
12
16
28
Plancstaí Aodh Ó Domhnaill
Planxty Hugh O'Donnell
66
6/8
16
16
32
Glóir Rodney
Rodney's Glory
76
2/4
8
12
20
Cuimil An Mála
Rub The Bag
66
6/8
8
14
22
Lá Fhéile Pádraig
St. Patrick's Day
66
6/8
8
14
22
Aon Agus Dó Na Píobaireachta
Ace And Deuce Of Pipering
76
4/4
12
12
24
An Londubh
Blackbird
76
2/4
15
30
45
An Maide Droighneán
Blackthorn Stick
66
6/8
15
15
30
Cladhaire Na Súile Gorma
Blue-Eyed Rascal
76
4/4
8
12
20
Bean An Ghlantacháin
Charlady
66
6/8
8
24
32
Titim Paris
Downfall Of Paris
76
2/4
8
16
24
An Bheidhleadóir Ag An Crann Sí
Fiddler Around The Fairy Tree
66
6/8
8
12
20
Na Ceithre Máistrí
Four Masters
76
4/4
8
12
20
An Gaueger Meisceach
Funny Tailor / Drunken Gauger
66
6/8
15
15
30
Pléaracha na Bandan
Humours Of Bandon
66
6/8
8
16
24
An Fiach
Hunt
76
4/4
8
12
20
Na Buachaillí Báire
Hurling Boys
66
6/8
8
14
22
Bóthar An Lóiste
Lodge Road
76
2/4
8
20
28
An Rógaire Buí
Orange Rogue
66
6/8
8
16
24
An Píobaire
Piper
76
4/4
8
12
20
An Réice Fáin
Rambling Rake
76
4/4
8
16
24
An Mangaire Fáin
Roving Pedlar
76
4/4
8
14
22
An Geag Síléaladh
Sprig Of Shillelagh
66
6/8
6
10
16
An Scéalaí
Storyteller
66
6/8
8
16
24
Na Trí Captéin Mara
Three Sea Captains
66
6/8
8
20
28
Loch An Rith Amach
Vanishing Lake
66
6/8
14
18
32
An Ceoltóir Fáin
Twandering Musician
66
6/8
8
16
24
An Súisín Bán
White Blanket
76
4/4
8
12
20
Cuan Eochaille
Youghal Harbour
76
4/4
6
14
20
*For the record, the only set dance with the standard form of 2 x 8-bar parts is ‘Bhfuil An Fear Mór Istigh? / Is The Big Man Within? But this tune is a total outlier in terms of rhythm – the A part is in 9/8, the B part is in 6/8! So my summary is: set dances are just weird. Even if they’re normal in one way, watch out, because they will be weird in another. !
**to add evidence to my ‘set dances are just weird’ theory, the 5 following set dances, which have symmetrical form, do not have a typical 8 bars per part:
The Ace & Deuce Of Pipering – 12 bars per part
Blackthorn Stick, Drunken Gauger – 15 bars per part
Planxty Davis, Planxty Hugh O’Donnell – 16 bars per part
Here goes: Úna’s low-down on the high kicks of Irish dancing.
1. Sean-nós dancing
“Come ant daunce wyt me in Irlaunde” says a song from the 1300s … so we have been boogie-ing here in Ireland for quite some time. “Sean” is the Irish for ‘old’ and ‘nós’ is the Irish for ‘way’… so ‘sean-nós’ is ‘old way’. Sean-nós dance started in the west of Ireland, and is still strongest in that area. It’s low to the ground, percussive, and totally improvised … dancers choose their steps, in the moment, responding to the live musician. Their whole body posture is really relaxed. Sean-nós is usually performed in a very small space, sometimes on a door laid flat or on a table-top. (!) Dancers wear street clothes and normal shoes, sometimes with a few nails in the heel or toe to give added volume to their foot tapping. Here’s 2 of my fave sean-nós dancers, muintir Uí Dhuibheannaigh.
2. Old-style step dancing
Irish dance seems to have been pretty chillaxed and informal until the 17th-18th century, when Irish dance masters started to define and refine Irish folk steps and dances. Conventions arose regarding posture (upper body, arm and foot placement) and steps for specific dances, e.g. The Blackbird. This body of pre-arranged routines, and particular style of dancing, is now called ‘old-style step dancing’. These dances can be solo or group; they are usually low to the ground, danced in street clothes, and with normal shoes; the dance is percussive, and in a small space. Old-style step dancing is usually done in a social context, for fun, rather than in competition. Here’s an example of the legend Michael Tubridy.
3. Set dancing
In the 19th century, the Irish saw some French quadrilles, put them to Irish tunes, inserted Irish folk steps, and voila! A new Irish dance genre was born! Set dancing is social dancing; hundreds of people gather in halls, get into groups of 8 people, and dance to live bands (somewhat confusingly called ‘céilí bands’). You’ll recognise set dancing from the position of the dancers: the format is always four couples facing each other to make a square. Each dance has three to six sections (called figures), with little breaks between each section. A ‘set’ takes between 10 and 30 minutes. Set dances from county Clare are percussive; the dancers improvise steps to sound good with the live band. People go out for the night to dance sets for fun (although a small percentage of people dance sets competitively). Set dancing is really vibrant in Ireland and globally … you can find thousands of events here: https://sets.ie
4. Céilí dancing
At the beginning of the 1900s, the Gaelic revivalists collected, formalised and promoted 30 group dances, and called them ‘céilí dances’. ‘Céilí dances’ have only two to three simple steps, and are not percussive. The essential goal of céilí dancing is participation … ideally without injuring a fellow dancer! 🙂 In their basic form, these are the easiest of all Irish dances; sometimes with cues called out by a live ‘caller’. They are frequently ‘progressive’, e.g. at the end of one cycle of the dance, the couple / group proceeds to dance the same steps with a new couple / group. Examples include the Walls of Limerick, the Siege of Ennis, and the Haymaker’s Jig. Céilí dancing happens in both social and competitive contexts: Irish kids learn céilí dancing at school, teenagers attend céilí dances every night at Irish-language immersion courses, and there’s usually one céilí dance at an Irish wedding … while on the competitive step-dancing circuit, there’s usually a céilí dance competition.
Just to clarify: ‘céilí dancing’ is the specific genre of Irish dance, detailed above. BUUUT a ‘céilí’ is a social gathering with Irish music and dance. A céilí might have céilí dancing only; a céilí might have set dancing only; a céilí could have a mixture of céilí dancing, set dancing, instrumentals and a few songs.
5. Competitive step dancing
In 1927, the Gaelic League founded An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (‘The Irish Dancing Commission’), dedicated to the organisation and standardisation of Irish dance. CLRG created certifications for dance teachers, began to hold competitions (‘feiseanna’), and examinations for adjudicators of competitions. A number of conventions evolved … for example, dancers holding arms firmly down by their sides, with hands in fists, which supposedly calls more attention to the intricacy of the steps. From the 1940s onward, a style with balletic influence and high elevation on the toes became popular. Costumes became more and more elaborate, with brightly coloured dresses featuring Celtic imagery, tightly-curled hair (now mostly replaced by wigs), and thick ribbed white socks (… which are commonly stuck to the leg with glue. !) Take a deep breath: these dresses can cost between €500 and €4,000. Feiseanna are held all over the world – at local, provincial and international levels; from 400 to over 1000 competitors; with solo and group dance competitions, male and female categories (although the vast majority of contestants are female). Competitions include hard shoe (percussive) and soft shoe (silent) categories. Dances include the double jig, hornpipe, slip jig, reel, and ‘set dance’. Each school or teacher creates their own choreography for the the double jig, hornpipe, slip jig, and reel. However, a ‘set dance’ is one of 30 dances, approved by the CLRG, which have their own pre-arranged choreography common to all schools and dancers … examples are ‘The Blackbird’, ‘St. Patrick’s Day’, and ‘The Job of Journey Work’. In this context, ‘a set dance’ is one single, specific, choreographed dance, not the social dance genre called ‘set dance’ / ‘set dancing’.
6. Riverdance
On the 30th April 1994, Irish dance was changed, changed utterly 🙂 Ireland was hosting the Eurovision, and during the interval premiered a 7-minute commission featuring Irish dancers, vocal ensemble Anúna, and newly-composed music on Irish traditional instruments by composer Bill Whelan. With varying time signatures, unconventional form, whole-body movements, groundbreaking group choreography, minimalist costumes and full theatrical lighting, ‘Riverdance’ broke every single convention in the Irish dancing world, – and was a massive success. The ‘Riverdance’ score instantly became a No. 1 hit, and the dancers were invited to perform at the Royal Variety Performance. Producers John McColgan and Moya Doherty expanded ‘Riverdance’ into a stage show, which has since been seen by 25 million people, making it one of the most successful dance productions in the world1. ‘Riverdance’ has had a massive influence on the choreography and presentation of Irish step dance in both competition and and public performances. Since 1994, there’s been a tendency towards more daring innovations in Irish step dance, such as dancing with hard shoes to music traditionally associated with soft-shoe dances, as well as a trend toward simpler costumes and natural hairstyles.
… In case you’re ever at a surprise ethnochoreology quiz, below are the features of each type of Irish dance listed in a table. 🙂 (If you have a different opinion on any of the characteristics listed here, you’re welcome to share them with me on www.una.ie/contact ) Aren’t we lucky to have this wealth of dance tradition to choose from? Pick one of the 6 dance genres, put on those dancing shoes, go forth and boogie!
Types of Irish Dance
Irish dance genre
Group / solo
Posture
Height of leg movements
Floor area required
Percussive
Shoes
Choreographed / improvised
Performance context
Presentation
Sean-nós dancing
Solo
Relaxed
Below shin
Approx. 1m squared
Percussive
Shoes with nails in heel / toe, or tap shoes
Improvised
Collaborative community performance
Street clothes
Old style step dancing
Mostly solo
Relaxed
Below shin
Approx. 1m squared
Percussive
Normal shoes
Choreographies common to all, up to centuries old
Community performance
Street clothes
Set dancing
Groups of 8
Relaxed
Mostly below knee
Approx. 2m squared
Battering in Co. Clare is percussive
Normal shoes
The figures of a set are choreographed. In the Clare style, percussive battering is improvised by each individual dancer
Mostly social
Street clothes
Céilí dancing
Groups of 2-4
Relaxed
Knee-high kicks
A hall
Non-percussive
Normal shoes
Choreographies common to all, up to centuries old
Mostly social
Street clothes
Competitive step dancing
Solo and group
Rigid
As high as you can go!
A stage
Hard shoe dances are percussive, soft shoe dances are silent
Hard shoe, ghillies
Choreographed by dance teacher, except for 30 set dances common to all dancers
Competitive
Elaborate stage costume and wigs
Riverdance
Solo and group
Rigid / choreographed
As high as you can go!
A stage
Hard shoe dances are percussive, soft shoe dances are silent
Hard shoe, ghillies
Choreographed by a professional on a show-by-show basis
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