Maybe I'm just strange then, but I've always found jig and hornpipe (and even a William Tell-ish three notes then rest) rhythms infitinely easier to do than a straight 1-2-3-4. With one finger on one piano key trying to keep a straight quarternote beat I always degenerate into a hornpipe - bump, ba-bump, ba-bump - which I can hold for half of forever consistantly. I can't play Soldier's Joy to save my life because of this. Not for any length of time anyway. On the other hand, I find Late for the Dance fairly easy because it's mostly quarter notes, so it feels slower than a lot of eighth notes.

I wish I could talk more with the bands and callers, but we have different people every month, and many of them show up only 5 minutes before the dance is supposed to start, and leave as soon as it is over.

I've got a beginning fiddler and whistle(er?)(ist?). I can play either guitar (chords for rhythm), banjo (three finger, clawhammer, or chorded), or bass. Which would be best? If all we needed is a 1-5-1-5 I could do that on the banjo with a (slow) bluegrass alternating thumb roll, which would keep me in a position to help the other two if needed, i.e. switching to clawhammer and playing melody if they get lost or tired.