very interesting - thanks for the post

Many old-time fiddlers were not trained in music, could not read music, just played by ear, and were not aware of bar lines or beats in a measure - whatever sounded good to their ear they played. If they added or left out a beat or a measure in the usual 32-bar dance structure, this resulted in what is called a "crooked tune" - not good for dancers, but often resulted in some interesting tunes.

Cheers, S. in Seattle