Adapting tunes "on the hoof" is something that all dance musicians learn very early in their careers,

There are bands, and there are dance bands. And we ceilidhnauts gravitate to the latter. We reckon musicians (& callers) that are seen dancing elsewhere make better ceilidhs.

Playford, by and large, is more prescribed and in my limited experience thereof, the demands of the music greater. Certainly Playford as done in the UK is more serious cf ceilidh & barn dances. Getting it right, higher up the agenda.