The difference between Celtic styles and English styles for me as a fiddle player is definitely rhythm. While a lot of the tunes have the same roots the lilt is totally different-I had real trouble playing with Salsa Celtica because the tunes are constructed for several notes per bow and around finger patterns that repeat rather than melody as such (making the phrases almost like decorations in themselves, decorations made up of several bars), whereas English tunes sound better with only one or very few. Also the emphasis seems to be on the up-bow rather than the down, although this does vary between the Northern style which tends towards the faster and more fluid, say for Longsword or Rapper, and Southern Morris and country tunes.
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