20 Sep 00 - 04:11 PM (#301603) Subject: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Thomas the Rhymer I'm no expert. I don't really know the difference between reels, hornpipes, jigs, or strathspeys for that matter. I enjoy so many of them, and yet I don't know where their differentiations lie. Can you help/refer me?
Also, if you have a favorite reel, what is it? ;~) (~; ;~) (~; ;~) (~; ;~) (~; ;~) (~; ;~) (~; ;~) (~; ;~) (~; ;~) (~; ;~) (~; |
20 Sep 00 - 04:34 PM (#301622) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Kara Jigs are in 6/8 time, counted one two three one two three, very fast ( slip jigs are in 3/9)some jigs for example the Long Note are in 12/8 , but can be played as a real if you like. reels are in 4/4 time hornpipes are in 2/4 as are marches Strathspeys are a mistery they seem to go along normally for abit and then tripple their spead for a bit and then calm down again |
20 Sep 00 - 04:45 PM (#301629) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jon Freeman There are various tpyes of jigs:
Single jigs are written in 6/8 time and sometimes 12/8 time. I have seen reference to strathpeys being written in 4/4 and 4/8 time. Reels and hornpipes are in 4/4 time. Much of distinction between the tune types concerns the accenting of the notes and it is not always that clear which is which (some players play hornpipes fast and flat for example - more reel like). having said that, I believe that the best way to understand the different types of tunes is to listen to examples of each and develop a feel for the tunes - same goes for learning to play them. Favourite reel - Silver Spire. Jon |
20 Sep 00 - 04:47 PM (#301631) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: The Shambles The Foxhunter's Reel |
20 Sep 00 - 04:58 PM (#301642) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Mark Clark "St. Anne's Reel", without a doubt. - Mark |
20 Sep 00 - 05:28 PM (#301676) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: GUEST,Murray MacLeod U second that. "St Anne's Reel " captivates everyone who hears it. Murray |
20 Sep 00 - 05:35 PM (#301684) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jim Krause The questions of jigs has been pretty nicely answered. Here in the Midwestern US there aren't many differences between those tunes designated "Hornpipe" and "Reel." Favorite reel of the moment Marmaduke's Hornpipe. (See what I mean?) ;-) |
20 Sep 00 - 05:35 PM (#301687) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jon Freeman I would imagine that even if not thier #1 favourite, St Anne's will be high on a lot of people's lists. I love the tune. Jon |
20 Sep 00 - 06:00 PM (#301720) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Turtle And then there are old-timey reels like Spotted Pony (my current favorite) and Kitchen Girl . . . |
20 Sep 00 - 06:21 PM (#301734) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Thomas the Rhymer Uncanny! I was listening to St.Anne's Reel while I was posting this thread! John McCutcheon's 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley' record...1977, June Appal Media collective. St. Anne's Reel-Cricket on the Hearth-Kitchen Girl-Mississippi Sawyer. First track! |
20 Sep 00 - 06:45 PM (#301758) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Ely St Anne's is good. I love Spotted Pony. Casey's Reel is another really good one. I'm guessing that Shag Poke, Dubuque, and Billy in the Low Ground are all reels, and those are some of my favorites. Is Elzic's Farewell a reel? I love that one, too. I often hear American playing tunes that I know to be European (usually Irish) and that I know to be played in hornpipe rhythm, played straight as reels (Rickett's Hornpipe and Keel Row come to mind). Americans seem to function almost exclusively in 4/4 and 3/4 time. I don't mean this as a criticism, since I am American and since lots of songs sound good either way, I'm just saying that, in my experience, this seems to be common. |
20 Sep 00 - 06:54 PM (#301771) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Bert The one that I'm dancing to at the moment. There is a special place reserved in hell for people who play dance music on occasions where people can't dance. |
20 Sep 00 - 07:14 PM (#301787) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: GUEST I find the Diawa reel is very good for pier and rock fishing. |
20 Sep 00 - 07:19 PM (#301789) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: mousethief I much prefer the Daiwa. It's more real.
Alex |
20 Sep 00 - 07:20 PM (#301790) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: GUEST,Death by Whisky That previous post is mine.Apologies for my name change!!! Anyway,I was about to reply: Oh, I see what you mean.The bucks of oranmore drives along quite nicely,but there are a lot of tunes I havent',got names for |
20 Sep 00 - 07:24 PM (#301792) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Sean Belt Today my favorite reels are "West Fork Girls", "Whiskey Before Breakfast", and "Spotted Pony". "The Wise Maid" is gaining on them, though. - Sean |
20 Sep 00 - 07:27 PM (#301793) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: death by whisky Thats better.Now I know who I am. |
20 Sep 00 - 08:37 PM (#301825) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Mbo ARG, there's so many! |
20 Sep 00 - 08:43 PM (#301828) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Bud Savoie Old Joe Clark. |
20 Sep 00 - 10:00 PM (#301872) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Marion Gosh, I was going to nominate Ste. Anne's when I saw the thread title, but then I was afraid people would jump on it for being "done to death" (though in my opinion a good song/tune can't be done often enough). So hurrah for Ste. Anne's. I would also nominate High Road to Linton, Grumbling Old Man and Woman, and Drowsy Maggie. And Mason's Apron. And Devil's Dream. And Maple Sugar. I'm sure this will be like the book thread - who can choose just one? Since nobody has said much about strathspeys yet, I'll contribute my Cape-Breton-based info. Strathspeys are in 4/4, and the tempo is faster than a march and slower than a reel. Their distinguishing feature is an irregular rhythm; there are very few straight quarter notes or eighth notes; there are a lot of triplets and a lot of dotted pairs of notes. What makes them different from hornpipes is: in hornpipes it is (almost) always the first note of the pair that is dotted and the second that has an extra quaver, whereas in strathspeys it varies freely which note in the pair is dotted. At Cape Breton dances, strathspeys are not played for the big group "set dances" - those dances use sets of all reels or all jigs. The strathspeys come in accelerating medleys (march, strathspey, then reels, or just strathspeys then reels) and are danced by solo stepdancers. Bert, there are no occasions when you can't dance. There are only occasions where you feel inhibited from dancing. My question is regarding hornpipes. Somebody told me that for every pair of eighth notes in a hornpipe, although they are written as if they are equal you play them as if the first were dotted and the second quavered. My teacher (Cape Bretoner) has just told me that this is nonsense and I should play them as written. Who is right? Perhaps it varies from region to region? Great thread... we should do one for all the genres. Marion |
20 Sep 00 - 10:06 PM (#301878) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jon Freeman Marion, I can not pick timing up from music but I have seen horpipes written both in dotted and equal value notes. Maybe your teacher is putting you through an excercies and I am no player but I would suggest that you play them as you feel them and use the notes only as a guideline - a hornpipe feels like this... Jon |
20 Sep 00 - 10:10 PM (#301883) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Oversoul Hangman's Reel. |
20 Sep 00 - 10:15 PM (#301888) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Mbo Dave, is that the same as The Hanged Man's Reel, the French-Canadian tune? I love Bong Shang's whoopup version of that. Also love The Mouths of The Tobique. |
20 Sep 00 - 10:16 PM (#301889) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Marion Thanks Jon. For what it's worth, it was a Newfoundlander who told me to always swing the eighth notes in a hornpipe. I like them better that way then played straight. Is this the Silver Spire you like? I'm confused because somewhere else I found a totally different tune that was named Silver Spire - or maybe it was called Silver Spear Also Known as Silver Spire. Marion Bad link fixed. Be careful to include closing quotation marks, Marion. thanks. -Joe Offer- |
20 Sep 00 - 10:16 PM (#301890) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Peter Kasin My favorites change as I learn new tunes. I'll usually listen to and play a tune to death if it's a favorite, then discover another one, putting the old one in a backlog of favorites. Current favorite is a Scottish pipe reel called The Little Cascade. It was composed by a great piper, G.S. McLennan - same guy who wrote The Jig Of Slurs (I play fiddle). |
20 Sep 00 - 10:20 PM (#301893) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Marion Jon, is this the Silver Spire you like? I'm confused because I also found a totally different tune also named Silver Spire, or maybe it was named Silver Spear and subtitled Silver Spire. Marion |
20 Sep 00 - 10:24 PM (#301897) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jon Freeman It is so hard Marion and way beyond my knowledge - even if we just looked at Ireland, we will find that the Donegal style is different to the Claire style... There seem to be limits but I guess that much is down to feeling and listening to players you enjoy although if you were playing for dancers, I would suspect that you would have to adopt certain standards. I have been dabbling with the dance music for years and still don't really understand it - I just know how I feel it - maybe one day, my hands will become good enough to put what I feel into practice. Jon |
20 Sep 00 - 10:31 PM (#301902) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: paddymac No question St. Anne's is popular and frequently played. I seem to recall a thread or two about the tune, and my key memory is that it is actually a fairly recent tune, of Canadian origin. |
20 Sep 00 - 10:31 PM (#301903) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Lor My favorite reel at the moment is Emily's Reel. It makes me want to dance...! ~lor. |
20 Sep 00 - 10:40 PM (#301912) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jon Freeman Not sure of the date Paddymac but I'm pretty sure that I have read that it is Canadian. Jon |
20 Sep 00 - 11:46 PM (#301960) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall) Well the Bucks of Oranmore is generally always up near the top of my list, I'd have to label it as my overall favorite. I'll get arguments to the contrary, but I swear it was written specifically for the benefit of the bodhránist who is accompanying it. It's just too much fun to play along with! I really like the Foxhunter's. I'm quite fond of the Morning Dew (Michael Coleman is still the man!)Craig's Pipes is a hot one, especially for céilís. I like the Silver Spire. (also known as John Brennan's, but a different tune than the reel that's usually known as John Brennan's and also a different tune than the Silver Spear.) There's a bunch of good ones but one last I want to mention because I'm surprised it hasn't been already is the Gravel Walk. Rich |
21 Sep 00 - 12:38 AM (#301994) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jimmy C My favourite is "The Swallow Tail Reel" but the St. Annes and a few others are also up near the top. |
21 Sep 00 - 12:39 AM (#301995) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Rosebrook Kitchen Girl/Ducks on a Pond/West Fork Gals Over the Waterfall/Angeline the Baker (or is that Angeline the Bake Girl?) Rose |
21 Sep 00 - 02:21 AM (#302043) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: hesperis Jimmy C - do you mean the Swallowtail Jig? Or is there a Reel by that name too? |
21 Sep 00 - 03:44 AM (#302060) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Lady McMoo No particular favourites...there are just so many good ones, although I'm playing The Log Cabin set a lot these days...I love the way it drives along. Marion...The Silver Spire and The Silver Spear are two quite different reels although I couldn't reach the page of your blue clicky thing. Peace mcmoo |
21 Sep 00 - 07:27 AM (#302099) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: GUEST,Mary Favorite to play (fiddle): "Peter Street". Favorite to listen to others play: "Saint Anne's". Life-long favorite: "Flowers of Edinburgh" (but is it a reel or a hornpipe?)... like to listen to Jon Anderson's added vocal ("Flowers of the Morning") on *The Promise Ring* album -- nice juxtaposition. |
21 Sep 00 - 07:49 AM (#302105) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jon Freeman Marion, I can't get into the page you have given to answer your question but I also think that you are confusing the Silver Spire with the Silver Spear they are both pospular reels and I know a number of people who have confused the titles. To complicate matters, I have a feeling that the Silver Spire is also known as the Golden Keyboard. Hesparis, it is not my day for getting into web pages (I had intended to provide a link from JC's search) but both the Swallow's Tails (jig and reel) exist. The reel is another one of my favourites. I learnt is from a Dubliners LP where Barney McKenna plays it with the High Reel. Jon |
21 Sep 00 - 08:08 AM (#302115) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Noreen Marion, Hornpipes should definitely be played 'dotted'. I think the important thing to remember is that hornpipes, (and reels, jigs, slides, polkas....) were played and passed on aurally long before they were ever written down using staff notation, so any printed music is at best an approximation of the real thing. Even the dotted rhythm doesn't adequately capture the 'swing' that you talk about. As Jon says, 'a hornpipe feels like this' and that can't be written down, only picked up by playing with others who have got that feel for the music. Playing for dancing helps a lot too; I could tell when I first heard Jon play that he is accustomed to playing for dancing. A lovely old flute player friend of mine, Peader Finn would sometimes describe someone's playing as 'having a touch of the black dots about it', meaning that they were playing something 'as written' and had not yet got into the feel of the tune. To get back to the question, I'm with chanteyranger in having different favourites at different times. Rich's mention of the Gravel Walks (aka Granny's Gravel Walks) took me back a good few years to when that was a favourite; hence the formation of the locally renowned group 'Granny's Gravels'……… Noreen |
21 Sep 00 - 08:26 AM (#302130) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jon Freeman Well Noreen, my playing is pretty ropey now compared to what it was like about 2 years ago (I just don't get out enough or practice enough) but I agree with your thought about playing for dancing - it really does help you devolop a feel and enforces a discipline at the same time. I have even read suggestions that a player should also learn to dance but I wouldn't go that far. Jon |
21 Sep 00 - 09:19 AM (#302170) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Lady McMoo Jon ...the Golden Keyboard is indeed yet another fine reel (in Em) but is quite distinct from The Silver Spire! But there again I'm always confusing the various High Reels and Copperplates! mcmoo |
21 Sep 00 - 09:24 AM (#302173) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: guinnesschik Lately I've been playing Mrs. McLeod's Reel a LOT. I love it, and I've borrowed a bit of it from here, and a bit of it from there. We usually kick it off with The Kesh Jig. It's way fun to watch the dancer switch geers. ;-) |
21 Sep 00 - 09:29 AM (#302175) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jon Freeman Thanks for the correction McMoo. I have just been over to JC's to listen to The Golden Keyboard and found that it is one I do play but had no name for! Jon |
21 Sep 00 - 12:51 PM (#302328) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall) Toss the Feathers (the tune of that title that I'm thinking of, not the tune of that title that I'm not thinking of.) Rich |
21 Sep 00 - 01:55 PM (#302396) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: GUEST,Roberto My favorites reels (but I prefer jigs): J.B.'s Reel (Altan's; Alisdair Fraser's; Molloy-Keane-O'Flynn's versions); My Love Is In America (Joe Cooley's version); The Cup of Tea (Frank Gavin's version); The Wind that Shakes the Barley; The Star of Munster (The Boys of the Lough's version in Regrouped); The Boys of the Lough (Michael Coleman's version); The Boys of Ballisodare (Mary McNamara's version); Farewell to Ireland (Tommy People's version); Rolling the Barrel (Lunasa's version and many others); The Graf Spee (Martin Hayes' version). I'd like very much to have the music sheet of the J.B.'s Reel, if somebody can tell me where to find it, many thanks in advance. Roberto |
21 Sep 00 - 03:34 PM (#302466) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Ely It's Angeline the Baker. I've always heard "Flowers of Edinburgh" as a reel. I love that one, too. I also love "Angus Campbell", but I believe it's a 'wrote tune' (not that that's bad, of course), as is, I think, "Dancing Bear". "Shag Poke", "Marquis of Huntley", "Miller's", "June Apple", "Big Scioty", "Danced All Night With A Bottle in my Hand", "Tater Roll", "Waterbound", "Texas Gals", "Salt River", "Little Billy Wilson", "Western COuntry/Susannah Gal/Pretty Little Dog", and, of course, "COTTON-EYED JOE"! Is "Booth Shot Lincoln" a reel? IT's a great tune, too |
22 Sep 00 - 12:15 AM (#302819) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Marion Will the real Silver Spire please stand up? Noreen, do you mind if I ask where you're from? It seems that location might have some bearing on the hornpipe question. My next question: what makes a march a march? Specifically, is Sidlaw Hills a march or a strathspey? Richard Robinson's Tunebook has it down in both the march and the strathspey sections. Thanks, Marion |
22 Sep 00 - 12:22 AM (#302822) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall) I think the Gravel Walk just became my favorite reel, at least the rendition I just saw Ciaran Tourish play tonight! Altan always puts on an incredible show, but tonight was hot even for them. See them this tour! Slán agat, Rich |
22 Sep 00 - 12:24 AM (#302825) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jon Freeman Marion, that is the Silver Spire that I know and love. I'm afraid I can't help on your other question and marches are strange things - they exist in 4/4 and in 6/8 time. Jon |
22 Sep 00 - 11:05 AM (#303025) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Noreen Marion, I'm in England but brought up in the Irish tradition, so yes, I should have said that I was speaking from the Irish perspective. If a tune is written down and learned as a performance piece then it can obviously be played any way you or your teacher decide. However to play for the dancing of what I know as a hornpipe, you need the dotted rhythm. An aside: Nic Jones plays the set dance 'Planxty Davis' on his album Penguin Eggs 'as it is written' in O'Neill's (The Dance Music of Ireland). I wish he'd heard somebody play it 'as it is danced to', before he recorded it, though I love the album. Strathspeys I don't know so much about, as they're of Scottish origin, but I'll comment on what you said above, hope you don't mind: What makes them different from hornpipes is: in hornpipes it is (almost) always the first note of the pair that is dotted and the second that has an extra quaver, whereas in strathspeys it varies freely which note in the pair is dotted. What makes a tune sound like a strathspey to me is the presence of that rhythm where the second note of a pair is dotted, sounding like: Hope this makes sense! Noreen
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22 Sep 00 - 11:07 AM (#303027) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Mbo Is the Silver Spire the same as The Silver Spear? |
22 Sep 00 - 11:16 AM (#303036) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: DonMeixner Zebco 33XL, great for onehanding a floating top water plug and still hold a can of Killian's Irish Red. I also like a PFlugger Medalist and A Penn 200. Don |
22 Sep 00 - 11:59 AM (#303087) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Noreen Read the thread, Matty, read the thread! :0) (Short answer is NO). Noreen |
22 Sep 00 - 12:39 PM (#303125) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: GUEST,Murray MacLeod Nibody has mentioned "Ross's Reel". The version on Alasdaur Fraser's CD "Return to Kintail" is mind blowing, as is the guitar accompaniment by the world'd greatest guitarist, Tony McManus. Murray |
22 Sep 00 - 02:41 PM (#303258) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: GUEST,Kit Just to have my ha'penny's worth, does goodbye Liza Jane count or not? Kit |
22 Sep 00 - 05:37 PM (#303409) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: @risk (inactive) I like King George IV. |
22 Sep 00 - 06:32 PM (#303444) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: oggie While Hornpipes are often played 'dotted' they don't have to be (Soldiers Joy). In Feis I've played for (dance competition) the reel is a soft shoe dance while the hornpipe is more akin to tap or clog with a hard shoe with the emphasis on sounding the beat with the shoe rather than the angle of the leg. All the best Steve |
23 Sep 00 - 12:08 AM (#303655) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Jeri My favorites change constantly. I love Gravel Walk, Brenda Stubbert's and (just now learning) Jenny Picking Cockles. Must learn Silver Spire - everyone seems to know it except me. |
23 Sep 00 - 08:28 AM (#303767) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: GUEST,Tanner _DROWSY MAGGIE!!!_ We did it after Beggar's Row (Great scottish band! Check it out). And also Gravel Walk and Glass of Beer (AKA Swallow's Tail in some recordings). |
24 Sep 00 - 12:05 AM (#304198) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: bbelle Gotta be St. Anne's Reel! |
24 Sep 00 - 12:15 AM (#304207) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Marion Rich, is this the Toss the Feathers that you're thinking of, or the one you're not thinking of? Although of course once you look at it you'll obviously be thinking about it... Marion, who will not think about white bears for the next two minutes |
25 Sep 00 - 10:31 AM (#304990) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: CarolC La Bastringue (French Canadian) |
25 Sep 00 - 01:29 PM (#305121) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: The Shambles MP3 of The Silver Spear. Can't find one for The Silver Spire... |
25 Sep 00 - 06:45 PM (#305313) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Sean Belt Yikes! Who'da thunk it... I've just been foling around with playing "Flop Eared Mule" (another of my favorite reels) in waltz time. It's actually very pretty played like that. - Sean |
25 Sep 00 - 10:13 PM (#305462) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall) I forgot the Mother and Child Reel aka the Yellow Cow. Rich |
26 Sep 00 - 03:48 AM (#305629) Subject: RE: What's your favorite...REEL? From: The Shambles The High Reel. |