A Comprehensive Guide to Irish Tune Types
You've heard of an Irish jig before. And you've likely heard words such as "reel," "hornpipe," and "polka" here and there. But what do each of these names mean? And how on earth can you tell them apart?
That's why I'm here today, friend! I compiled all of the tune types I've come across in my experience with Irish traditional music and sorted them into one guide for you!
Despite the fact that I've been playing many of these tunes for years, I had never sat them all down to really look at their individual traits. As a result, this was a learning experience for me just as much as I hope it is for you! I've revised my answers for how I classify tunes in terms of meter, where the beat lies in a hornpipe, and what makes a hornpipe different from a reel. Read on to discover what I've learned!
Each tune type includes a brief description as well as one or two listening examples to help you discern the differences.
To jump right in, I've sorted each of the tunes into their meter types: duple, triple, quadruple and irregular. It's important to know what the meter of the tune is, because that tell you where the beat lies. Many Irish fiddlers emphasize the notes on the beat, but they tailor the stress of these notes based on the meter. So if you are working with a duple meter tune, you would feel each two strong beats in each measure. Three for triple meter, four for quadruple meter, etc.
Duple/Quadruple Meter Tunes:
Examples: 4/4, 2/4, 6/8. These are tunes that are divided into two or four main beats.
Reels, 4/4
These are the most common tunes you'll hear in sessions. They're fast, they're forward driven, and frankly they're fun! Despite being in 4/4 or "common time," they are felt in 2/2 or "cut time." So your strong beats fall on 1 and 3, which helps keep the tune moving along at a steady clip. Single reels occur when you repeat four bars rather than eight bars in each section of the tune.
See below for a listening example. The first two tunes I play here are double reels, the third is a single!
Polkas, 2/4
Perhaps you'd commonly associate this dance form with other European countries, but the polka certainly has a place in Irish music. They are mostly played in the Sliabh Luachra region (Counties Cork, Kerry and a bit of Limerick). Depending on the style, the meter stress can fall on the beat (ONE-and, TWO-and) or on the off-beats (one-AND, two-AND). Sliabh Luachra fiddling typically emphasizes the off-beat. This can be demonstrated by slurring two notes together and giving the second note more weight and speed on the bow. Another common fiddle technique in polkas is cross-bowing, where you'd slur the bow across the last note of the previous measure into beat one. They're usually fast and energetic for dances, but Sliabh Luachra musicians have a tasteful way of slowing them down to really emphasize that off-beat pulse.
Listening Example: A virtual session recorded with two of my favorite Cork musicians: Michael and Hughie Kennedy!
Jigs, 6/8
This is where my original understanding of meter was inaccurate. I used to think that because the eighth notes of a jig were grouped in threes, that meant they were triple meter tunes. Not so! There are six eighth notes per measure, but they are felt in two groups of three -- therefore making them a duple meter tune. The emphasis here is on beats 1 and 4 (ONE-two-three, FOUR-five-six). Rather than playing straight eighth notes with equal rhythmic value, jigs take on a swung feel, which gives them more of a subtle dotted eighth note rhythm. These are also called common or double jigs.
Listening Example:
Hornpipes, 4/4
Because hornpipes are meant to be slower than reels, I used to think that they were felt in 4, rather than 2. Again, this is not the case. The difference between the two tune types lies not in the basic meter, but in the individual notes, intervals, and intricate rhythms. You could get away with playing straight eighth notes in a reel, but hornpipes should be played with a dotted eighth note rhythm. Most of the time, they are not notated as such in sheet music, so this is an important thing to remember! They have a bouncy, swung feel that lends to their slower tempo. A common bowing for hornpipes is the "3-3-2 pattern", where you'd slur two groups of three notes followed by two separately bowed notes. Triplet patterns are usually bowed separately, but you could use a combination of separate and slurred depending on your stylistic preference. Cross bowing is also common in these tunes. Lastly, hornpipes often contain large interval leaps (difficult to hit on fast paced reels) as well as arpeggios (sorry fiddlers, you can't get out of practicing those just because this isn't classical music)!
Listening example: One of the many amazing videos from Fergal Scahill's Tune A Day series. Tune starts around 1:03!
Flings, 4/4
I didn't hear of these until moving to Cork for a year -- flings are not as common in the Republic and certainly not in any Irish American session I've come across. They are perhaps played more in northern Ireland and are similar to highlands and hornpipes. They're played in cut time and have a prevalent dotted rhythm throughout. I suspect that the difference between flings and hornpipes comes down to the notes themselves: based on the flings I know, there are fewer triplets, arpeggios and leaps.
Listening Examples: (1) We Banjo 3 in early days. (2) Shannon Heaton has a wonderful podcast called Irish Music Stories if you want more great educational info on the culture behind Irish traditional music!
Slides, 12/8
Another tune type associated with the Sliabh Luachra area, slides are our first quadruple meter tune type. They are felt in 4, and often played faster than 6/8 jigs. The accent falls on beats 1 and 3, again to move the tune forward. It's a good thing they're felt in 4 because I think you'd go crazy trying to subdivide the beats at such a fast pace (ONE-two-three, FOUR-five-six, SEVEN-eight-nine, TEN-eleven-twelve)! To count these in your head, simply break it down to (ONE-TWO-THREE-FOUR). Slides are also known as single jigs, which seems backwards to me. You'd think that 3/8 tunes would be the single jig -- at least I've always considered them as such.
Listening Example: Slides start around 0:53
Marches, can be 4/4, 6/8 or 12/8
It's harder to tell if you're listening to a march if you're basing your decision off of meter. This is because they can be in 4/4, 12/8 and sometimes even 6/8 or 9/8! For the most part, however they are in quadruple meter with 4 beats to a bar. You would subdivide in 2 (ONE-and, TWO-and...) for 4/4, and in 3 (ONE-and-a, TWO-and-a...) for 12/8, 6/8, and 9/8. Instead, listen for how the tune is played. Does it sound stately? Unhurried? Steady? You're likely dealing with a march.
Listening Examples: (1) A March in 4/4 (2) A March in 6/8
Highlands, 4/4
Another hornpipe-like duple meter tune, highlands are typically played in Counties Donegal and Tyrone. They use a technique called the Scottish snap (16th note leading into an 8th note), which is pretty much a dotted eighth note pattern played backwards. The tunes are swung, and achieve this sound through the use of both the snap and the dotted eighth rhythm interchangeably. Highlands are very like the Scottish Strathspey -- in fact, I will call the same tune a highland or a strathspey depending on which country I'm talking about!
Set Dances, 6/8 or 4/4
Set dances are slower tunes and are usually written for a specific dance. Because of this, you'll often see them performed along with a step or Sean-nós dancer rather than instrumental pieces of their own. They are similar to hornpipes or jigs with their dotted rhythms but may have more than the usual eight bars per part. They are in duple meter, but like marches can be subdivided into 2 (4/4) or 3 (6/8).
Listening Example: A well-known set-dance called The Blackbird with some beautiful dancing from Céline Tubridy!
Barn Dances, 4/4
This particular type of tune is harder to find a definition for. In my experience, barn dances are hornpipes played on the off-beat (one-TWO, three-FOUR). The dotted rhythms are the same, but the stress is what distinguishes this tune type from others like it. The name indicates that they would be played at community dances, such as the Irish ceili, but perhaps these tunes are more international with roots in American old-time and country dances where an off-beat emphasis is more prevalent.
Listening Examples: Listen for the emphasis on the back of the beat in these barn dances!
Triple Meter Tunes
Examples of triple meter tunes include 3/4, 9/8 and 3/8 time. They are felt in three, but may not necessarily emphasize all three strong beats.
Waltzes, 3/4
This is a very familiar dance tune type, and is common in many folk traditions. While it does contain three strong beats, the emphasis or stress appears only on beat 1 (ONE-two-three). Irish waltzes are typically played at a brisk tempo, and play an identical role in Irish ceilis and American contradances. After a few group sets are danced, a waltz is played to give people a chance to relax or for couples to show off their moves! Waltzes can often be songs (vocal melodies), too.
Listening Example: Caitlín Nic Gabhann wrote this beautiful waltz, Sunday's Well -- one of my favorites to play!
Mazurkas, 3/4
This is another tune type you won't hear as often. Mazurkas originated in Poland as a couples dance, but gradually spread across Europe. They are similar to a waltz, but the stress is on beat 2 instead of beat 1 (one-TWO-three, one-TWO-three).
Listening Example: Tune starts at 0:44!
Hop Jigs, 3/8 or 9/8
There is some controversy about whether hop jigs are in 3/8 or in 9/8. I've seen them notated primarily in 9/8. Regardless, you would count hop jigs in a quick 3 (ONE-two-three, ONE-two-three). If you listen closely you can hear a rapid subdivision that would fit a 9/8 measure. However in terms of phrasing, I think they make more sense in 3/8 with four bars to a part repeated rather than eight. This is one I'm curious to learn more about!
Listening Example: Let me know if you hear these tunes more in 3/8 or in 9/8!
Slip Jigs 9/8
Slip jigs and double jigs (6/8) sound very similar in terms of rhythm note value, so the key here is to listen for the phrasing and the meter. Can you hear 2 stressed beats or 3? Essentially it’s the triple meter version of our duple meter jig. If you're hearing an extra beat, you're likely dealing with a slip jig.
Listening Example: Some beautiful tunes from Chicago fiddler, Katie Grennan! This is a great pace for listening for that extra beat.
Other Tunes:
Slow Air, any time signature but typically 3/4 or 4/4
These tunes mimic the Sean-nós style singing in Irish traditional music. Sean-nós means "old style" and is meant to be rhythmically free, solo singing. An instrumental slow air is very difficult to play properly -- there is a beauty in its expression that does not contain any emotion or sentiment from the performer. The performer is the story teller and acts more as a medium for the notes to pass through. They are telling old stories while keeping their personal input to a minimum. Notes are shaped to sound akin to the words of the song or story that is being shared.
Listening Example: Absolutely gorgeous story telling from Tara Connaghan going on in this recording!
Air, same time sigs as a slow air
Unlike their slow versions, regular airs have a steady beat. These tunes are listening pieces, meaning they weren't written to be danced to. Many Turlough O’Carolan tunes, like his Planxtys, would fall under this category. They are instrumental-only tunes.
Listening Example: You can clearly hear a pulse in the first tune here -- this sets up the rest of the set (reels) nicely!
7/8 Tunes
These are not hard to distinguish. While there are many irregular meters in the music world, 7/8 tunes are really the main ones I've heard (although John Doyle has written one in 11/8 if I recall correctly). Because the meter is uneven and doesn't use a steady, consistent pulse, it takes a lot of rhythmic skill to play one of these tunes in time -- and still more skill to be able to tap your foot in time with the beat. 7/8 tunes are perhaps a more contemporary and innovative style of traditional Irish music -- still using the same AABB format, but moving away from the even beat that your ear expects to hear in this style.
Listening Example: I'd be remiss to not include Liz Carroll here! She has written several fun 7/8 tunes -- enjoy!
