The Boyd School of Irish Dancing, Swindon - Information

Contents Quick Links -

	Background information on musical notations
	Time Signatures
	Tempo
	The Dances - Information on each type of dance
	Instruments
	Current Styles and CD's to dance to
	More Information

Background - Music Notation

As music developed it was necessary to find a way of writing down and sharing the music. There are two key elements to any note in music; how high or low the sound should be - the pitch; and how long it should sound for - the length.

The modern system for writing or 'notating' music is based upon a chart with five lines called a stave.

How high or low on the lines the note is written determine the pitch, the shape of the note determines the length.

WHOLE NOTE HALF NOTE QUARTER NOTE EIGHTH NOTE

(semi brieve) (minim) (crotchet) (quaver)

While the pitch and length give each individual note its character, the overall character or rhythm of the music is given by the time signature and speed or tempo. These are what distinguishes different types of music in Irish Dancing.

Time Signatures

The stave is divided into a number of bars which contain a number of beats. The time signature tells how many beats there are in each bar and what length each of those beats are.

A bar is shown in music by a vertical line dividing up the notes into chunks. Most Steps in Irish Dancing consist of 8 bars of music per foot.

The time signature is written as two numbers, one above the other.

For simple time signatures the top number gives the number of beats in a bar, the bottom number gives the length of each beat. For example for 4/4 - there are four beats and each beat is a quarter note (crotchet). This does not necessarily mean there are four individual notes, but that the value of all the notes add up to 4 quarter notes (i.e. one whole note). It could be one whole note, which lasts 4 beats, 2 half notes, 4 quarter notes etc. etc.

Another simple time signature, not really used in Irish Dance music is 3/4 time, this is the time signature of a waltz and consists of three quarter beats per bar.

When listening to music you can often hear the bars as there is an emphasis on the first beat of each bar.

Very common in Irish Music are time signatures with an '8' on the bottom, these are called compound time signatures and are made up of eighth notes (quavers), but they are counted in groups of three eighth notes (these are called 'dotted crotchets' or 'dotted notes'). The upper number is usually 6,9 or 12 so to find the number of beats in the bar divide it by three (e.g. 6 ÷ 3 = 2 : two beats, each made up of three quarter notes).

Tempo

The tempo is how fast the music is played and is notated as a number of beats per minute. However it is a convention in Irish dance music that only the significant beats are counted for reel and hornpipe, that is the first and thrid beat so that if you were to calculate the speed for each beat of the bar it would seem twice as fast as the speed it would be labeled, i.e. a reel with 224 beats per bar, counting every beat, would generally be labeled 112bpm as only the first and third beats would be counted halving the speed written.

The speed varies by dance but also by level of the dancer. Beginners dances are usually faster than advanced dancers - this is because the slower the music the more steps are needed and the higher the possible complexity. With set dances dancers generally have a choice of what speed they would like it played at.

The Dances

The following tables give more information about some of the music used for the major solo dances.

REEL
Time Signature and character:
	4/4 Reel is counted and written as 4 beats per bar, quarter notes as beat unit, and has a very easy pattern of rhythm to follow. The accent is on the first and third beat.
Ways of Counting the beats:	Counting all beats of the bar ONE two THREE four, ONE two THREE four or ONE two THREE four, TWO two THREE four Counting the emphasis beats ONE and TWO and, ONE and TWO and or ONE and TWO and, TWO and TWO and Counting twice as slow on the emphasis beats ONE two, ONE two
Speeds:	Beginner 112-130 Intermediate 112-118 Open 112-116
Example Tune:	Paddy Mill’s Fancy (Irish Dancer by Bradley and Mckee, track 12)

HORNPIPE
Time Signature and character:
	4/4 Hornpipe is counted and written as 4 beats per bar, quarter notes as beat unit. It follows a pattern of having a streched first and third note in each bar, as opposed to the straight rhythm in reel. If Reel is 1-and 2-and 3-and 4-and, then Hornpipe would be 1-and 2-and 3-and 4-and. It gives a swinging feeling to the music.
Ways of Counting the beats:	Counting all beats of the bar ONE and two AND THREE and four AND, ONE and two AND THREE and four AND or ONE and two AND THREE and four AND, TWO and two AND THREE and four AND
Speeds:	Beginner 128-144 Intermediate 113-130 Open 112-116
Example Tune:	Galway Bay (Sets and Solos 3 by Olive Hurley, track 3)

LIGHT JIG
Time Signature and character:
	6/8 Counted as 2 beats per bar, 3 eighth notes making up one beat. The first note in the pattern of three notes making up one beat is played stronger than the other 2 notes, so that even though there can be six eighth notes per bar, only two (first and fourth beat) are usually significant and used for counting. The light jig has a reasonably fast tempo and is lively and bouncy.
Ways of Counting the beats:	Counting all the 8th notes ONE two three FOUR five six, ONE two three FOUR five six or ONE two three FOUR five six, TWO two three FOUR five six Counting the beats but using 'and-a' for the eighth notes ONE and-a TWO and-a, ONE and-a TWO and-a or ONE and-a TWO and-a, TWO and-a TWO and-a Just counting the beats of the music ONE two, ONE two or ONE two, TWO two
Speeds:	All Levels 112 - 121
Example Tune:	An Buachaillin Dreoite (Irish Dancer by Bradley and Mckee, track 13)

HEAVY JIG (Double Jig, Treble Jig)
Time Signature and character:
	6/8 Also counted as 2 beats per bar, 3 eighth notes making up one beat. The first note in the pattern of three notes making up one beat is played stronger than the other 2 notes, so that even though there can be six eighth notes per bar, only two (first and fourth beat) are usually significant and used for counting. This is a relatively slow dance.
Ways of Counting the beats:	Counting all the 8th notes ONE two three FOUR five six, ONE two three FOUR five six or ONE two three FOUR five six, TWO two three FOUR five six Counting the beats but using 'and-a' for the eighth notes ONE and-a TWO and-a, ONE and-a TWO and-a or ONE and-a TWO and-a, TWO and-a TWO and-a Just counting the beats of the music ONE two, ONE two or ONE two, TWO two
Speeds:	Beginner 85 - 96 Intermediate 82 - 85 Open 72 - 76
Example Tune:	Planxty Irwin (Irish Dancer by Bradley and McKee, track 3)

SLIP JIG
Time Signature and character:
	9/8 9/8 is used almost exclusively for the Slip Jig. It is flowing and swinging and reminds many people of a waltz. Slip jig is counted as 3 beats per bar, 3 eighth notes making up one beat.
Ways of Counting the beats:	Counting all the eighth notes ONE two three FOUR five six SEVEN eight nine, ONE two three FOUR five six SEVEN eight nine or ONE two three FOUR five six SEVEN eight nine, TWO two three FOUR five six SEVEN eight nine Counting the beats but using 'and-a' for the eighth notes ONE and-a TWO and-a THREE and-a, ONE and-a TWO and-a, THREE and-a or ONE and-a TWO and-a, THREE and-a, TWO and-a TWO and-a, THREE and-a Just counting the beats of the music ONE two three, ONE two three or ONE two three, TWO two three
Speeds:	Beginner 112-130 Intermediate 112-124 Open 112-118
Example Tune:	The Butterfly (Sets and Solos 5 by Olive Hurley, track 3)

The Single, or Hop Jig is written in eighth notes like all the other jigs, but moves in a distinct 4 beat pattern. This has given rise to it being written in both 6/8 or 12/8 time signature.

HOP JIG (Single Jig) - 6/8
Time Signature and character:
	6/8 Again counted as 2 beats per bar, 3 eighth notes making up one beat. The first note in the pattern of three notes making up one beat is played stronger than the other 2 notes, so that even though there can be six eighth notes per bar, only two (first and fourth beat) are usually significant and used for counting.
Ways of Counting the beats:	Counting all the 8th notes ONE two three FOUR five six, ONE two three FOUR five six or ONE two three FOUR five six, TWO two three FOUR five six Counting the beats but using 'and-a' for the eighth notes ONE and-a TWO and-a, ONE and-a TWO and-a or ONE and-a TWO and-a, TWO and-a TWO and-a Just counting the beats of the music ONE two, ONE two or ONE two, TWO two
Speeds:	Beginner 112 - 124 Intermediate 112 - 122 Open 118
Example Tune:	The Miller’s Maggot (Gleanntán by Sliabh Notes, track 2). Pop Goes the Weasel is also a classic Hop Jig tune.

HOP JIG (Single Jig) - 12/8
Time Signature and character:
	12/8 It is counted as 4 beats per bar, 3 eighth notes making up one beat. As there are twice as many beats per bar as a 6/8 single jig a Step consists of 4 bars of music per foot rather than the usual 8.
Ways of Counting the beats:	Counting all the 8th notes ONE two three FOUR five six, SEVEN eight nine, TEN eleven twelve, ONE two three FOUR five six or ONE two three FOUR five six, TWO two three FOUR five six, SEVEN eight nine, TEN eleven twelve Counting the beats but using 'and-a' for the eighth notes ONE and-a TWO and-a THREE and-a FOUR and-a, ONE and-a TWO and-a THREE and-a FOUR and-a or ONE and-a TWO and-a THREE and-a FOUR and-a, TWO and-a TWO and-a THREE and-a FOUR and-a Just counting the beats of the music ONE two three four, ONE two three four or ONE two three four, TWO two three four
Speeds:	Beginner 112 - 124 Intermediate 112 - 122 Open 118
Example Tune:	Liz Kelly’s (One more time by McKomiskey, Mulvihill and McLeod, track 13)

Instruments

The instruments most frequently associated with Irish music are the Violin or fiddle and the accordion. The Irish Harp, whistle (tin and wooden) and bodhrán (a framed drum) are very traditional and alongside the piano and guitar feature in many recordings.

While not traditional, electronic keyboards are used by musicians at many feiseanna as they are very convenient.

Modern Styles and CD's to dance to

The sound of Irish Dance music varies from the very traditional beats, rhythms and instruments to some more modern performers with an element of dance or club beats to the music and more electronic elements to the sound, especially in the intro's to tunes.

These modern arrangements are often very up-beat and can be great for exhibition work and for variety when practicing, although it is sometimes harder to discern the beat to the music so can be more difficult to dance to for beginner dancers.

Whichever style of music you prefer to practice to, it is very important that the tempo is right for the dance you are doing and consistent with the music you use in class so talk to your teacher about the best music to use.

For Boyd dancers, the CD's often used by Ian are;

Getting Jiggy with It - Majella Collins & Ann Murray

A fairly traditional sound.

This CD includes the '5, 6, 7, 8' beginners reel, other beginners dances and 'Step Down the Line' as well as open versions of the dances.

Feisworld - Stephen Walker

This is a modern style CD with a lot of energy to it.

Most of the tracks are more suitable for advanced dancers.

All Around the World - Gerry Conlon & Seamus O'Sullivan

One of Ian's current favourites...

	Step into the Beat - Ellery Klein and Ryan Lacey
	This is not a CD that is used in class but it is available on iTunes and has some traditional beginners dances so if you are just starting out and use iTunes you could just buy the tracks you need.

More Information

Dance.Net	The original posting by Teashark from dance.net from which most of the information here was taken. Has a lot more detail and references to original sources
Musicians Take	A lot more detail about the style and nature of Irish Dance music from a musicians point of view. (Music section starts about a quarter of the way down the page)
BPM Counter	An online tool for working out the speed of music where you can tap along to a tune on your keyboard. (Don't forget the Irish convention for Reels and Hornpipes)
CD Sample Tracks	Antonio Pacelli's website where you can buy most CD's and can also download and listen to a sample track from a lot of the most popular CD's
Getting Jiggy With It	The Dancing in Celtic online store which sells Getting Jiggy With It CD (see above), which Antonio Pacelli's don't stock
History of Irish Dance Music	A history of Irish dance music and instruments