Tune example: Jigs
Jigs
Tunes in 6/8 time (or sometimes historically notated as 6/4). There are also some types of jig in 12/8 or 9/8 (see the slip jigs section below).
The term ‘jig’ may derive from an old French word, ‘giguer’, which translates as ‘to leap’ or ‘to gambol’, or the word ‘giga’ which meant ‘old dance’ in Old English and ‘to jump’ in Italian. ‘Jig’ is also sometimes also used as a general term for a dance, particularly a solo dance in morris, and in Shakespeare’s time was the name for the dance performed at the end of a play.
Jigs have a jaunty feel as they have a compound time signature, meaning that the pulse is divided into groups of threes. This rhythm makes people want to skip, which is the step often used at ceilidhs. Jigs come in a variety of styles and can be played at different speeds.
Used for dances such as:
- The ceilidh dance Circassian Circle
- The morris dance Constant Billy
- Most rapper sword dances are performed to jigs.
Some examples of common jigs:
- Blaydon Races
- Morgan Rattler
- Roman Wall
You can find an audio recording of a set of jigs below, arranged and performed on concertina by Rob Harbron, which includes The Queen's Jig, as shown above.
Media
Audio:
