Tutorial • 3 • Get Jigging
A Double Jig has a 6/8 rhythm, or put another way, 6 beats to a bar, or count 1-2-3-4-5-6, 1-2-3-4-5-6, 1-2-3-4-5-6, etc or diddaly, daddaly, diddaly, diddaly (count the syllables).
Morrison's Jig
See and print the full version of Morrison's Jig [PDF].
This was the first jig I learnt, way back in the early seventies. I bought an album by Breton Harpist Alan Stivell and worked it out on my flute. For that I thank him very much! I still never tire of hearing or playing it! It has an easy lilt, and sounds good played slowly. The way the tune is written down can really only be described as 'the bare bones', and is meant only to help you learn it, assuming you don't know it already.
Using one of the suggested methods (or one of your own) work your way along the dots with your finger and get the rhythm going in your head, or even better, do it our loud. Don't try and work the tune out, just la-la-la or whatever the groups of six notes, and try to keep going to the end.
Tune Structure
A quick note about tune structure needs to be made here. Most Irish tunes, and this one is a good example, are made up as follows:It has two parts - we'll call them 'A' and 'B'. The tune starts by playing part 'A'. That is, up to the two dots at the heavy line on the music. They mean repeat the bit before, so, play 'A' again. That's the first half of the tune. Part 'B' begins after the dots and continues right to the end. There are no dots so it is not repeated.
Now you've played the tune - once! When you've more or less got the gist of how the rhythm and structure goes, point your whistle at it and give it a go. We'll dispense with the numbers over the notes, I hope you've moved on from there!
The Ornaments Go...Where?
Where can you put the ornaments? There are no hard and fast rules here, but some phrases lend themselves more than others. For example, you could, and I sometimes do, begin the tune with a roll. An E roll and it replaces the first three notes shown (5,6,5). The fact that you are replacing three notes with the five in the roll should tell you that some squeezing is going to have to take place to retain the timing. The two added grace notes happen so quickly that they don't really have any time value at all in practice.
Generally, the tune will be played twice, and maybe three time over. There are variations to the 'A' and 'B' bit, but it doesn't concern us here, so we won't confuse the issue. Continuing with our keeping the process simple style, in part 'A' put an 'E' roll instead of:
A - The first three notes in bar 1
B - The first three notes in bar 3
C - The first three notes in bar 5
and a 'G' roll instead of:
D - the first three notes in bar 7
Part 'B' doesn't offer the same possibilities or groups of notes, but stands well on its own I think. Except maybe a 'G' roll in the upper octave in second bar, last line. What can be added is some light and shade, that is, varying volume, tone and emphasis which will happen when your breath control practice kicks in, that's what you've been doing it for!
Sliding a Note
Sliding a note is where you roll your finger off the hole rather than just lift it. This is usually used on the way up the notes, but can be done descending, particularly when playing slow Airs. The effect should be a gradual sliding change from one not to the next, and will stand out quite well amongst crisper played notes and add quite a bit of colour to the tune.
This is a good time as any to think about the sort of player you are likely to be. I think there are two main categories - the social player who seeks out the company of other musicians and enjoys public performance and pub sessions, or might you be a private person, happy with being a closet player, not having any great desire to show off in front of anybody. Either way, or a mixture of both, setting a good time loose on a critical ear, yours or others', will make it all worthwhile, you will know what I mean when it happens.
Which Tunes to Learn?
If you want to play in sessions, then it obviously pays to learn those most commonly played or you will be playing on your own or not at all, depending on your confidence.
You've probably got a good bit to be getting on with, for now anyway. In a while there could be another booklet about reels, hornpipes etc., but I hope that from here, you will be armed with the tools to discover for yourself. The object here was never more than give the confidence needed at the very beginning. A genesis booklet.
Good luck.
Download this complete tutorial as a printable PDF.
