Thanks for posting I came across a bunch of old banjo books from the 70's that had couple old books of irish jigs but it didnt explain much on right hand techniques.

Here’s two more jigs I’ve arranged (The Reverend Brother’s and Sean Ryan’s):

To riff off of Stephan's line...I love playing jigs and slip jigs (9/8)...I use several approaches... some I fingerpick...Snowy Path being my most recent addition... where I work to play the melody line straight up...some I fingerpick rolling over the chords... some I "pile drive"...like "Calliope House"...where I downstroke hard on the 1 & 4...and some I "wham"... turning my right hand loose to do up and down strokes... the last I learned/discovered on our trip to Ireland and Scotland in '16... doing every tune out of open G tuning... regardless of key...as a typical Celtic "set" is 3 tunes...changing key with each new tune.... sometimes time signatures too...no time to change tuning or banjos

To riff off of Stephan's line...I love playing jigs and slip jigs (9/8)...I use several approaches... some I fingerpick...Snowy Path being my most recent addition... where I work to play the melody line straight up...some I fingerpick rolling over the chords... some I "pile drive"...like "Calliope House"...where I downstroke hard on the 1 & 4...and some I "wham"... turning my right hand loose to do up and down strokes... the last I learned/discovered on our trip to Ireland and Scotland in '16... doing every tune out of open G tuning... regardless of key...as a typical Celtic "set" is 3 tunes...changing key with each new tune.... sometimes time signatures too...no time to change tuning or banjos

Here's a great example of how to do it.
https://www.banjohangout.org/topic/356554

Just to let everyone know I recently finished an Irish CD entitled "Shamrock Clawhammer." It contains 18 tunes with 11 of those being jigs that I've arranged.
 

For physical copies, they are $17 postage paid. Email me here for more info: n_cline1@aol.com

For the digital version, it can be downloaded from one of the following sites or wherever digital music is sold: 

CD Baby: http://store.cdbaby.com/cd/noahcline2

iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/shamrock-clawhammer/1486096977

It can also be streamed via Spotify, and listened to directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ln5QQE3Y3TmiPlK8dSSwLKI3bCftNbWOY
 

Thanks, guys, and I hope you all enjoy it!

quote:

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Originally posted by Noah Cline

Just to let everyone know I recently finished an Irish CD entitled "Shamrock Clawhammer." It contains 18 tunes with 11 of those being jigs that I've arranged.
 

For physical copies, they are $17 postage paid. Email me here for more info: n_cline1@aol.com

For the digital version, it can be downloaded from one of the following sites or wherever digital music is sold: 

CD Baby: http://store.cdbaby.com/cd/noahcline2

iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/shamrock-clawhammer/1486096977

It can also be streamed via Spotify, and listened to directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ln5QQE3Y3TmiPlK8dSSwLKI3bCftNbWOY
 

Thanks, guys, and I hope you all enjoy it!

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Sounds awesome - as expected!

quote:

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Originally posted by Laurence Diehl

quote:

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Originally posted by Noah Cline

Just to let everyone know I recently finished an Irish CD entitled "Shamrock Clawhammer." It contains 18 tunes with 11 of those being jigs that I've arranged.
 

For physical copies, they are $17 postage paid. Email me here for more info: n_cline1@aol.com

For the digital version, it can be downloaded from one of the following sites or wherever digital music is sold: 

CD Baby: http://store.cdbaby.com/cd/noahcline2

iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/shamrock-clawhammer/1486096977

It can also be streamed via Spotify, and listened to directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ln5QQE3Y3TmiPlK8dSSwLKI3bCftNbWOY
 

Thanks, guys, and I hope you all enjoy it!

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Sounds awesome - as expected!

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Thank you, Laurence!

Great video

One of the earliest-arranged jigs for 5-string banjo: St. Patrick's Day. My first experience with playing this tune was based on Frank B. Converse's arrangement from his "Green" 1865 banjo method. This arrangement is how I've been playing it lately in a bit of a modern clawhammer sense. 

I play "Haste to the Wedding" clawhammer style. Video attached. I also teach this on my Truefire Channel along with tons of other tunes. truefire.com/h1799

I tried to attach the video, but failed.... It's here 

https://youtu.be/2GK8yG9GKVk

quote:

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Originally posted by Cathy Fink

I play "Haste to the Wedding" clawhammer style. Video attached. I also teach this on my Truefire Channel along with tons of other tunes. truefire.com/h1799

I tried to attach the video, but failed.... It's here 

https://youtu.be/2GK8yG9GKVk

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Thanks for contributing, Cathy!

My arrangement of The Lark in the Morning. 

Hey Noah - seeing your recent posts inspired me to work on a jig I abandoned last year, and finally got it at least well enough to share among friends.

This is Marcus Martin's Jig, from Jason Cade and his band Hog-eyed Man.

I like the idea of finding and learning traditional American jigs, and this a rare - but lovely - example. All it needs is a second part.

Sounds great, Stefan, and an interesting jig, too. Wouldn't mind learning some American jigs. Started researching a couple awhile back and then life got in the way. 
 

Thanks for that, @Noah. I'm from Ireland but I've always avoided jigs and even make a point of it by calling my YouTube channel "nojigs".
I'm not saying that I'm too hot on reels either, but I'll give this a go. So many of my favourite tunes are jigs.
I'll probably get back to you with a few questions, if you don't mind.

Dan Walsh from U.K. is pretty good at jigs too.

youtu.be/6JdIwjtTwTM

I usually play bluegrass and fiddle tunes using 3 finger picking methods. For barn dances I play clawhammer until we play a jig medley. I have learned my jigs, at least 20 or so using 3 finger picking methods. The medleys do not always conform to the same key. So, I have learned all of them out of open G tuning.

For myself, in the absence of barn dances lately, it is easy to forget to play the jigs. I have put the jigs I play on a set list through which I cycle at least once a week.

Sometimes my fiddle buddy and I take 4/4 or 2/4 fiddle tunes (Shenandoah Breakdown, Red Hair'd Boy/Little Beggarmen, Salt Creek...) and play them as jigs....he is better at it than I....but it is fun to do.

quote:

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Originally posted by Noah Cline

One of the earliest-arranged jigs for 5-string banjo: St. Patrick's Day. My first experience with playing this tune was based on Frank B. Converse's arrangement from his "Green" 1865 banjo method. This arrangement is how I've been playing it lately in a bit of a modern clawhammer sense. 

 

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Nice!!!

I know this as St. Patrick's Day in the Morning and play it with Gary Owen, both in the key of D. I play out of G tuning gDGBD and I use three finger picking instead of Clawhammer.

Beautiful Tune, thank you. 

Noah, I’ve been away from BHO...for quite some time.....so I just came across your great tutorial....

Thanks very much, Rick

Jigs slips and slides are complex time right, 6/8 9/8 and 12/8.  It comes down to counting and I must use an odd tack to express it. 

I started digging around popular banjo tutors from the late 1800's.

Something happens as the pop music evolves into the forms that we are more familiar with developing into the jazz age.

"Plectrum" styles developed out of the complex alternate picking of the "classic" style. This is transformative for the banjo, opening the popular genre of the times to the instrument. Jazz syncopation for dance and a volume and clarity for solo's off the bandstand.

Plectrum is rudimentarily up and down, this style is still very much alive for trad/celtic on the tenor.

I was very surprised that no one on the thread has said anything about counting.

jigs are,... 1 2 3 4 5 6. NOT 123 123, or pairs of triples. Hello,... The problem is the "time", its a jig and NOT a rock shuffle.

Plectrum gives us up and down,... 123456 or Dn Up Dn Up Dn Up,.. or V^ V^ V^

Counting is 1 2 3 4 5 6, each counted, or,... 1 x x 4 x x at speed. assuming an emphasis on the 1/4, leads to an inappropriate feel if you don't take the time to "develop".

Notice that the 1 is Down and the 4 is Up.

The alteration of up and down can be a real bugaboo depending upon where the tune is going, which creates confusion.

This gets worse when you mix apples and oranges crossing genres and popular styles. Confusion for the player, and the listener.


1 2 3 4 5 6.

Hi Noah and all,
Recently came across your videos and love what you are doing.

I think we have been on similar paths with our dedication to jig playing, using aDADe to switch keys.

Just wanted to share my progress of what has been a great obsession over the years, to best perform 6/8 time in clawhammer style, without compromising the groove or making the tune sound too 'sticky' or 'clunky' by replicating exactly what the fiddler would do or, even, how I would play on tenor banjo.

Not sure how you folks feel but, although a few of us have uncovered the trick to switching keys, I still love settling into the heart of one tune (particularly Aminor jigs like the Slieve Russell or Mist-Covered Mountain).

Keep up the great work.

PS currently working on an album consisting mainly of Irish tunes (I'm from Dublin, Ireland btw) which will feature me on 5-string and my wife Ais on fiddle. I might sneakily post my banjo tracks here first!

Its not just a matter of keeping 6/8 time. There are at least 3-4 different jig regional styles with different rythymic inflections: English style such as Morris dance and its cognate New England contradance which has that skippity hoppity sound, Scottish , influenced by pipe marches and Irish which has a much more syncopated and angular approach to a tune all of which respond to different dance traditions. In Irish and Scottish traditions the 6/8 time is broken up by triplets, trills, rolls and craans. The Irish also have stately single or hop jigs in Cork & Kerry known as slides with 4 note phrases played very fast very much likectge Medieval estampie double jigs like Morrison’s that Noah played and slip jigs in 9/8. French Canadian jigs show Scottish and Breton an dro repertoire influences. Metis native american scottish influenced fiddling has asymmetric jig with extra beats. The name jig is has been applied to tunes not in 6/8. I play Le Grand Gigue du Pere Richard, which is a Quebecoi reel. Here are irish and Cape Breton and Metis jigs.
youtu.be/tuXMz5GOgjc
youtu.be/A5KSIi4S97c
youtu.be/f5lpT4SUiPA

I think it was Andy who wrote..."Notice that the 1 is Down and the 4 is Up." 'taint necessarily so my friend...tho you may find this to be true with a 4 string... I play some...not all...jigs with a "pile-driving" down stroke on 1 and 4...on a 5 string. I recall telling a friend that I liked to pile drive some jigs and he looked at me incredulously and said, "how do you pile drive a jig?" By pile driving the one and the four....trying out different times is fun...I encourage it...and I suggest that one not be boxed in by pre-conceived notions about the "right" way to do things. Just a couple days ago I listened to The Rocky Road to Dublin...and to my ears that tune is in 5/4...first Iroid tune I have found in that time...tangent...reminds me of listening to Dave Brubeck's Time Further Out...he had a tune in 7/4 on there...then there are all those fabulous eastern european tunes in wild times like 11/4 or sumtim...they are great fun...

quote:

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Originally posted by slc

It shows my continuing ignorance (or, "learning process") about things musical - I had no idea that a "quadrille" was a jig! I assume the quadrille is the dance and jigs were normally played for them?
 

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Stefan, you were right in your original assumption. A quadrille is the dance form consisting of five parts. each part has a title in French: Le Pantalon, L'ete, La Poule, La Pastourelle (sometimes Le Trenise) and Finale. The quadrille structure is that Le Pantalon and Le Poule are usually always jigs (6/8 time). The other three parts are always played in 2/4 time.

The quadrille format dates back to late 18th century France and became hugely popular across Europe in the 19th century. It is basically a square dance. A set of five popular tunes of the required time signatures make up the set.

I have the printed sheet music for a Banjo Quadrille dating from the 1840's comprising a set of popular minstrel tunes of which all five parts are in 2/4 time. No 6/8 jigs are included. The combination of tunes in order are Lucy Long & Old Dan Tucker (Le Pantalon), Sambo's Address To Him Bredren (L'Ete), Dandy Jim Ob Caroline & Walk Along, John (La Poule), Old Tare River & Going Ober De Mountain (La Pastourelle or Le Trenise), Dance, Boatman, Dance (Finale).

Hope this clears up the confusion that quadrille means the same as jig.