Limerick Fiddle Workshop

1) Air: Often doesn't have a regular rhythm, song like, if it does have a regular rhythm it will not be at a danceable pace or have a lively feel at all..

2) March: Definitely has a regular rhythm but is not played as a dance. Some tunes can be played to dance to OR to March. So make your judgement on how the tune is played by the examiner on the day. If you have ruled out an air and it is not really danceable its probably as march, especially if you can imagine marching along to it.

3) Polka: Polka's are definitely dance tunes, lively feel and have a definite 1, 2, 1, 2 rhythm

4) Double Jig: 3 time! Made up almost entirely of 2 groups of 3 notes ( time signature 6/8 - or 6 quavers per bar) so you can say 'rashers and sausages' along to it.

5) Single Jig: Also 3 time but has a mixture of 'rashers and sausages' and 'humpty - humpty' type rhythm. OK 'rashers and sauages' = 2 groups of 3 equal legnth notes whereas 'humpty - humpty' - instead of 3 equal legnth notes, two are doubled up so you get a long note and a short note in the same time as 3. Beware, slip jigs and slides often contain both! So you are looking for 2 groups of 3 notes generally

6) Slip Jig: 3 time again = 3 groups of 3 notes (time signature 9/8 or 9 quavers per bar). Can contain some 'humpty' rhythms but mostly 'rashers and sausages, sausages'. Luckily for you - you don't need to know this yet!

7) Slide. Another type of jig a slide is 3 time but this time it has 4 groups of 3 notes (time signature 12/8 or 12 quavers per bar).