Skill 5: Tune Rhythm Identification

Skill Five: Tune Rhythm Identification

Identifying a tune as a march, reel, jig, or other type solely by ear within two to three phrases is another developmental skill bodhrán players need to develop. One of several simple methods of developing this skill is using mnemonic devices that mimic the rhythmic pulse and phrasing of each time signature as it manifests in properly executed Irish music. Matching your rhythmic mnemonic device to the existing tune rhythm can immediately reveal the accuracy of your guess or suspicion.

I’ve chosen my mnemonic devices based on their rhythmic accuracy of Irish pulse or drive & lift. This is not an exclusive list by any means, but these certainly capture the agogic rhythmic element accurately.

Reel: agitated alligator, agitated alligator; or watermelon watermelon, watermelon watermelon

Double Jig: rashers and sausages, rashers and sausages; pineapple apricot, pineapple apricot, blueberry - blueberry

Single Jig: sing Pop Goes the Weasel, “de dah, de dah, de da da da dah, de dah, da dah, da daah da; de dah, de dah, de da da da dah, dah, dah, de dah, dah. (Zina Lee)

Slip Jig: “Give the musician a beer - give the musician a beer.” (Kevin Burke)

Hornpipes: HUMPty DUMPty, HUMPty DUMPty (?) (Joe Fidkid [alias?])

Works Cited

Breathnach, Breandán. Folk Music and Dances of Ireland. Ossian in Association with Mercier Press, 1996.
Burke, Kevin. Concert, Laurel Theater, Knoxville, Tennessee, May 2, 2003.
“Fidkid,” Joe. “Rhythmic Mnemonics.” The Session. January 25th, 2006, 11:02 a.m. https://thesession.org/discussions/9012#comment191875.
Lee, Zina. “Rhythmic Mnemonics.” The Session. January 25th, 2006, 2:37 p.m. https://thesession.org/discussions/9012#comment191875.
Vallely, Fintan. The Companion to Irish Traditional Music. Cork University Press, 2011.