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DOUBLE JIGS
There are three types of jigs in Irish music the most common type being the ‘double jig’. The double jig is in 6/8 time with two strong accents in the bar. The second type is the slip jig, which is in 9/8 time with three strong accents in the bar. Slip jigs and double jigs might be played in the same set of tunes because, though they are different (three accents instead of two), they are played at a similar tempo and have a similar feel. The third type is the ‘single jig’ -more commonly called the ‘slide’- and it is in 12/8. The slide has a very different feel with four accents over the twelve beats: it has a great swing and is played quite fast. Slides are mainly associated with the Sliabh Luachra area on the Cork/Kerry border.
The Eavesdropper Key of G, Standard tuning
It is important to accent beats 1 and 4 - the beats that you would clap or tap your foot on - in 6/8 time. For some players this would mean one strong down stroke and one strong up stroke. I prefer to play it as two groups of three by playing a double down stroke between beats 3 and 4. If we break the first eight bars down into four two-bar phrases you will notice that there is only one chord in the first and third phrase; the rhythm is slightly different here because of this, with stronger stresses on beats 1-3, and 4-6, creating a jig version of the boom-chick style heard in the reel. This also creates a less busy feel. The rhythm changes slightly as the harmonic rate of change increases, because beats 2 and 5 are heard more clearly, but the boom-chick idea continues. |
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The Eavesdropper Dropped D Tuning
The Dropped D version has a similar harmonic pattern to that learned in the standard tuning version with two chord differences: the Em7th is omitted throughout and is replaced in the penultimate bar by Am7th. The D7 chord in bar eight is the same basic shape as the C moved up two frets. I use this because it’s the easiest one to get to from C and it’s nice to hear the slide. Try to hit the bass D when sliding up.
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The Eavesdropper with Substitutions
The A7th chord adds a subtle chromatic flavor to the tune; A minor (not A major) is the second chord in the key of G major. The penultimate (D) chord of the first part gives the tune an impetus because it happens on beat 6 of bar seven instead of beat 1 of bar eight. In the second part the D chord that the first four-bar phrase comes to rest on is delayed until beat 3. Notice the last four bass notes are C, A, D, G (or fah, re, soh, doh): this is a typical cadence (close of a musical phrase) where chords II and IV are often interchangeable and then lead to chords V, I. The bass line seems to come out well in this example.
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