MacDara Ó Raghallaigh

Jig and reel are two of the most common dance-tune types in the Irish and Scottish traditional music repertoire. They are instrumental forms played for social dancing and session music, and they are defined primarily by their rhythms and phrase structures rather than by lyrics. Reels are in duple time (commonly notated in 4/4), with continuous streams of quavers/eighth notes and a strong, driving forward motion. Jigs are in compound time (most commonly 6/8 for single/double jigs and 9/8 for slip jigs), creating a lilting, bouncing feel. Typical tune forms are two strains of eight bars each (AABB), repeated and often strung into medleys. The core timbre is led by melody instruments such as fiddle, flute, tin whistle, uilleann pipes, accordion, and concertina, with accompaniment from guitar and bouzouki, and percussion from bodhrán. While rooted in the British Isles, jig and reel tunes have spread globally through diasporas and folk revivals, shaping the aesthetics of many fiddle traditions.