The Rocky Balalaika

[Roy]

Hey, Heres a little jig i composed. Its a bit different. Please fill in the poll and or leave a comment with your thoughts. Thanks. Roy.

[Alek]

Very interesting. I don't expect I'll see too many 5/8 jigs in my life, but this one works.

[Roy]

Thanks Alek, Yes it is unusual. I actually composed the tune while playing northumbrian smallpipes. Hence the time signature causing the pointed effect. I thought I would arrange it to work on highland pipes; my immediate thoughts would be to change it to 6/8 time and play it round on highland pipes, So i wrote out the music, but in my opinion it lost the tunes effect and nice rythmic flow, so i thought I would do somthing different and leave it in 5/8 timing. Probably too away from the standard for most peoples liking, but If your looking for a easy flowing tune that is just a little bit different, then it works quite well. Thanks. Roy.

[Elias]

Great 5/8 Jig. Id like to see other songs like this.

[Roy]

Thanks Elias! It seems to be a tune that you either really like, or really dont! I dont think ull find 2 many other jigs in 5/8 time. Well i guess it is more of a dance than a jig as it doesnt have true jig rythym. I dont think ill compose anything more like this, but it was something different to try out and see peoples opinions on. Thanks.

[Lexxicos]

Could you possibly post it in jpeg or gif format? It sounds amazing.

Much obliged.

[Roy]

Hi Lexxicos, I have just posted a JPG file of the tune. Please let me know if you get it and what you think. Thanks. Roy.

[david n. siegel]

Any 5/8 dance tradition? This is a big area of ignorance for me. I could swear that some jigs I have heard on uilleann pipes--written in 6/8--are closer to 5/8.

Be tough for a lot of Highland pipers not to dot that first 8th in the group.

Is this time common, or at least not unusual, in the Northumbrian pipe world?

I like the piece...
-David.

[Roy]

Thanks David. 5/8 time does come up a little bit in northumbrian and uilleann pipe world! but no, it is not common. The tendency is write the tune with a dotted quaver and a semiquaver to balance it out and write it in 6/8 time. However I totally agree with you, that when you listen to both northumbrian and uilleann pipers, and when i play both instruments myself I naturally dont play the dotted quaver to its full value length. So when I wrote this tune (and one or 2 others) I decided to write it in 5/8 time and actually play it musically correct! I think on Northumbrian pipes the cause of doing this is, is becuase of the closed fingering system (only lifing one finger at once and the bottom of the chanter is closed off) This gives the music a sort of jumpy rythym and to keep the rythym flowing it seems that you natural end up playing in 5/8. I think the cause on uilleann pipes is much the same. Jumping between the octaves your fingers get a little excited sometimes and naturally get into the 5/8 time aswell. But that may just be me becuase im not the greatest of uilleann pipers yet! But to answer your question, no 5/8 is not what i would call common in any bagpipe world! and I play quite a few pipes. Cheers Roy.