The
jig (sometimes seen in its
French language or
Italian language forms
gigue or
giga) is a
folk dance type as well as the accompanying
dance tune type, popular in
Ireland and
Scotland, and particularly associated with the former. It is a popular tune-type within
the Irish dance music tradition, second only to the
reel. It is transcribed in a time which is a multiple of three, 12/8 time for a 'single jig' or 'slide', 6/8 time for a 'double jig', and 9/8 time for a 'slip jig'.
The most common structure is two 8-bar parts, each of which is repeated (AABB). There are a number of tunes with three or more parts, and some in which the length of one or more parts varies from 8 bars. As with most other types of dance tunes in Irish music, at a session or a dance it is common for two or more jigs to be strung together, flowing on without interruption.
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