Celtic music has many possible definitions, but it is generally held to include the traditional music originating in the Celtic regions of Europe: Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany are the primary Celtic regions with distinctive musical traditions. In addition, certain areas of North America, such as Canada's Cape Breton Island, have such strong ties to Celtic regions that their traditional music is considered Celtic as well. Many modern renditions of Celtic music also exist, featuring such elements as electric instruments or blending with other types of international music. This genre is often known as Celtic Fusion.

What this entry is actually about, though, is the traditional (ie non-electric) dance music of Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton. Before it goes any further, though, note that to understand some of the information given in the following sections, it is helpful to have a rudimentary knowledge of music, such as what an eighth note is and what a measure or bar is. Never fear, though, frequent glosses will be given.

More About Dance Music

There are certain dances that are traditional to Celtic culture and so have a wide range of music written for them. These include the polka, jig, reel, hornpipe, strathspey and waltz. Polkas are singular to Ireland, and strathspeys are primarily found in Scotland and Cape Breton. The waltz is a later, more refined type of dance that was found more often in ballrooms, not barns; but the music for the dance is traditionally based. Quite often, especially in the modern music world, the tunes will be played independently of any dancing, as a performance item on their own. Each type of tune has a different tempo and style that goes with it. For performance or dance accompaniment, anywhere from two to around six tunes can be strung together to create a 'set' of tunes.

Polkas

Polkas have a slightly slower, lilting tempo than some of the other dances. They feature series of eighth notes, with a quarter note to finish off the eight-bar phrase. A polka, like most other Celtic music, follows an AABB pattern: the first section repeats once, and then the second section repeats once. Sometimes in performance the whole tune is played twice to make it a bit longer. When playing a polka on an instrument like a violin or a flute, groups of two eighth notes are slurred.¹

Jigs

Jigs come in three primary sorts: single jigs, double jigs, and slip jigs. Single and double jigs are usually in 6/8 time, and slip jigs are usually in 9/8 time.² Single jigs often contain more longer notes (ie quarter and dotted-quarter notes), and double jigs have straight runs of eighth notes. Like polkas, jigs also have eight-bar phrases. Unlike the polkas, though, jigs will often include pickup notes, one or two eighth notes before the first measure that lead into the song. Most jigs follow the AABB pattern, but some have an AABBAA pattern, meaning you play the first section twice, then the second section twice, then you go back and play the first section again. This break with the traditional form has been known to confuse certain amateur Celtic musicians considerably, so if you plan on springing an AABBAA jig on someone, make sure the person has had some experience with Celtic music first.

Reels

Reels are famous in the Celtic music world for being much faster than any other dance. In fact, the time they are played at can often be double that of a polka. Reels are always in 4/4 time and the rhythm consists of series of eighth notes. Like other Celtic musical forms, reels have eight-measure phrases, and tend to follow an AABB format, though the AABBAA pattern has also been known to occur occasionally. If you want to distinguish yourself as a Celtic musician and wow non-musicians, the best thing you could play is a reel as fast as you can possibly manage it without completely messing up. If you want to amaze fellow Celtic musicians, though, it helps to be very good at the particular reel you're playing as well. The late Johnny Cunningham, a renowned Scottish fiddler, was renowned for the lively speed at which he played his reels.

Hornpipes