Video #2 in Technique Video Group 3 provides backup for this article and gives you a nice excuse to practice these jig techniques so you can incorporate them in your playing!
Your bow can bring your jigs to life, give them a lift, keep the beat, and help you remember the tune. There are various ways to play jigs, but here’s a basic pattern you can use as a solid foundation.
Think simple — downbow for the first note of each bar, and upbow for the second beat of every measure. If all the notes of a jig bar are eighth notes, the first note of each triplet is the beat note. You can either play all three notes on separate bows, or all three on one note — either way, you’re using an odd number of bows, 1 or 3, for each beat, and that allows you to alternate downbow and upbow for each beat.
This applies also if you don’t have all eighth notes in the measure. If you have a dotted quarter note, it takes up a whole beat with one bow, and fits the pattern perfectly. If you have a quarter note plus an eighth note, slur them into one bow, and you’re all set.
Using this pattern allows you to focus on the simplicity of Continue reading Bowing Lively 1: Jig Bowing