strathspey@strathspey.org:45423

Patricia Ruggiero

RE: Reels and Hornpipes

May 30, 2006, 4:18 p.m. (Message 45423, in reply to message 45421)

Sylvia wrote:
> 
> 
> I've always considered reels to be in 2/4 meter and hornpipes 
> can be 2/4 or  
> 4/4.  And then there is 'cut time' which is written as 4/4 
> but instead of  
> designating the meter as 4/4 or C the C has a vertical line 
> through it (the cut)  
> and you are supposed to play the tune as though it were 2/4. 

I'm glad you brought this up.  I frequently see reel music with time
signature of C or 4/4.  Susie Petrov's book uses the former, while Liz
Donaldson's first book (pink cover) uses the latter.  Liz' second book
(blue) uses the C with the line drawn through it.  Then there's the
individual sheets we've collected from Elke Baker (through the Potomac
Valley Fiddle Club) with no time signature given at all.

Both the C and the 4/4 indicate to me that there are 4 beats to the bar, yet
we dance to 2 beats per bar.   I don't understand this at all.  Can you, or
anyone, explain this?

Pat