As I have delved more heavily into ITM on the whistle, I have found that I have a much easier time picking up jigs than reels. I have a much harder time getting the timing down on reels and distinguishing the notes. It also seems like the pros use more ornaments or something in them. Anyone else in the same boat?
I still prefer jigs (and the jig family) over reels, so I don’t play many.
I much prefer hornpipes over reels and consider the hornpipes underplayed and reels overplayed.
There are some books available with transcriptions of piper’s playing, such as Willie Clancy and Patsy Touhey. It is astounding what Touhey did, seldom using the roll!
So, I am slowly learning a few reels that catch my ear now.
I love both but I’ll admit that jigs are typically easier to pick up.
Me too. Why is that? I’d love an official explanation.
I experienced the same a year ago. I learned lots of reels since then and have a hard time picking up jigs now. Dunno why.
Jigs only have 75% as many notes as a reel.
Yes, I’m a noob and I find much easier to pick up jigs than reels. Anyways, I like much more the latter ones.
The brain thinks best in threes… at least I thought I heard that somewhere.
And didn’t it all start with jigs, 'till reels came along centuries later?
Or am I just making stuff up?
I prefer jigs while fishing. 
IIRC, what the Romans considered to be the inhabitants of Gaul, or the Celts considered three a magic number.
This occurred to me. I think it has some–but not all–to do with it.
If you please, what are the book titles and where can I find them? Thanks.
The Pipers’ Review is published quarterly in February, May, August, and November by the Irish Piper’s Club, P.O. Box 31183, Seattle WA 98103-1183.
Editor: Walter Charm, 6010 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103 Tel: (206)784-7353, charm@seanet.com
http://www.irishpipersclub.org
and NPU both sell the books.
It would be wise to join both clubs.
Well it has much to do with it because the jig says what it needs to say in much fewer notes. Another reason is the rhythm. The jig is somewhat restrictive compared to a reel.
Whatever the reason, it is surprising. I’ve had a classical violin education, where you play more 4/4 than 3/4 or 6/8, but when I started playing Irish music on the violin and later on whistle, jigs seemed more natural to me, too.
IIRC, what the Romans considered to be the inhabitants of Gaul, or the Celts considered three a magic number.
Apparently the French do also. 
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
I find jigs easier as well. I can play reels, and do enjoy them, but find it difficult to find a place to breathe, especially on the flute. The breathing places in jigs are much easier for me and I just tend to find the right spots. Hopefully that will happen to me with reels as I play more of them. I have the same problem with hornpipes too (which I love btw). Happy St. Pat’s!
Maybe jigs are easier to pick up (not so sure though) but are they really easier to play? Personally I doubt it, good jig playing is rare enough, getting the juxtaposition of phrasing and rhythm right is a subtle thing.
Thank you Peter your post consoles me. I felt just “wrong wound” as we would say here. Perhaps there is a difference between learning and playing but I am not so sure either.
Silvano
Hi there,
I think that as your experience and skill develops in playing trad music, the more you actually focus in on each tune. If you are in anyway creative or imaginative, and are able to find new challenges with the music you play, then I think you might get to the stage where you actually don’t consider the music in terms of being easier or more difficult.
Goes back to the saying that it’s harder to play 5 notes slower than 10 notes faster… or something like that.
Cheers
pkev
What Peter said is worth paying attention to. Because jigs are easier to remember, people assume there’s not much to playing them. And really, there isn’t - but there’s still quite a bit more than most people can hear at first. (I speak from experience!)
There’s an “entry-level” session in my city where people who are still at a fairly basic stage insist on playing jigs at 100mph. The result is utterly ghastly - not because of the speed, particularly, but because they haven’t got a handle on the subtleties of the jig rhythm.
So enjoy your jigs but don’t underestimate them. 