Question:
I’m familiar with a few of the more common types of jigs… the “double jig”, the “single jig”, and the “slip jig”. What exactly is a hop jig? Or any other type of jig for that matter, I believe there are a few more types that I can’t remember the names of at the moment. What are the differences in timing, rhythm, etc…
Thanks,
Wes
You know, it kinda varies from place to place and I don’t think the terminology is set in stone. I’ve heard hop jig as synonym for both a single jig and a slip jig. At feiseanna, you will usually see competitions in light jig and slip jig. Some have single jig competitions but a lot don’t. We were told the single jig went like “Pop Goes the Weasel” and the light jig was more like “The Irish Washerwoman”.
The only other jig-like dance I know is the slide which goes much faster and is user for Sets (couples dancing in groups).
Oh, and IMHO this isn’t OT at all.
bye
Bill
I thought hop jigs were the other way of playing a slip jig. Listen to Michael Coleman Foxhunter’s for an example. They’re played really fast like a brisk waltz 1.. 2.. 3.. . But I could be wrong about that.
People may argue this but a slide is the same thing as a single jig, A slide is written out in 12/8 & singles are written in 6/8. They feel like they have 8 bar parts, like a single reel.
There’s also treble jigs which is a stepdancing thing, it just means your playing a jig at about 40bpm.
So here’s a cheat sheet that could be wrong
6/8 16 bar parts = double jig or jig, 8 bar parts = single jig
9/8 slip jig unles it’s played fast then it’s a hop jig
12/8 slide which if written in 6/8 become single jigs 
Then you also got “fast” treble Jigs and “slow” treble jigs. 
And let’s not even get into hornpipes (Evil, evil dances…grrr…)
Caryn