Originally Posted by
Dagger Gordon
I've often wondered when and where the notion of DUD DUD for jigs started.
It seems to be fairly widespread, but I can honestly say that I had never heard of it until I read it here on the Cafe, by which time I had been playing jigs (and everything else) for many years.
I find it difficult to believe that when you are playing a jig up to speed, you are able to know exactly which way you are picking. When you are first learning a tune and playing it through slowly, then maybe.
I would like to extend this discussion to other types of tune which I personally think can be tougher. For example the Harvest Home Hornpipe, which many people learn quite early on, has a pretty difficult run in the fourth bar (and again in the second half). Similarly, the strathspey Stirling Castle - also in the fourth bar, as it happens. Do people always play DUDU etc for these, or do you use some combination of hammer on/ pull offs? In fact playing strathspeys can be quite difficult anyway. Jigs are generally much easier, I think.
I was self taught, so I just had to figure this kind of thing out for myself.