Playing for dancing at a friend's birthday party
Greetings!
My wife and I have been asked to put together a set of live music to accompany dancing. She'll be on fiddle and I'll be backing with chords on bouzouki (well, my Pono octave mandolin tuned GDAD to be precise).
We're more general folk players but know some session tunes in the Celtic tradition (and in some cases have come up our own arrangements for some tunes).
I'm hoping to use some of the tunes we already know for this setting. I've been told it will be "highland dancing" but I'm not sure how precise that language is. I've been asked to do reels or jigs of the 8 or 16 bar variation. I know the difference between a jig and a reel but I'm not familiar with exactly what the 8 or 16 bar variation means. I'm guessing it is the number of bars in the melody before it repeats or goes to the next section?
I'll get more information but I'm assuming this means someone will be teaching a crew of newby dancers a few steps as we provide the music.
Just wondering, before I return with more precise questions for you, what those of you who play for dance might like to share with someone who has never accompanied dance before? Well we have accompanied more of a festivarian hula hoop dance style before, but that's different!
If anyone can suggest some essential dance tunes to learn, we'd be open to that as well!
Thanks in advance!
Weber Bitterroot mandolin
Harmony CBOM Conversion
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