A question for those of you who play in ceilidh bands: how fast, in bpm, would you play a reel for dancing? What about a jig? It maybe varies from dance to dance, so let's say the Eightsome Reel and a straightforward Strip the Willow (rather than the controlled insanity of the Orcadian/Shetland version at the end of the evening).
The background to the question is that different people seem to play jigs and reels at different speeds, varying from the stately to what might be called "bluegrass tempo". I want to be playing at a speed which allows the melody to be actually heard, which has a swing or lilt about it but which doesn't drag. Since most tunes were written with dancers in mind, knowing what speed works for dancing at ceilidhs seems like a sensible measure.
Alastair
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