Easy Jig/Slip Jig to start with?

[Cathasach]

I'm going to jump into jigs and slip jigs and would appreciate suggestions for something easy to start with.

[David Barnert]

Of course how easy a tune is depends to some extent on what instrument you’re playing (how it is set up), but I can’t imagine there are too many instruments on which this tune is challenging:

 

The Lass O’ Dallowgill

[Roger Hare]

We use it as the tune for a sword dance (though we haven't danced it for a while), and I guess that's how it usually pops up in the North of England? Two settings - one in C, one in G (as per Session).

 

 

LOD.abc

LOD.pdf

Edited March 22 by Roger Hare

[RAc]

This one is from Wales.

ty·agardd-3.abc

tyagardd-3.pdf

Edited March 22 by RAc

[Peter Laban]

I would suggest anything you know and like well.  

[David Barnert]

7 hours ago, Roger Hare said:

We use it as the tune for a sword dance...

 

Of course. So do we. That’s how I know it.

[Tiposx]

I play:

The Butterfly

The Tenpenny Piece

The Night Before Larry was Stretched

 

The last one is most interesting to me, as it is in a flat key. Also because my friends like to play it as a lament, whereas I like to play it fast and lively.

[RAc]

1 hour ago, Tiposx said:

I play:

The Butterfly

The Tenpenny Piece

The Night Before Larry was Stretched

 

The last one is most interesting to me, as it is in a flat key. Also because my friends like to play it as a lament, whereas I like to play it fast and lively.

A very interesting tune Larry's is indeed (in particular with regard to the lyrics which can be found on thesession), but to me it does not qualify as easy. Thanks for posting it! 🙂

[jgarber760]

I learned Swaggering Jig one of the earlier slip jigs from Caitlín Nic Gabhann’s online Starter course. It is fun to play and rolls off the buttons sweetly when you get the feel of it. https://thesession.org/tunes/661

[Roger Hare]

4 hours ago, David Barnert said:

Of course. So do we. That’s how I know it.

Ah! That's grand - I wasn't really sure that sword dance had migrated across t'Atlantic along with all the other Morrisy stuff...🙂

Edited March 22 by Roger Hare

[Cathasach]

8 hours ago, Peter Laban said:

I would suggest anything you know and like well.  

Well, I did try to start with Rocky Road to Dublin but I really needed something a bit easier first, lol.

[David Barnert]

6 hours ago, Roger Hare said:

Ah! That's grand - I wasn't really sure that sword dance had migrated across t'Atlantic along with all the other Morrisy stuff...🙂

 

My Morris team does the Kirkby Malzeard and Ampleforth longsword dances. Thirty years ago my wife was a member of a rapper sword dance team, for which I was also the musician.

[Tiposx]

Hi Cathasach

You could go to the tunes section of “The Session” website and search for slip jigs from the drop-down menu. It listed 79 pages of such tunes when I looked just now.

Edited March 23 by Tiposx

[Peter Laban]

On 3/22/2026 at 5:38 PM, Cathasach said:

Well, I did try to start with Rocky Road to Dublin but I really needed something a bit easier first, lol.

I suggested the ones you know to hear and like  because these are usually the ones easiest to learn. 

I'd prefer to not suggest things that have  been done to death because they are perceived as popular beginners tunes. 

But you can try Hardiman the fiddler, the First Slip, Na Ceannabhaín Bhána and tunes like that as easy slip jigs. 

 

The Connemara version of : Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh wil probably work well, a simple song, often played as a jig:

 

T: Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh
R: jig

M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:Bdd dBd|egg gfe|d2B BAG|ABA GED:|
|:DBA A3|DBA AGE|DBA A3|GAG GED:|

 

 

Here is a melodeon  version of Na Ceannabhaín bhána and Paidín O'Raffartaigh ( although note he goes B2d dBd|dgg g.., , I'd prefer the more common egg g..)

 

Edited March 24 by Peter Laban

[Tiposx]

My Tunebook ABC program needed a first line adding:

 

X:1

 

Thank you.