Dan Gellert on Differences Between Irish & Old-Time Fiddling

Here’s installment number 5 of tidbits from a conversation with my dad, Dan Gellert. // In this video, I asked him to talk about the differences between Irish & old-time “feel”... I loved getting his perspective on this!

[@guywolff]

That is so well said about being carried along by the wind instruments .. I took up Scottish bagpipes in the mid 1970's to understand Northumbrian /Border / English Concertina tunes .The first thing I hear when I think of Old Time Fiddle is sliding up to a note from below ..Scots and Irish and blues all in a soup ... SO powerful; of the land and the moment ...

[@conradb209]

Always wondered why the 6/8, 9/8 or 12/8 rythms brought over from Scotland and Ireland never stuck with old-time. So many beautiful jigs, marches and so on didn't seem to get any traction. What was it pushed them to the side in favor of 4/4?

[@goldenbergconstruction1656]

Our relationship with the horse had something to do with it I believe. A galloping horse was power and youthful energy seems to me to have caught that and put it into the music. I hear it most profoundly in Tommy Jarrell's playing.

[@richlundy2372]

Shouldn’t this question because the real Irish fiddler?

[@richlundy2372]

Correction:Shouldn’t this question be asked of a real Irish fiddler?