Swallowtail Jig [Video] at the Saturday Market

Here is a video of me at the Murfreesboro Saturday Market playing “Swallowtail Jig.” This traditional Irish tune is also on my album, The Butterfly. You can get individual songs or the entire album here on Amazon!

“Swallowtail Jig” is a traditional Irish jig that was written in the mid-nineteenth century era. Alternatively known as “The Dancing Master,” the name of the tune may possibly refer to the type of coat worn by dancing masters in the early nineteenth century. “Swallowtail Jig” is a double jig with a 6/8 time signature, meaning that the tune is played with two beats per measure and three eight-notes on each beat. This gives the jig its characteristic lilting feeling. Most versions are played in E Dorian mode (the second mode of the D major scale) with binary form (AABB). While the tune is suitable for beginners, it is still enjoyed by all skill levels of musicians.