It’s true—they’re either written in 2/4 time or 4/4 cut time.

2 beats per measure x 8 measures = 16 beats per phrase.


Neal Schlein
Librarian, MSLIS


On Wed, Sep 4, 2024 at 4:00 PM Mac Mckeever <[email protected]> wrote:

> OK - I have had several very knowledgeable musicians explain this to me
> and I still don't understand how a reel has 8 measurers to a phrase - or
> even if that is true.
>
> Mac McKeever
> St. Louis
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> On Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 04:55:06 PM CDT, Neal Schlein via
> Contra Callers <[email protected]> wrote:
>
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> What dancers and callers understand as “a measure” or “a beat” is not
> necessarily the same as what professional musicians will understand,
> depending on how the sheet music was written.
>
> (My wife is a classically trained clarinetist who can also play violin and
> fiddles a little; she has gotten used to my terminology, but we still have
> miscommunications occasionally.)
>
> I strongly second the advice of communicating the concept of potatoes and
> practicing exactly how long you expect the band to play before you start
> calling, and how to signal the end of tunes.  The advantage you do have on
> that particular front (assuming these are classical musicians) is that they
> are used to watching a conductor for gestures.
>
> They may have difficulty setting a good starting pace for tunes.  I’d tell
> them to be careful with recordings as those frequently are paced
> differently and are flourished for listening. One of the finest fiddlers I
> know once recorded a 9 minute track for me with the preface that it would
> be great for dancing, but not much to listen to.
>
> I will ask my significant other if she has other advice.
>
> Neal Schlein
> Librarian, MSLIS
>
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