The Scottish Jig

It is probable that Scottish jigs were derived from the European Gigue style. There have been jigs in Scotland since at least the 16th century and some Scottish jigs were known in England and France at this time, so it may be that the jig form originated in Scotland. At that time in England the jig was described as a representative type of Scottish music and the style considered difficult for English composers to write. Jigs were very popular in Scotland in the 17th century and many good jigs from the 18th century survive today and were named after specific country dances eg The Haymakers and The Bumpkin. Nowadays Scottish jigs are associated with lively tunes, many from the bagpipe repertoire, but in the past slow jigs were also played.

More information on the dances and examples of tunes to illustrate them can be found in “Traditional Scottish Fiddling” by Christine Martin and in the “Ceilidh Collection for Fiddlers” series of four books.