Please cite your source when you share information from this document. This page was updated on 6 September 2024.
© 2000–2024 Alan Ng.
Questions? Comments? Please use the easy Feedback Form. Thank you!
Help support irishtune.info.
This list ranks rhythms by their relative frequency among all the distinct tunes in the entire database (7,710 tunes).
This report can be interpreted as the distribution of tune types within Irish traditional music in general, but especially as it is represented in commercial recordings.
Compare Rhythm Distribution in Session Tunes which considers only the tunes currently played by at least one irishtune.info member. Compare also the distribution of tune types in recordings when all tune instances are considered, in the report Rhythm Distribution in Recordings.
| Rhythm | Number in entire Tunography | % of total | Bar graph |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reel | 2,450 | 31.8% |  |
| Double jig | 1,386 | 18.0% | |
| Song | 970 | 12.6% | |
| Hornpipe | 552 | 7.2% | |
| Polka | 412 | 5.3% | |
| Air | 339 | 4.4% | |
| Piece | 262 | 3.4% | |
| Slide | 225 | 2.9% | |
| Slip jig | 218 | 2.8% | |
| Waltz | 202 | 2.6% | |
| March | 158 | 2.0% | |
| Barn dance | 129 | 1.7% | |
| Single jig | 79 | 1.0% | |
| Highland | 76 | 1.0% | |
| Fling | 64 | 0.8% | |
| Set dance | 48 | 0.6% | |
| Strathspey | 47 | 0.6% | |
| Other | 38 | 0.5% | |
| Mazurka | 30 | 0.4% | |
| Schottisch | 19 | 0.2% | |
| Single reel | 6 | 0.1% | |
| Total | 7,710 |