Gypsy Queen

This is an Irish barndance, so it is in 4/4 like a reel but is a little mellower and has a little different feel or groove. There’s more strong emphasis on beat 3 versus 2 and 4, I think. And the recording from which I learned it has a wonderful grooving rhythm for accompaniment, put down by Dean Magraw on guitar. In fact, there is something going on with the groove plus accordion that makes me think of Cajun music...just a little bit.

In general, I have found it can be a deceptive tune for my students to master. We are playing an accordion arrangement here, so that could be part of it (no offense to the Irish concertina!) or maybe it’s just finding the right bowing for the feel of a barndance and mastering the ornamentation, I’m not sure.