The reel is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type. In Irish dance, a reel is any dance danced to music in reel time. Reel music is simple in meter, either as 2/2 or 4/4. The reel is danced in soft shoes. All reels have the same structure, consisting largely of quaver (eighth note) movement with an accent on the first and third beats of the bar. A reel is distinguished from a hornpipe by consisting primarily of even beats. Today many Irish reels are supplemented with new compositions and by tunes from other traditions which are easily adapted as reels. It is the most popular tune-type within the Irish dance music tradition.
