 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2003-05-06 21:17
Ok so this is no biggie, but does anyone know the origin of the word "GIG"
as in "I gotta gig tonite" or "This gig requires both an A and Bb and even an Eb horn."
I know it has been around for a long time in jazz circles, but it is now used to refer to symphony jobs etc.
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Author: george
Date: 2003-05-06 22:37
From the Oxford English Dictionary:
gig (___), n.6 colloq.
[Origin unknown.]
'gigster, one who does ‘gigs’.
1926 Melody Maker Sept. 7 One popular ‘gig’ band makes use of a nicely printed booklet.
1927 Ibid. May 457/3 This seven-piece combination does many ‘gigs’ in S.E. London, but is hoping to secure a resident engagement at Leamington in the near future.
1934 S. R. Nelson All about Jazz vi. 113 Jack runs numerous bands which play ‘gig’ work–i.e. private engagements or public work. In his office, he has a file in which some hundreds of ‘gig’ musicians are listed.
1939 Melody Maker 9 Sept., When King George died there was terrible confusion, especially among gigsters, as to whether they should fulfil their gigs or not.
1964 L. Hairston in J. H. Clarke Harlem 287 Pa–knockin’ hisself out on a mail-handler gig at the Post Office where the pay is so lousy he’s gotta work a part-time gig.
1965 G. Melly Owning-Up vii. 80 Another Proustian gig was the Civic Hall, Nantwich. We played there fairly regularly right through the ’fifties.
1969 Observer 12 Jan. 31/5 Leading groups will be given two hours in which to play what they want, without the limitations imposed by commercial gigs.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-06 23:05
Perhaps it comes from "gigue" and infers playing at a dance.
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2003-05-07 00:47
Great sources. Thanks to all who replied.
But when did it come to be used by classical musicians in addition to its dance party and jazz roots?
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Author: vin
Date: 2003-05-07 01:05
Aldo Parisot, the ancient cello teacher at Yale University, says things like "What do you young people call these things for money...jigs?"
His student replies "no, gigs mr. parisot"
He continues, hard of hearing as always- "You shouldn't do these jigs, you should practice your concertos."
Of course, he has a nice job and doesn't have to worry about making ends meet. In fact, he has said to an officer who stopped him for speeding:
"Give me a ticket, officer, I'm a very rich man."
That'll be the day...
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-07 12:31
Once upon a time a classical player went to a dance.....
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-05-07 13:22
TKS, Alseq, for exploring a word-origin, one of my hobbies! Like above, I recall seeing a ? Mozart? use of Gigue as a ?cl trio? title. My Elson's Pocket Music Dictionary [pg 73] shows a "grouped" G'iga [IT], Gigue [FR], Gige [Ger], pronounced [respectively] as "jee-g[long]a" "zh[long]eg" "gh[long]e-geh", A jig or lively species of dance. The name is supposed to be derived from the German word "geig or geige" meaning a fiddle, as the music is particularly adapted to instruments of that class. It is in 3/4, 6/8, 12/8, and sometimes even in 4/4. Wow, ?a lot more than I bargained for!! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-05-07 17:11
It's tough to believe any Swahili word became common in the Southern US in the early 1800s. Reason: Swahili was hardly spoken in West Africa, the origin area of almost all Africans then in the US. If some West African language had a similar word, that would be a much more plausible origin.
Regards,
John
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-08 12:36
It is popularly pronounced "gig" these days but "in the beginning" was probably prounounced "jig" after "gigue". Musicians, generally abhoring ostentation (i.e. the popular use of the word "hold" for fermata), probably anglicized it to gig. Sidney Bechet would probably have the answer. IMHO.
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Author: Dan1937
Date: 2003-05-08 16:04
Bart -
Just a guess, but in jazz circles, when players had informal improvising contests, competitions, etc., they were called "cutting contests." An axe is a cutting instrument, hence the name. ![[rotate]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley25.gif)
--Dan
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-05-08 18:48
The slang term "ax" (axe) for a musical instrument has a few possible origins.
It may have derived from the concept of an ax (a tool) being something (in the olden days) that you used to earn money.
Others think it may be a shortened version of the term "battle - ax" , a tool (or weapon) used to compete with.
I've also heard that the use may have come in conjunction with the term "woodshedding" , as one would need his "ax" to "cut wood" (practice) ...GBK
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-09 12:55
electric git is the only instrument I ever heard referred to as an axe. If you ever handled both you would recognize the similarity.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2003-05-11 04:49
Interesting comment on the electric git. ROTFL! Maybe true on a much deeper level....whadaya think?
Allen Cole
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