Timing

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Timing is the rhythm of the music that you are playing. Tempo is the speed you play at.
You can have slow jigs, fast reels etc, but if the music is meant for dance there is usually a comfortable tempo which the piece uses.

In folk music, there are several basic rhythms:

The time signature is the number of beats in a bar over the default note length.
Typically, the rythms go like this:

Name Time Signature Rhythm
Polka 2/2 1 and 2 and 1 and 2 ...
Waltz 3/4 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 ....
Reel 4/4 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4 ...
Hornpipe 4/4 1-,2,3-,4,1-,2,3-,4 ...
Jig 6/8 1,2,3,4,5,6,1,2,3,4,5,6 ...

Bold means the beat is emphasised
Italic means the beat is emphasised but less strongly
A dash (-) means the note is held longer and the next one is shorter, giving a kind of 'bounce'

Although the default note length is given in the time signature, the actual notes can be different, as long as it all adds up. Polkas, Reels and Hornpipes all have 1 whole note per bar, divided as 2 half notes or 4 quarter notes.