Reel Music for strings uses three old Irish jigs as material for each of the movements. Movement I is based on the Swallowtail Jig. This jig is also known by the alternate title of The Dancing Master, which may possibly refer to the type of coat with tails typically worn by early 19th century dancing masters. Movement II, based on Cooley’s Reel, is a traditional Irish tune associated with the accordion player Joe Cooley. In his arrangement, it is played in a slow tempo and it serves as a contrast between the faster first and third movements. Movement III is based on The Devil’s Dream also known as The Devil Among the Tailors, an old fiddle tune popular in England as early as 1805 and New England in the 1830s.