The Foxhunter

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on January 20th 2002 by Josh Kane.

This tune has been added to 420 tunebooks.

Also known as The Fox Chase, The Fox Hunter, Fox Hunters, Foxhunter's, The Foxhunter's, Foxhunters.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• ...Born For Sport by Paul O'Shaughnessy And Harry Bradley
• 1891-1945 Disc 2 by Michael Coleman
• A Cape Breton Piper by Barry Shears
• A Compilation by Natalie MacMaster
• Aberdeen Folk Club 'A Celebration' by Various Artists
• Across The Waters - Irish Traditional Music From England by Various Artists
• Ae Spark O Nature's Fire by Deaf Shepherd
• An Feochan by Philippe Barnes
• Banish Misfortune by Malcolm Dalglish And Grey Larsen
• Barking Mad by Four Men And A Dog
• Bruach An TSuláin by The Abbey Céilí Band
• Ceol An Clair by Various Artists
• Ceol Na Carraige by The Owenabue Valley Trad Group
• Champions Of Ireland: Flute by Grainne Kelly And Ciaran Madsen
• Claddagh Ring by The Tulla Ceili Band
• Collection Of Jigs And Reels by Shaskeen
• Coppers And Brass by Dick Gaughan
• Cork Folk Festival Archive: Celebrating 21 Years by Various Artists
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 2 by Matt Cunningham
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 4 by Matt Cunningham
• Deireadh An Fhómhair - End Of The Harvest by Declan Masterson
• Encore by Celtic Fiddle Festival
• Far From Home by Blackthorn Band
• Father Charlie by Father Charles Coen
• Fierce Traditional by Frankie Gavin
• First Through The Gate by Brian Conway
• Foinn Seisiun 1 by Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne
• Folk Music And Dances Of Ireland by Various Artists
• Folktrax 154 - The Sligo Fiddler: Michael Coleman by Michael Coleman
• For As Many As Will by Haste To The Wedding
• Fortune Favours The Merry by Peter Horan And Gerry Harrington
• Forty Years Of Irish Piping by Seamus Ennis
• Four On The Floor by Natalie MacMaster
• Gaelic Roots by Various Artists
• Gerry MacFadden by Gerry McFadden
• Give It Shtick by Matt Cranitch
• Give Us A Penny And Let Us Be Gone by Teada
• Happy To Meet Sorry To Part by Various Artists
• Hell For Leather by Swallow's Tail Céilí Band
• History Of Fairport Convention by Fairport Convention
• In The Footsteps Of Coleman by Various Artists
• In Your Ear by Seamus Egan
• Irish Music by Various Artists
• Irish Traditional Fiddle Music by John Kelly And James Kelly With Michael Crehan And Michael Gavin
• Irish Traditional Music And Song by Shaskeen
• Irlande by Frankie Gavin, Arty Mc Glynn And Aidan Coffey
• Jiggin' The Blues by Frankie Gavin, Rick Epping And Tim Edey
• Jigs, Reels And Airs by Seamus Tansey
• Kelly/O'Brien/Sproule by Kelly, O'Brien and Sproule
• Like Magic by Todd Denman And Bill Dennehy
• Live At Trinity Hall by Trinity Hall Session Players
• Many Happy Returns by Arcady
• Mapless Journey by Kathy Buys
• Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples by Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples
• Merrily Kissed The Quaker by The Blacksmiths
• Morning Star - Réalt Na Maidine by Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
• Music From The Coleman Country by Various Artists
• My Love Is In America by David Power
• Nice To Meet You by Kaitlin Hahn
• Noel Hill And Tony Linnane by Noel Hill And Tony Linnane
• Ocean View by Shanachie
• Paddy And Bridget And Their Great Friends 2 by Various Artists
• Piper's Rock by Various Artists
• Return To Droim by Colm Gannon
• Rocky Road To Dublin by Kings Galliard
• Sean Keane by Sean Keane
• Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume I by Various Artists
• Set The Sails by Bantry Bay
• Seven Years After by Sirkus
• Shady Woods by Tommy Martin
• Spirit Of The Isles: A Concert For Beltane by Various Artists
• Sunshine And Showers by Gliondar
• The Best Ever Traditional Irish Pub Session Volume Two by Various Artists
• The Best Of Aly And Phil by Aly Bain And Phil Cunningham
• The Best Of Irish Piping by Seamus Ennis
• The Clare Shout by Bobby Gardiner
• The Coleman Country Ceili Band by The Coleman Country Ceili Band
• The Coming Of Spring by Cliff Moses
• The Crooked River by Nicholas Williams
• The Dawning Of The Day by Finbar And Eddie Furey
• The Enduring Magic by Michael Coleman
• The Family Album by The McCarthys
• The Flute Players Of Roscommon - Vol 1 by Various Artists
• The Green Hills Of Clare by The Crehan Family And Carl Corcoran
• The Irish Concertina Two by Noel Hill
• The King Of The Pipers by Leo Rowsome
• The Lark In The Clear Air by Various Artists
• The Leg Of The Duck by Joe Burke, Michael Cooney And Noreen Donoghue
• The Little Country by Charles De Lint
• The Orkney Sessions From The Ayre Hotel by Various Artists
• The Sligo Maid by Carmel Gunning
• The Twentieth Anniversary Collection by Various Artists
• The Wild Keys by Mikie Smyth
• Tiomnacht / Handed On by Eoin O Riabhaigh
• Torch And Fire by Dan Beimborn
• Traditional Music Of Ireland by Paddy O'Brien
• True...Never Been Known To Lie by Knot Fibb'n
• Turas Go Tir Na NOg by Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh
• Under The Moon by Martin Hayes
• Va by Slainte Mhath
• Vol. 1 Catchin' The Tune by The Irish Tradition
• WhirlyGig by WhirlyGig

X: 1
T: Foxhunter, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|: d2BG d2BG | d2BG AGEG | d2BG dGBG | AcBG AGEG :|
|: D~D2B BAGE | DGBG AGEG | D~D2B BAGB | AcBG AGEG :|
|: gedB GABd | gdBd eaaf | gedB GABG | ABcd eA~A2 :|
|: dggf ~g2ge | dggd egdB | dggf ~g2gd | egdB AGAB :|
|: G2BG dGBG | GABG AGAB | ~G2BG dGBd | egdB AGAB :|

This tune is nice played in A on fiddle banjo etc., with lots of open E-string. When playing in G, I find cross fingering the d to G rather tricky on mandolin. That said, playing it in A is a bustard on the whistle or flute.
I've also heard it played with the 1st part omitted after the first time round - i.e. the final part stands in for the first part. I'm not sure whether that's an alternate version or just a mistake.

# Posted on January 27th 2002 by granama

I've heard it played with the first part omitted as well, but I think it's probably just a mistake. I don't have much to say on that particular issue because 1.) I learned it from my cousin and 2.) I've never seen it in a music book before. hmmmmm...
(P.S. playing it in A on the flute is a BIG bustard.)

# Posted on January 28th 2002 by Josh Kane

This might not be such a bustard on the key of A on the flute, after all. There aren't that many F#s (which would become G#s ).

# Posted on January 28th 2002 by glauber

But I don't have a keyed flute. That means a whole lot of half-holing!

# Posted on February 15th 2002 by Josh Kane

The g# can be cross-fingered xxx0x0. This works on most whistles (but only in the upper octave) and I expect it would work for most keyless flutes as well. Once you get used to it, it's faster than half-holing and useful.

# Posted on February 15th 2002 by Bloomfield

Fiddle Tuning

Some fiddler's re-tune their instrument for this tune: AEAE. James Kelly and Sean Keane have both recorded it this way. Wouldn't work for a session, of course...

If you've never played in this tuning: it brings about an incredible ringing sound. Cape Breton fiddlers use this tuning for a lot of their tunes as well.

# Posted on April 18th 2003 by pchaffee

Chieftains 2 Version

Here is the ABC notation for the version played on Chieftains 2, showing a few subtle differences from the original posting:

dGBG dGBG|dGBG AGEG|dGBG dGBG|GABG AGEG:|
|:~D3 B BABG|DGBG AGEG|~D3 B BABG|AcBG AGEG:|
|:gedB G2 Bd|gdBd eA ~A2|gedB GBdB|ABcd eA ~A2:|
|:dggf g4|dg ~g2 egdB|dggf ~g3d|(3efg dB AGAB:|
|:~G2 BG dGBG|GB ~B2 AGAB|~G2 BG dGBG|(3efg dB AGAB:|

# Posted on February 14th 2004 by turophile

Loads of fun when played as fast as possible on the banjo. Ought to follow a tune in Amin, since the a part sounds great with a full Amajor chord on guitar.

# Posted on February 19th 2004 by Larshansen

Lazy Man's "A" Version

Just move your fingers up a hole on the whistle and play as normal.

# Posted on February 19th 2004 by LongNote

I lived down in Dingle for about 5yrs and this tune preceded by the Bucks was like the national anthem was on U.K. tv. 30yrs ago..time to go to bed! Seriously, at least 40% of sessions i heard or sat in down there ended with these 2 tunes in a set.Like the Kerry anthem or something. Oh and sometimes they do the Foxhunter in G and then take it up to A, so it's almost like set of 3.Great stuff.

# Posted on July 27th 2007 by hakanozel

Foxhunter Reel by Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh on YouTube

eAcA eAcA|eAcA BAFA|eAcA eAcA|(3Bcd cA BAFA|
eAcA eAcA|eAcA BAFA|ce (3eee fcec|(3Bcd cA BAFA||
E3c cBAF|~E2 cA BAFA|E3c cBAc|(3Bcd cA BAFA:||
afec AB (3cBA|aece f~B3|afec AB (3cBA|Bcde f~B3|
afec AB (3cBA|aece fb (3bbb|aBgB fBec|Bcde fBcd||
eaag a3f|e~a3 (3fga ec|eaag abae|(3fga ec ~B2cd|
eaag a3f|e~a3 (3fga ec|eaag abae|(3fga ec BdcB||
A2cA eAcB|A~c3 BABc|(3AAA Ac eAce|(3fga ec BdcB:||

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4OAkUN-m3A

# Posted on March 18th 2008 by Pere