The Session >> Tunes >> The Foxhunter (reel)

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Foxhunter

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on January 20th 2002 by Josh Kane.

This tune has been added to 470 tunebooks.

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

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

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 :|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Foxhunter sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

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 ragaman

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

When it comes to the fiddle, SOO much better in A.

# Posted on June 23rd 2008 by synaesthete402

Haha, that's brilliant Longnote.

# Posted on August 31st 2008 by Whiddler

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