Tunes

Featured Tune

Key: G | Meter: 4/4 | Tempo: brisk BPM
Key: G | Meter: 4/4 | Tempo: brisk BPM
ABC length: 279 
X: 1
T: The Foxhunters
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
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:|

History

“The Foxhunters” is an Irish reel with no known composer. It is one of the long reels that sessions play regularly, and the Traditional Tune Archive describes it as one of the “big” reels of modern sessions. Its Irish title is Fiagaí an Mhada Rua.

I have not found a date of composition. The earliest printed setting I can trace is in Breandán Breathnach’s Folk Music and Dance of Ireland (1971), followed by his Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol. 2 (1976), where it appears as a tune in A major with five parts. An earlier printing may exist, so treat 1971 as the earliest I have been able to confirm.

The tune is strongly associated with the Clare fiddler Patrick Kelly (1903–1975) of Cree, hence the alias “Patrick Kelly’s Reel”. The Traditional Tune Archive, citing Fiddler Magazine (Spring 1994), says Kelly inherited music from the Kerry-born fiddler George Whelan, who came to Clare in the 1880s. It also says the cross-tuned fiddle settings (GDgd or AEae) were traditional in Kerry and travelled to Clare with Kelly.

Breathnach noted that “Greig’s Pipes” and “Miss McLeod’s” left their mark on the tune. The Irish Traditional Music Tune Index lists “Greig’s Pipes” as an alternative title for this tune in some sources.

It has also been used for dancing. The Tune Index lists it as the fifth figure of a Caledonian Set on one recording and as a track on a Séadna cassette of music for set dances (Set Dances of Ireland, vol. 1, 1992). It was also recorded by The Chieftains on their second album (1969), where it is the third tune in a set called “The Foxhunt”, following a jig of the same name.

Two caveats on names:

  • There is a slip jig called “The Foxhunter’s”, which is a different tune.
  • There is a second, unrelated reel of the same name in D, printed by Brendan Mulvihill in 1986.

Check that you are learning the right one.

Musical characteristics

  • Melodic character: open, arching phrases built on arpeggio shapes and leaps, with a lot of movement around the high G.
  • Rhythm: straight reel rhythm in even quavers, with the drive coming from the bowing, tonguing or breath accents.
  • Structure: commonly played as four parts, each repeated, so it is long by reel standards. Some printed settings have five parts, and part order and repeats vary between players.
  • Phrasing: eight-bar phrases, with the first two bars of each part setting a strong pattern.
  • Personality: energetic and a bit stern, with a lift in the later parts.
  • Difficulty: intermediate. The notes are not hard, but the length and the high register make it tiring.
  • Notable features: the high parts sit well above the first two, and the whole tune can be played in G or A depending on the instrument.

Mode

  • Mode: Ionian (major).
  • Scale: G major (G A B C D E F♯).
  • Flavour: bright and firm, with a minor-sounding drift around the E and A in the lower parts.
  • Other keys: many fiddlers prefer A major, and Breathnach and Moylan print it in A. Session playing usually settles on G to suit flutes, whistles, concertinas and pipes. Fiddlers may use cross-tuning in either key.

Harmony

The tune is melodic enough that players use different chords. This is a plain outline for guidance, not a fixed arrangement.

Section Typical Outline
A G – Em – G – Em (turn to G)
B D – Em – D – Em (turn to G)
C G – Am – G – Am
D G – C – G – D

Accompaniment is best kept simple, with chords changing no more than once a bar. The tune moves between G and Em so freely that the choice of chord often comes down to the accompanist’s ear. If you are unsure, hold the G chord and let the melody do the work.

Common variations include replacing Em with Am in the A part, and changing to C or D on the turn at the end of a part.

Interpretation notes

Session tempo for this tune is brisk but not frantic. It is long, so a pace that is comfortable for the full four parts is better than one that exhausts the players halfway through.

  • Articulation: keep it crisp and rhythmic. The eight-bar phrases give you natural places to breathe or change bow.
  • Ornaments: cuts, taps and rolls on the long notes, with triplets used sparingly. Don’t fill every gap.
  • Swing: a slight lilt is fine, but keep the quavers close to even so the reel stays driven.
  • Dynamics: it helps to hold something back for the later parts so the tune builds as it goes round.
  • Regional notes: the Clare fiddle tradition around Patrick Kelly is the best-known source, with its own settings and tunings.
  • Common mistakes:
    • starting too fast
    • playing the later parts louder and faster than the early ones
    • losing count of the repeats

Flute approach

On a D flute the tune is played in G major, which keeps most of the tune in the first two octaves and leaves the high parts within reach.

  • Breathing: plan your breaths at the ends of phrases and before leaps. Don’t wait for the second part to find where you can breathe.
  • Phrasing: treat each eight-bar phrase as one idea, and breathe at the join rather than in the middle.
  • Ornamentation: cuts and taps on repeated notes and long notes. Rolls work on the longer notes, but avoid overdoing them at speed.
  • Tone: the later parts go high, so make sure the third-octave notes are controlled rather than forced.
  • Finger challenges: the quick changes between B, D and G, and the cross-fingered notes around E and F♯.
  • Expression: keep the first two parts lighter and give the higher parts a bit more weight.

Guitar / accompaniment

  • Style: steady, driving rhythm that supports the melody without covering it.
  • Rhythm: emphasise beats one and three, with light off-beats. Leave space in the later parts.
  • Bass movement: simple root notes with an occasional walk to the next chord.
  • Drones: a G drone works as an option in the lower parts, but avoid it where the melody moves to C or D.
  • Fingerpicking: works at lower tempos but gets cluttered at session speed.
  • Texture: open voicings, with the chord inversions chosen so the top notes don’t clash with the tune.
  • Avoid: busy strumming, constant chord changes and loud playing under the quieter parts.

Session notes

  • Popularity: widely known, and one of the standard session reels, though the length means it is not always the first choice.
  • Pairings: it often follows or leads other reels in G, A or E minor. Check the key before you start, since changing key between tunes can catch people out.
  • Sets: a group of three reels with this in the middle or at the end works well. The Chieftains paired it with a jig of the same name.
  • Tempo: brisk but comfortable. Let the leader set it.
  • Etiquette: since it exists in several variants and keys, listen to the first round before joining in, and don’t insist on your own version.

Similar tunes

  • Greig’s Pipes: named in the sources as a related reel that influenced this tune, and listed under it in the Tune Index.
  • Miss McLeod’s Reel: cited by Breathnach as another tune that left its mark.
  • Clare Reel: the Tune Index suggests comparing it with this tune.
  • Ballinakill: also flagged in the Tune Index as comparable.

Further links may be added once I have confirmed them.

References

  • Breathnach, Breandán. Folk Music and Dance of Ireland. 1971.
  • Breathnach, Breandán. Ceol Rince na hÉireann, vol. 2. 1976. No. 205.
  • Moylan, Terry. Johnny O’Leary of Sliabh Luachra. 1994. No. 157.
  • Mallinson, Dave. 100 Essential Irish Session Tunes. 1995. No. 29.
  • Harker, Lesl. 300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty. 2005. No. 19.
  • The Irish Traditional Music Tune Index, tune #669: https://www.irishtune.info/tune/669/
  • The Traditional Tune Archive, “Foxhunter’s Reel (1) (The)”: https://ttadev.org/wiki/Annotation:Foxhunter%27s_Reel_(1)_(The)
  • Fiddler Magazine, Spring 1994 (cited by the Traditional Tune Archive for Patrick Kelly).

Personal notes

Learn it in sections, one part a week, rather than trying the whole tune at once. The first two parts are quick to pick up. The upper parts are where players tend to run out of steam, so practise them slowly, then bring the speed up.

At a session, it is worth knowing which key the others are using before you start. If a fiddler is playing in A and you are in G, you will clash.

If you are leading it, start at a pace you can finish at. A reel that is steady at the end is better than one that starts fast and falls apart.

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