The Hole In The Hedge jig

Martin Hayes plays this lovely simple tune followed by Seamus Cooley’s Jig on his album “Under the Moon” and demonstrates how to play beautifully with a minimum of ornamentation. Who says you have to be flash all the time?
These two tunes also appear on “A Celebration of 50 Years” by the Tulla Ceili Band.

Although great on the fiddle, it’s also a good one for the 8-key flute if you need some practice with the little finger.

I love “Under the Moon”. We use it a lot at my dance school when teaching the basics and beginning students the reel and light jig, as 1) the music is nice and slow for beginners, and 2) the feel is impeccable and gives them a good feel for the music on their first outings with it.

I always try to teach my dancing students something about the music at the same time I teach them steps, as I don’t want them to be one of those ignorant dancers who know nothing about the wider tradition the dancing springs from.

Zina

In D this works great on keyles flute or whistle. As follies:

X: 1
T: Hole in the Hedge
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: D
|: D2 F FEF | AFE F2 E | D2 F ~F3 | AFD E2 F |
| D2 F FEF | AFA d2 A | def edB |1 AFD EFE : |2 AFD EFA ||
|: d2 f edB | AFA ABc | d2 f edB | AFD E2 F |
| d2 f edB | AFA ABc | dcd BdB |1 AFD EFA :|2 AFD EFE ||

I’ve been playing a very similar tune in G. It was printed in “The trip to Sligo” by Flaherty, B (Purcell Print 1990) and came from the playing of a fiddler called Johnny Henry. The title was given as Unknown. It’s less interesting than the tune here in C, but jollier. I’ve been calling it “Winking” because I can’t cope with tunes without titles. It goes:
.
M:6/8
L:1/8
S:Trip to Sligo, p147
R:jig
K:G
d/2c/2 | BAB G2 E | DB,D G2 A | BAB GFG | AGA cBA | BAB G2 E | DB,D G2 A
| BAB GFG | AGF G2 :|
B/2c/2 | d3 BGB | dBd edB | cBc AFA | cBc ABc | d3 BGB | dBd edc | BAG A
dc | BGF G2 :|

Maybe I’ll call it “The Wink in the Hedge”.

I think your tune might be this one https://thesession.org/tunes/414.

It’s a bit like this https://thesession.org/tunes/4899.

Corey Purcell, Dylan Richardson, & Haley Richardson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx0HtWMBsho

play video

Audrey Murphy, Allison Henshaw, Niamh Bresh, & Niall FitzGibbons:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pS75l3KmUc

play video

Almost forgot this one … TinWhistler, 2nd tune @ 2:08 (also posted by Jordi yesterday for the first tune):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEN6SNSYRiM

play video

A few minor variations.

Quite a few different pick-up notes work going into the B Part, try: C, E, G, & B for the Cmaj settings.

Thanks to NfldWhistler for the correction to my 13 year old posted ABC. Now I’ll have to go back and relearn the tune which I have entirely forgotten.

Check out Larry the Beer Drinker ( https://thesession.org/tunes/3200 )
for a related three part jig.

X3 should be deleted and posted under its correct title as its not the hole in the Hedge.

I think you are right leprecauwn. It’s unlike Gallopede to be wrong, but then if you read his/her comment above it basically states X3 is a different tune. So you are right:- it shouldn’t be here, but re-posted as whatever it actually is.

Gallopede (16 years ago) wrote about X:3 above, “I’ve been playing a very similar tune in G. It was printed in “The trip to Sligo” by Flaherty, B (Purcell Print 1990) and came from the playing of a fiddler called Johnny Henry. The title was given as Unknown.” Phlippe Varlet at https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9904&L=IRTRAD-L&P=R26035&D=1&F=P&O=A gives corrections to titles in Flaherty’s book and for page 147 suggests that the title of “Unknown” should be “Off to the Races”. Not having a copy of Flaherty, I don’t know whether there are two “Unknowns” on that page, but this may add to titular clarity.

From the steady playing of Mick O’Connor (banjo) on his recording Doorways And Windowsills
https://thesession.org/recordings/3472
The variation in the B part is played only the last time through the complete tune.

Blends well with some more commonly played versions.