The Cock And The Hen slip jig

I find that this tune sounds best played at a good, lively speed but there’s some tricky fingering invovled, especially in that last bar. Take it nice and slow until playing it becomes second nature, then speed it up bit by bit.

That first B note can be ornamented in a number of ways. Try turning it into a roll or a triplet (e.g. BCB). It can also be double-stopped with an open D, or a high Fsharp. You could even try to fit in all three notes to make a Bminor chord (B,D and Fsharp).

The key change at the start of the second part can be emphasised opn the fiddle by playing an open A string at the beginning.

I learned this song as "Dennis Ryan’s" and starting on an F#… but since then I’ve heard it mostly as Cathal McConnel’s. Anyone know his position on the ownership of this tune?

This tune can be found in this book, which is a collection of tunes transcribed from the playing of the older generation of fiddlers in Donegal in the mid-70’s. They play it in the key you have here. Most players I’ve encountered play it in F#min. Don’t have the book handy, so can’t give you a name, though many of the tunes in there are simply listed as "Untitled."

Cathal used to introduce this tune as "Joe Ryan’s" , not Denis - although he probably plays it too !

This tune is in Ryan’s Mammoth Collection of Fiddle tunes (aka Cole’s 1000 …) as "The Cock and the Hen".
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~F3 FEF c2 A | ~F3 FEF AFE | ~F3 FEF c2 d | ecA BAF AFE :|
ecA ABc d2 f | ecA ABc BAF | ecA ABc d2 B | cBA BAF AFE :|

I’ve never heard it played in Bm. Very similar slip jig in D: https://thesession.org/tunes/1624

The F#minor setting is from the playing of Crosscurrent,etc., banjo/guitar wizard Damien O’Kane. It goes nicely in a set after The Hag at the Churn.

This tune is called Doodley Doodley Dank in Donegal. The tune’s origin is possibly very old, and may refer to clubs in the 18th century called by this name where men and women would play a game called ‘Cock and Hen’ which would result in people pairing up for sex. The version is in the Northern Fiddler on p160.

Go here for a tune by that name that’s similar but not the same as the one posted above https://thesession.org/tunes/1624.

So, you need to ask Jeremy to delete the alternative title to avoid confusion.

The Humours Of Derrycrossane (slip jig) too?

I think it appears under that title in M.Clarkson’s ‘The Farset’

Slight variation in A part as played at Frankfurt Art Bar (Germany):
~F3~F3 BcA| ~F3 FEF AFE|~F3~F3 Bcd|ecA ABc BAF:|

Trans. from playing of Brendan Mulvihill. He said there are many settings of this tune out there, but this is his favorite. He says he got it from the very old, out-of-print Joyce collection of tunes (pub. 1840?).

X:1
T:The Cock and the Hen
L:1/8
Q:320
M:9/8
K:D
c |: BBB fdB FBd | BBB fdB cBA | BBB fdB FBd |1 agf efd cBA :|2 agf efd efg |: afd dfg bge | afd ddd ecA | afd dfg bge |1 fgf efd cBA :|2 fgf efd cBA |: d2e fdd edd | fdd gdd afe | d/e/de fdd edd |1 agf efd cBA :|2 agf efd cBA ||

Key signature: D Major
Submitted on April 30th 2003 by slainte.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1624

Ah yes, Dow was already here… 😏

I have a possible parent for them… 😉

For the sake of my eyes ~

X: 1
T: The Cock and the Hen
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
K: b minor
c |: BBB fdB FBd | BBB fdB cBA | BBB fdB FBd |[1 agf efd cBA :|[2 agf efd efg ||
|: afd dfg bge | afd ddd ecA | afd dfg bge |[1 fgf efd cBA :|[2 fgf efd cBA ||
|: d2e fdd edd | fdd gdd afe | d/e/de fdd edd |[1 agf efd cBA :|[2 agf efd cBA |]

I had only heard this tune in F# minor before seeing it here.

"The Roche Collection of Traditional Irish Music, Volume II", 1912
"Hop Jigs" ~ pages 24 - 28

X: 5
T: The Cock and the Hen
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K:
|: BcB BAB g2 A | BcB BAB dBA | BcB BAB g2 e | fed edB dBA :|
afd def g2 e | afd def gfe | afd def g2 e | fed edB dBA |
afd def g2 e | afd def gfe | a2 a agf g2 e | fed edB dBA |]

This is a good song. i reccomend it

X:1
T:The Cock and the Hen
C: as played by Dervish on Life in Palma
L:1/8
Q:320
M:9/8
K:F#min
~F3 FEF BcA| ~F3 FEF AFE|~F3 FEF Bcd|ec/B/A BAF AFE|
~F3 FEF BcA| ~F3 FEF AFE|~F3 FEF Bcd|ecA BAF AFE|
ecA ABc d2 f | ecA ABc BAF | ecA ABc dcB | cBA BAF AFE |
ecA ABc de/f/g | aec ABc BAF | ecA ABc dcB | cBA BAF AFE :||

Also on their earlier album "Playing with Fire"

What would follow nicely after this tune? I’ve been playing it in F# minor, and I like the way it plays right after The Whinney Hills of Leitrim. Only fitting tune I can think of to play after is Hardiman The Fiddler.

This slip jig also appears on the Bunch of Keys album of Jason O’Rourke. He plays it in F#m and calls it Over the hill. He plays it in a set with The humours of whiskey in Bm. I play the same set but both in Bm on Anglo-Concertina.

Not sure how names get twisted around, but Redmond plays a sweet, mid-tempo version of this, just before playing ‘Thunderhead’.

~F3 FEF c2 A | ~F3 FEF GFE

Playing it with the G really adds a nice touch. I heard it played this way once and have preferred it ever since. You can hear it in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_68zvA46SE starting at 2:35.

play video

Her setting matches brotherstorm’s. Nice setting it is!

Lovely rhythm in this tune.

E dorian version

Version of the Cock and Hen by ‘The Flying Toads’ live at The Bath Folk Festival here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enY1N6MCahw

play video

www.flyingtoads.co.uk

Keith

I know this in F# minor

I came across this version in the Forde Collection. The 2 parts of the tune are in reverse order from those already posted here.

The most popular setting of this tune (in Australia at least). Recording here with Donal Lunny and Michael McGoldrick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAvIOvU_EKI

play video

The tune played by Donal Lunny and Michael McGoldrick in that clip is NOT "The Cock and The Hen", but instead Farewell to Whalley Range, which is also in the key of F#m. https://thesession.org/tunes/2410

What chords are commonly played with this tune in B minor?

This version is based on the B minor pentatonic scale without any passing tones (no C#, no G). It’s a transposition of the F#minor original tune.