Hornpipe, G, Traditional Irish
Also known as: McGivney’s Fancy
This cheerful and catchy tune is one of the most popular Irish hornpipes.
Recordings
- Audio – Cady Finlayson: Off to California – from the album Shines Like Silver (Brooklyn, New York)
- Audio – Comhaltas: Off to California – session recording from the album Foinn Seisiún Volume 2
Sheet Music
As always for traditional tunes, the musical notation and chords do not indicate the “right” way to play the tune, but are a useful reference.
Play from the Dots
Sets
Examples of sets that include this tune.
- Jacky Tar Hornpipe Set: Off to California (G) / Jacky Tar (Em)
- Off to California / Harvest Home / Boys of Blue Hill
- Off to California / The Rights of Man
References and Resources
For those who want to dig deeper, here are some other resources.
- More Recordings
- Video – Shane Farrell: Off to California Hornpipe. Irish Tenor Banjo Music – played on tenor banjo
- Video – Concertinette: Hornpipes – Off to California, Whiskey You’re the Devil – played on concertina
- Audio – John Weed and Stuart Mason: Off to California – played slowly on fiddle with guitar. From the album Slow & Easy Volume 1 (San Luis Obispo, California)
- Books
- Book – Foinn Seisiún, Volume 2 — Published by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
- Book – David Brody: The Fiddler’s Fakebook
- Book & Video – Enda Scahill: Learn Irish Banjo – Enda Scahill’s Irish Banjo Tutor Vol I – Downloadable book with tenor banjo demonstration video for each tune
- Book & Audio – Matt & Shannon Heaton: In Harmony
- Book – John Weed and Stuart Mason: Slow & Easy Volumes 1 and 2
- Lessons
- Lesson – Baron Collins Hill (MandoLessons): Off to California – mandolin lesson with video, sheet music, and play-along tracks
- Lesson – Tom Morley: Learn an Irish Trad Fiddle Tune – Off To California – video lesson with sheet music in video
- Lesson – Chris Haigh (The Fiddle Channel): Off to California (Irish fiddle lesson)
- Lesson – Learning Irish Flute – Tune of the Month with Shannon Heaton – Off to California [Hornpipe]
- Lesson – Enda Scahill: Off to California – Irish Hornpipe Tutorial (Full Lesson) 🇺🇸 Learning Irish tenor banjo – video lesson
- Lesson – Michael Eskin: 30 One-Hour Tin Whistle Tune Lessons + 70 Fast/Slow Tune Videos Bundle (purchase and download)
- Lesson – Online Academy of Irish Music: Off to California – flute lesson (requires subscription to OAIM)
- Additional Resources
- Webpage – The Session: Off to California (Hornpipe) – crowdsourced sheet music, comments, and other information
- Webpage – The Irish Traditional Music Tune Index – Off to California – archival information about the tune, curated by Alan Ng