These lessons demonstrate some of the more difficult variations & embellishments that are used in traditional tunes. Each lesson gives a description and demonstration of the embellishment plus a tune to illustrate how it is used in context.
Unlike the taps, cuts, or rolls which are used to accent a single note, triplets are used to bring out a transition from one note to another. The examples that I use in this tune are to get up to a C-natural or to a high-D from a note below.
The "triple roll" is basically a standard roll with one extra gracenote thrown in. Rather than giving the appearance of the same note played twice, it sounds like the note is played three times. Have a listen to the tutorial, and it'll probably make more sense!
A cran is actually a piping embellishment that has become very common for whistle and flute players these days. There are three cuts (gracenotes) played in succesion - the last finger of the top hand, followed by the first finger of the bottom hand, then the middle finger of the bottom hand. If...
Vibrato is typically used in slower tunes -- airs and waltzes, etc. -- but can be used to effect in faster tunes too. The general rule of thumb is to play the vibrato on the open hole that's 2 holes below the melody note. For example: on F#, the vibrato would be played on the D hole. Now, it...
There are so many things that can be done with a particular tune, it's difficult to give a lesson on variations. This tune is a good example of a simple tune that can be varied with farily simple embellishment and melodic changes. The tutorial demonstrates only some of the possibilities.
This ornament is actually fairly simple but it's one best attempted once you have learned a few others up to speed. It's nothing more than a tap followed by playing the tapped note itself -- the effect is that the note has a subtle but noticeable accent. Have a look at the video for a...
I haven't heard anyone come up with a name for this ornament so I just call it a crossing note. In piping, a crossing noise is an accidental note that sounds when your fingerings aren't clean so it's something to be avoided. When playing the whistle, however, this ornament can add a subtle...
