Ornamentation 3: Other Techniques

Some addtional ornaments, ranging from the useful and universally approved to the cheap and flashy...

Triplets

Any interval of a third in a tune (say, F#-A or G-E) can be filled in with the note in between, producing a triplet (i.e. F#-G-A and G-F#-E). This is pretty easy to get a handle on. Note that triplets in tunes with a steady eighth-note rhythm (polkas, jigs, reels) will actually have a sixteenth/sixteenth/eighth rhythm. The evenly-weighted triplets used in classical music are the rule in swingier tunes, such as hornpipes.

The Backstitch

This is a B-C-D triplet with a tiny little articulation between the B and C. The transition between B and C is played a little sloppily so that a tiny pop of a G gracing is heard, giving the triplet a hard bubbly sound. To facilitate this, start with the fingering xoxooo for B and proceed as follows:

B           xox ooo
G gracing   xxx ooo
C           oxx ooo
D           oxx xxx

Note that all you have to do is trade the top two fingers to go from B to C, and that the third finger stays firmly planted on its hole throughout the maneuver. You can use this ornament anywhere (or everywhere) you have B followed by D.

Bent Notes

Aka smear, slide or glissando. Rather than pick up a finger to go the next higher note, you slide or roll it off the hole to slide up to the note. This is a very expressive technique, but a little of it goes a long way. As a rule, start the bend on the beat (or subdivision) rather than before it. I usually tongue at the beginning of the bend; otherwise it sounds a little too mushy. You can help to keep your tone from going weak and wispy by squeezing your finger against the edge of the hole as you roll it off.

You can also set off a note in a decending phrase by dropping down below the note and bending up to it. The motion is almost the same as a tap --

B     xoo ooo
A     xxo ooo
tap   xxx xoo
G     xxx ooo

-- except that you'll slide your tapping finger off the hole rather than bouncing it. There are a lot of expressive possibilities between a concise percussive tap and a full-blown bluesy bend, so do some listening and experimenting and find out what you like.

Good notes to bend up to are the third and seventh degrees of whatever scale/mode the tune you're playing happens to be in (i.e. F# and C# in D maj/mix, B and F# in G maj, and C# and G in A mix). Avoid bending up to the fourth degree of minor and dorian scales (i.e. A in E min/dor); the slide takes you past the major third, which can sound pretty horrible in context.

The Shake

This is my term for a quick little trill on an eighth note. I usually do it on F# or E in a descending phrase. Pretty simple, really -- instead of simply playing G-F#-E, play G-(F#G)F#-E. The notes in parentheses are very, very fast. It works best if you stay relaxed and employ the same bouncing movement you'd use to play a tap.

The C Natural "Crann"

An effective ornament for C-natural. Start with fingering C oxxxox and simply trade your right index and middle fingers back and forth, grabbing the middle D briefly in between.

C      oxx xox     eighth note
"cut"  oxx xxx
C      oxx oxx     eighth note
"cut"  oxx xxx
C      oxx xox     eighth note
The C# "Crann"

I think my friends Aran Olwell and Michael Lesley came up with this. Play a C#, move your left hand up the body of the flute (towards your head), spread your fingers, and slide them down rapidly across the C hole, producing a series of crisp, stuttering cuts. It works best if you play with a flat-fingered "piper style" left-hand position.

The Double-Cut Roll

This works on a dotted quarter note to turn it into an eighth, two sixteenths, and an eighth. Sort of like a hybrid crann.

G     xxx ooo     eighth note
cut   xox ooo     
G     xxx ooo     sixteenth note
cut   xxo ooo
G     xxx ooo     sixteenth note
tap   xxx xoo
G     xxx ooo     eighth note

A     xxo ooo     eighth note
cut   oxo ooo     
A     xxo ooo     sixteenth note
cut   xoo ooo
A     xxo ooo     sixteenth note
tap   xxx ooo
A     xxo ooo     eighth note
The Double-Tap Roll

Same rhythm, different articulations. This is quite a bit trickier...

G     xxx ooo     eighth note
cut   xxo ooo     
G     xxx ooo     sixteenth note
tap   xxx xoo
G     xxx ooo     sixteenth note
tap   xxx xoo
G     xxx ooo     eighth note
The One-Finger Crann

This is a useful technique for a quarter-note middle D preceded by a lower note. You have to be seriously relaxed and absolutely fearless to pull this off (I'm working on it).

A     xxo ooo     eighth note (preparation)
D     oxx xxx     sixteenth note
cut   oxo xxx   
D     oxx xxx     sixteenth note
cut   oxo xxx
D     oxx xxx     eighth note

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