Ornamentation techniques: contents page

This page points you to pages on a number of ornamentation techniques, basic and advanced. Follow any of the links in the contents table below.

Basic ornamentation

Taps or strikes
   A simple and effective method of decorating a note.
   One of two essential basic techniques you must learn.
Cuts
   The other essential basic technique:
   Using a higher note to ornament or articulate a note.
Slides or glissando
   A very characteristic ornament in Irish music:
   sounds great on a whistle. Use with care.
Vibrato
   Not essential, disliked by many. Use with much greater care.

Advanced ornamentation
Rolls: an introduction
   A few thoughts to introduce you to this
   ubiquitous ornament.
The dah-blah-blah method
   Sounds silly, but this is an easy method for
   learning rolls - foolproof, if you follow it closely.
Rolls: how to use them
   A few straightforward examples to show you how rolls can be used -
   the long, "offbeat" and short varieties.
Rolls: the practice page
   Some tunes for you to try.
Triplets - tongued and otherwise
   Not played as written (sounds familiar?)
Crans [coming soon]
   You can't roll on the note D...
   Many whistlers use this piper's technique instead.

   While you wait for the page on crans, which has been "coming soon" for an awful long time now, you might like to try this herbal preparation. It may help.

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Updated: 12 April 2002