Ornamentation

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Bretton
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Re: Ornamentation

Post by Bretton »

Amergin wrote: Does anyone have any tips for how to get good at ornamentation or any resources/tutorials that you particularly recommend?
Hi Amergin. I've always found Grey Larsen's approach to ornamentation very helpful. It's a more analytical approach than many. It really made sense to me and allowed me to get my mind around what was happening with ornamentation. He has several different books where he outlines this approach (https://greylarsen.com/webstore/books).

The key point for me (others have mentioned it in this thread) was that ornamentation's main role is to articulate consecutive notes of the same pitch. I assume this developed at least in part on the uilleann pipes where there's not an easy way to articulate consecutive notes of the same pitch. On the whistle you could just tongue each note to get the job done, but this doesn't sound very Irish, but I do think judicious use of tonguing sounds quite good.

-Brett
tstermitz
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Re: Ornamentation

Post by tstermitz »

@Brett.

I agree with your point as far as it goes, but would add that the main point of articulation is more than separating notes. It provides rhythmic drive. Whistles in particular don't have as much volume dynamics, so you have to fall back on articulations and tonguing.
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Mr.Gumby
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Re: Ornamentation

Post by Mr.Gumby »

I am not sure it is helpful to go over this subject all over again. But.

The key point for me (others have mentioned it in this thread) was that ornamentation's main role is to articulate consecutive notes of the same pitch. I assume this developed at least in part on the uilleann pipes where there's not an easy way to articulate consecutive notes of the same pitch.

Articulation/separation of notes is a basic function of cuts/taps. It is, however, not the only function. To see a roll as the articulation of three notes of the same pitch is completely missing the point. First of all, the roll is first and foremost a rhythmic device. I feel it also serves a decorative/ornamental function but its primary function is rhythmic. The use of these things may well have been derived from piping, the pipes however well capable of separating notes (although perhaps some more readily than others) by stopping the chanter between notes.

So, there's separation but there are other purposes: emphasis ,ornamentation (especially when a player starts playing with the placement of the cut in relation to the note) etc. and then there are rolls and other forms of ornamentation or as they used to be called 'embellishments' (that I will steer clear of for the purpose of this discussion, we're already way beyond the OP's initial question as it is), that all have their own uses.
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Bretton
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Tell us something.: I've been playing whistle for a very long time, but never seem to get any better than I was about 10 years ago. I'm okay with that. :)
Location: Bloomington, Indiana

Re: Ornamentation

Post by Bretton »

I agree. Didn't mean to imply that separating consecutive notes of the same pitch was the only purpose, and re-reading my post I can see that it sounded that way. Cuts and taps are also used to articulate individual notes in many other cases. I guess the "articulation" part was what helped me...should've left out the "separating consecutive notes part." Especially with regard to rolls, thinking of them as three different articulations (or attacks) of notes made my rolls have better rhythm.

-Brett
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