breaking up two notes

[beowulf573]

So what techniques do folks use to break up two sequential notes of the same pitch?

For example, in the third bar of the Kesh Jig there is a sequence:

e d d g d d

Both pairs of d's must be broken into distinct notes, blending them together just doesn't sound right.

Two ways I've read about:

Tonguing, frowned upon on the trad flute and doesn't really seem to provide the explosive sound I think is necessary for this tune.

Glottal Stop, the right way to do it but to be honest I'm not quite able to figure out how to do this from reading a book. What I've ended up doing is closing the back of my mouth to block the air flow and then pushing with my diaphram when I open it to give the note an impulse, but I don't think this is what most people mean by a glottal stop.

Any thoughts?

thanks,
Eddie

[Steven]

You can also do a cut or a tap between those two notes. That way you can distinguish between them without interrupting the flow of air.


Steven

[dmcr35]

Hello Ed,

Glottal stops are not difficult, although it helps if you're a Scot. Pronounce the word "Glottal" without the t's - "Glaw'll". Almost like a gentle cough. Notice how your throat closes momentarily. That's a glottal stop.

Dave McRitchie
Toronto, Canada

[bradhurley]

I use glottal stops to separate such notes. Try saying "uh, uh" with your mouth closed and without vocalizing...that'll get you close.

It's especially challenging to play two notes together that are an octave apart -- like going from a low D to a high D or vice-versa. It's good practice to work on these octave jumps using glottal stops. In a tune it's very tricky, you have to stop mid-flight. In most tunes it sounds better if you come to a full stop after the low D and then hit the high D, rather than smoothly gliding into the second octave.

You can also practice glottal-stop triplets on the same note. Catherine McEvoy does this to great effect on one of the hornpipes on her CD. Once you get the hang of it, you can belt them out as crisply (though probably never as fast) as tongued triplets, if you're into that sort of thing. The technique is similar to one way young boys imitate the sound of a machine-gun.

[beowulf573]

Thanks for the suggestions.

After sitting around doing machine gun noises for a few minutes, I think that what I've been attempting to do as a glottal stop is what most folks actually mean by a glottal stop.

Practice to improve the ease of doing it and increasing my speed is perhaps what I need most. I also have a problem of occasionaly getting a dry mouth and that definitely hinders doing a stop.

Eddie

[dmcr35]

Eddie writes:

"I also have a problem of occasionaly getting a dry mouth and that definitely hinders doing a stop."

I believe that this is a common problem and explains why Irish flute players are often found in pubs.

Dave McRitchie

[johnkerr]

Glottal Stop, the right way to do it but to be honest I'm not quite able to figure out how to do this from reading a book. What I've ended up doing is closing the back of my mouth to block the air flow and then pushing with my diaphram when I open it to give the note an impulse, but I don't think this is what most people mean by a glottal stop.

That sounds like a glottal stop to me...

[Loren]

So what techniques do folks use to break up two sequential notes of the same pitch?

Tonguing, frowned upon on the trad flute and doesn't really seem to provide the explosive sound I think is necessary for this tune.

Glottal Stop, the right way to do it but to be honest I'm not quite able to figure out how to do this from reading a book."

Any thoughts?

Well, you know what they say: "Breaking up is hard to do"


Hee hee, sorry, I just couldn't resist

[ChrisLaughlin]

ummm... cut? tap? this is what I'd do.

[Flyingcursor]

Wow funny you should mention it because I just started using the glottal stops on that very tune. I've been having a lot of fun with them lately. I've been glottal stopping all over the place just for fun.