Whistle Vibrato-How Does Joanie Do It?

Emrys · Post by **Emrys** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:55 pm

I was listening to a Joanie Madden album. She's playing a high D whistle and vibrating on the "F#" note.

The only way I can figure out that she's creating the vibrato on this note is that she is rhythmically moving the whole whistle around--bouncing it gently... versus doing the usual flutter with her fingers. IS THIS POSSIBLY WHAT SHE'S DOING?

Meaning, is there a vibrato technique where you jiggle the whistle? I've tried it and like the effect, but I'm not sure that there isn't a better way it's traditionally done.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:19 pm

ALERT: The following paragraph is erroneous. Please skip past it and go the posts below, which are correcter. I won't delete, as I'm not all that concerned that people know I'm not perfect.

Much of the vibrato on her Songs of the Irish Whistle album is diaphram vibrato, ala classical players. I haven't heard all of her work but I don't remember hearing her do finger vibrato. I'm sure she can, though, I've just never heard it.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:21 pm

Without listening to the soundbite to which you refer, I can only posit
possibilities. But I don't see why she couldn't use finger vibrato on an
F#; she would only need to tap the whistle with her right ring and pinky
fingers. Another alternative is breath vibrato, which uses the diaphram,
but that wouldn't sound quite the same. Again, without hearing it, I
couldn't say for sure.

Craig Stuntz · Post by **Craig Stuntz** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:49 pm

FJohnSharp wrote:Much of the vibrato on her Songs of the Irish Whistle album is diaphram vibrato, ala classical players. I haven't heard all of her work but I don't remember hearing her do finger vibrato. I'm sure she can, though, I've just never heard it.

Joanie has stated on this board that she uses fingered vibrato except on D.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:03 pm

When I saw her play, all of her vibrato on whistle was fingered vibrato.

--James

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:35 pm

Boy, it sure sounds different than most fingered vibrato I hear other people do. It's really excellent.

I stand corrected.

Sorry.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:40 pm

She taught a workshop at the St. Louis Tionol this past year, and showed us how to get vibrato out of a note above D by 'almost' tapping the note below... sort of vibrating the air above the hole below the note you are playing... i.e. playing the F#, you would tap *by* the hole for E, though not actually covering it.

Hope that helps.

KDMARTINKY · Post by **KDMARTINKY** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 4:04 pm

Maybe I can find out tomorrow when I see her with Cherish the Ladies...I anm two rows back and dead center........

NancyF · Post by **NancyF** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:10 pm

I had her workshop for a week during Gaelic Roots 2000 at Boston College. What she was doing then and I assume still is doing is pretty much all finger vibrato. What she showed us was happening, with one open hole between the fingered note and and the action, was waggling her finger up and down above the hole in question. Did that make any sence at all?

NancyF

BrassBlower · Post by **BrassBlower** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:31 pm

You guessed it...

OBLIGATORY POST!

Nancy has a good description for it. It looks to me like her finger never actually contacts the whistle. Instead, it looks like it just barely misses the hole.

(P.S. - I will admit to probably having the weirdest vibrato on this forum. I use my right thumb. Yes, you read it right.)

John S · Post by **John S** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 8:45 am

Diaphragm vibrato is a lot slower at say about 5Hz whilst finger vibrato is usually around 10Hz.

John S

NancyF · Post by **NancyF** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 11:14 am

Jim, I think she not only touches the whistle body, but actually bumps it fairly hard, remember there is one and sometimes two holes open between the note being played and the vibrato spot. In fact it may be the bumping causing it to move in your mouth that causes the effect.

Nancy

Scott McCallister · Post by **Scott McCallister** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 12:16 pm

John S wrote:Diaphragm vibrato is a lot slower at say about 5Hz whilst finger vibrato is usually around 10Hz.

John S

Really!?

You think that fast? I cant get any TWO fingers to beat 10 times a second.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 12:46 pm

Scott McCallister wrote:
John S wrote:Diaphragm vibrato is a lot slower at say about 5Hz whilst finger vibrato is usually around 10Hz.

John S
Really!? You think that fast? I cant get any TWO fingers to beat 10 times a second.

Heh, I remember once counting all the notes (including grace notes) in a Mary Bergin tune and it was something obnoixious like 250 over just a few seconds. I'll have to perform that experiment again

Craig Stuntz · Post by **Craig Stuntz** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 12:51 pm

Wanderer wrote:Heh, I remember once counting all the notes (including grace notes) in a Mary Bergin tune and it was something obnoixious like 250 over just a few seconds. I'll have to perform that experiment again

250 notes in 10 seconds would be by itself an audible (but very low) pitch!