A player who’s style I really like (but then I like a lot of them) is adamant about cutting E using B1. He claims the sound is crisper, especially on flute (as opposed to whistle). But I’m way more comfortable and consistent using T3, I see a lot of players I think are good doing that, and while I can hear a difference between when I cut with B1 instead of T3 (especially in the 2nd octave), I don’t necessarily find one gives me a better quality than the other. Am I kidding myself? Can anyone weigh in on this?
I think cutting with T3 or B1 works. Whatever is comfortable for you. I am in the habit of cutting with B1 if I’m just cutting the E (like in Mrs. Galvin’s) but I cut T3 and when I’m rolling E so that I split the work between two hands…MUCH easier for me. I’ve read Grey’s book and he recommends cutting B1 when rolling on E…my hand doesn’t work that way, and frankly, not worth the effort to my ears. Cutting T3 works just fine for the roll.
Do what sounds good and feels good. Hope that helps.
I completely agree with the Marine. I read Grey’s book and tried to roll using R1/B1 for quite a while–couldn’t get it just right. I switched to rolling with L3/T3 and am much happier. For cutting, I tend to use R1/B1 because I think it is crisper, as Grey points out, but I’ll switch around depending on the tune and how it lays.
jason
Another vote for “do what works for you”… I mostly use R1 for cuts and rolls on E - in my case a hang-over habit from initially learning Bohm flute (where the F# fingering leads one to doing so) which I never really dropped when I shifted to simple system, along with tending to move my L thumb as if it was playing Bohm thumb keys much of the time and with using the Eb key…if I had noticed any disadvantage from these habits I would have worked to change them, but they don’t seem to me to matter and/or may have positive advantages. I have never cut R hand notes with L3 save in D crans and in double cuts on Es and Fs (which admittedly I use quite a bit.) Likewise I don’t cut all the L hand notes with L1, but with their own finger (cut G with L3, A with L2, B with L1.) I know there are some who would condemn that as un-Irish… but it works for me and I don’t notice any major differences in effect nor get “told off” for it by better ITM players than myself. There are choices, no single “right” way: experiment, evaluate sound and personal convenience, choose.
On a short or long E roll in either octave, I cut with T3. Much cleaner for me to involve both hands. But in the middle octave I often substitute a crann on e for the long long roll. Learned this years ago from John Skelton.
On cuts coming up to the middle octave e as the highest note in a string, I usually cut with B1. Gives the cut a nice chirpy quality. Learned this from Kevin Henry.
June McCormack teaches the e/E cut with B2 (f# fingering down instantaneously to e), and one certainly can not argue with her results!
It took me some time to realize what is T and what is B…
Anyhow for rolls I would always use both hands, or a crann - if one hand.
A quick cut just before landing on the E from above I would always replace with a double E tap. But that’s me.
If going up to an e or E, I guess the T version is easier - though I’d agree using the B finger to cut E should sound crispier.
As John Wynne recommended at this year’s St. Louis Tionol, use any/all fingers for cuts (you can even cut with the lowest finger down). He also demonstrated cutting notes with the A and G fingers (or even the entire left hand) at once. He did not advocate assigning certain fingers to do cuts for certain notes. On the other hand, a friend took a whistle class from Joannie Madden a few years ago, and she suggested using only two or three fingers for all cuts–but I don’t know if she that carries over to flute or not.
You can’t go wrong learning to cut with every finger, and then picking what sounds and works best for you/your flute. It’s nice to have a range of choices based on the musical context.