As I was browsing the net, I came across the mad for trad tutorial for whistle. I noticed that there is somthing called flutters and Hand slides. I am not sure what these are. Are flutters the technique used to create vibrato with your fingers? I know that the hand slides are different than a regular slide. An explination would be appreciated!!
Thanks
matt
There was a discussion about this some time back (I know, because I was the one with the question). Try “vibrato” on the search. I’d post it for you, but my search function is limited on this computer and won’t let me in.
Seems that there are some who use the hand motion for vibrato, and others who use the breath. I’ve seen both, but can’t seem to get used to using my hand for it.
Jennie
Are you sure thats what flutters are? I found a R@#$RD%R Site that hinted that flutters were a tounging technique. So maybe they are trrrrrrrr rolls made by puting the tounge behind the teeth and blowing. However, they are also mentioned on some flute sites and I am not sure if you can do that with a flute. (perhaps a flute play could shed some light on it) They seem to be mentioned with jazz techniques and trills.
I just checked the tutorial, and the flutter technique Brian Finnegan teaches is done with the fingers, it’s kind of like a finger vibrato. He describes it like this: . “Here are a few non-traditional ornaments that I’ve had fun using recently. The first is a flutter with the G and F# fingers across the holes and is used to ornament the G.” He flutters the fingers quickly to do it.
He also demonstrates a ‘wrist ornament’, which may be your hand slide. He slides the G, A, & B fingers upwards off the whistle. Sounds cool, like a super slide; ultra-traditionalists may not like it. I don’t think he uses either of these techniques in the tunes he teaches in the turorial, he just demonstrates them.
His style may not be for everyone, but he sure seems to have fun whistling and playing around with different sounds.
Finnegan has this technique on the whistle tutorial that slides your top three fingers off at the same time giving it an interesting ornament. I haven’t found it to be incredibly useful. Humming or Growling while playing makes an interesting sound (in theory you could sing while playing…would make for some interesting harmonies), and the flutter tongue technique is also a good one.
I think the guy from Millish uses a lot of these.
Thanks guys, I didn’t really figure that they were really trad techniques. I love flooks stuff. It will be fun to try them out. Thanks again for the explinations!!!
I’d also like to point out flutter tongueing, which is typical in most forms of music. It’s where you let your tongue flap around (a little like a spanish letter ‘r’), and it makes a cool flappy sound. All brass instruments do it, as well as flutes and saxophones and bassoons and maybe clarinets.
Don’t know if that’s what you’re looking for, but it’s something.
If I’m not wrong, there should be a Vid on WhistleTutor about finger vibrato. Check that, if it wasn’t already mentioned 
I can’t really tell much about it since I’m pretty new to whistles, but it sounded pretty good to me.
If I’m not wrong, there should be a Vid on WhistleTutor about finger vibrato.
I actually have no problems doing vibrato with my fingers. From the explinations, it seems that flutters are similiar, but are not the same. I did some hand slides last night. Not real useful, but they do make a cool sound. 
Thanks again for everyone’s help