Help: Links to explanations of Irish ornaments

Can anyone point me to a site that lists the names of the ornaments used in Irish music and gives examples in standard music notation?

Thanks! :slight_smile:

You should definitely head over to Brother Steve’s webpage at:

http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/

This is where I finally got what rolls really are. A great resource.

Hope this helps.

–Aaron

Have you looked at Brother Steve’s tinwhistle pages?

http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/

That should be enough to get you started. Though it needs practice; I understand ornamentation OK, but I’m still working on doing it.

The Californians, at least here in the Bay Area, are obviously firmly in Bro. Steve’s corner!

It is a great resource, and very generously provided for free by a guy who’s obviously a very good teacher, so check it out.

Hey Dcrom & Herbivore,

Thanks! I’m about to go check out Bro. Steve’s site!

Are there ever any whistle get-togethers 'round these parts? I just noticed the locations under your names. It seems the Bay area is well represented here. I’ve NEVER met anyone else who plays whistle…


Thanks again!

There are quite a few Bay area posters, and the www.sessioneer.com site shows a number of Bay area sessions, but I haven’t met any other whistlers, either. (Other than my younger daughter, who I’d characterise as “playing with” rather than “playing” the whistle).

In my case, it’s been rather deliberate - I want to avoid causing death-by-laughter of the other session participants :laughing: Once I think I’m likely to add rather than detract from a session, I intend to start participating.

Though I’m not too shy about playing in public - I play at work (outside, during lunch), I play in my car (when stopped at lights), and I play when out observing (if you’re in Henry Coe or Coyote parks on a saturday night during the dark of the moon, you can find me be listening for whistle music).

Hey! Bro. Steve’s site is way cool! It was exactly what I was looking for!
I’ve been playing the roll as a classical music turn, because that’s what the symbol means in classical music. I’ll probably use the proper Irish roll and classical turn interchangably now, since I like the sound of both.

I also checked out the sessioneer site. Maybe one day I’ll make it to one of the sessions!

Aldon

What’s a classical turn? Sounds interesting..

I went looking on the web for a site that would explain classical turns, but was unable to find one, so I’ll give it a shot.

A classical turn usually consists of 5 notes. You play the principle note, the note above, the principle, the note below, then the principle again. If you were to play it for the length of a quarter note, then the first (principle note) would get half of the beat (in this instance, an eighth note), and the other notes would be played in the second half of the beat.

Classical turns sound beautiful in the slower Irish airs and songs.

Hope that helps! :slight_smile: