So, there are lots of ways to break up long notes with ornaments, etc.
But do you ever just hold them out? If so, what makes them sound good to your ear? Phrasing tricks? Volume changes?
Thinking of this problem especially in relation to airs, and especially in relation to long high notes, but other instances of long notes are perfectly discussable too.
[PS – looked for old threads, but the obvious search words were “too common”, so putting this one up for discussion]
Yes in a reel I will often just hold out a long note (especially a high note) and let it sing as a sort of variation.
I usually bend up to it- never would I just hit the high note plain and square and cold.
In airs too I usually will bend up to the longest notes and give them some vibrato either with the fingers or with other means.
I pretty much only play low D whistle nowadays, and on it the sort of vibrato I use depends on which note it is, and sometimes on the situation.
On bottom D I’ll use a slowish pulse of the diaphragm for vibrato. I’ll use diaphragm vibrato on other low notes sometimes, but prefer finger vibrato if that is possible on the given note.
In the upper register I use a rapid shallow vibrato done in the throat if I really want a note to sing out. So for example on high G, A, and B I would normally use finger vibrato but if I really want to emphasise the note I’ll do the throat vibrato, and of course bend up to the note.
I also sometimes bend down to a note, for example going from F# down to E in the upper register, or from B to A in either register.
You can use finger vibrato too…try rapidly opening and closing a hole (or two) spaced one or two holes below the normally fingered note. For example, when playing a long G: XXXOOO, try some vibrato with :XXXOVO or XXXOVV. This will vary from whistle to whistle. Obviously, F# is the lowest note that you can do this with.
I like to do a roll on the longer notes with the faster tunes. If it is a slow air, I hole it out with some vibrato.
I find nothing dipleasing about simply holding a long note. But it, like excessive ornamentation, can get old if overused. It’s all about taste and musicality.
Thanks for the great tips, everyone, especially re: the specifics of vibrato uses/notes/registers. That gives me a much better idea of what to try where.
My whistle time has been very limited over the last several months. Now that I’m coming back to it, I find I’m wanting to hear & play things a little differently, and my band is looking to have me play on a couple of medium-to-slowish pieces. So it’s time for some added refinement, and probably some added listening too. Listening suggestions in the vein of this discussion would be welcomed!
About finger vibrato, there are three basic approaches to it:
1) fully close & open a hole further down the tube.
For example on low F# you can fully close & open the lowest hole with the ring finger.
2) partially close (or “shade”) one or more holes further down the tube by patting straight fingers at an angle on the sides of the holes.
For example many trad players will pat the lower-hand middle and index fingers on the sides of their respective holes to impart vibrato on both A and B.
An advantage of this approach is that the intensity of the vibrato can be changed simply by changing the angle of the patting/shading fingers.
3) partially close (shade) the actual hole from which the note emits: I only do this on E.
When holding a high D note (on a D whistle), I like to shamelessly imitate Joannie Madden by lifting the lowest finger at the very end. Or I like to decrease breath at the end, causing the note to fade out. I can’t get enough of that.
Listen to some Native American Flute music. The common style uses lots of long notes, with all kinds of interesting articulations, including bends. I have been successful at playing in the same style on the low whistle, but not so much on the high whistle.