I could really use some help in playing a EEE sequence. Right now I am only able to tounge the notes---- which doesnt sound good at all.
I think most people would tell you that you can do a roll. Brother Steve teaches how to do rolls here and here.
You could also just replace the middle E with a D, in most cases.
Brother Steve has an excellent tutorial that talks about ornamentation:
http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/twiddlybits1.html
Rolls are particularly pertinent to your question:
http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/rolls0.html
(Edit: Congratulations, fastest keyboard in the West)
I always cran on an E.
How about a cran?
Edited cause unseen beat me to it 
A cran is something I’d still like to learn.. I’m currently learning rolls though.
Guys – if he doesn’t know about rolls, this is not the time to be introducing crans. Especially on E. (Frankly, I think “never” is the time to be introducing crans on E, but whatever.)
Yeah, that’s why I didn’t mention them.
Possible answer: Turn the EEE into EE and do a little flip between them. So it comes out EF#E.
Serious question here, not a joke…
How do the members here feel about glottal stops. I seem to have fallen into the habit of using them, without actually trying. It creates a good clean note, but a little stark.
Personally, I found crans to be easier to learn.
Why not?
It’s actually possible to crann up to a G, and on a few tunes it can sound good.
EDIT: Some talented souls can certainly crann on A, I’m sure. Not me though.
The ability to do triple EEEs depends on the whistle and whistlers skills. Instead of trying to look for a solution around it, let me ask, what whistle are you playing and what is your skill level?
I ask this because early on I got into the habit of ornamentizing something that sounded like it needed spirit, when all it needed was discipline. Example, first tune I learned was “Down by the Sally Gardens”. I jazzed it up with ornamentation and other whistle special effects, but the more I played, the better it sounded when played simple but with feeling.
I can think of 5 ways to either play through triple EEEs or around it but for me it depends on what whistle I am playing and how I want to tackle it in context with the rest of the tune. Does ornamentation sound good or a triplet, etc… or a breath or leave it alone
Personally I cran or roll naturally. Whatever sounds like sweetening at the moment.
Thanks for all the respones. The piece I am working on is a John McCusker reel titled, For All the Cows. The note sequence runs E EEE ED. Im playing a Hoover CPVC Low F. Again would like to thank you for all the help–folks
Well, it’s like this. When I started playing whistle, I worked on all these flashy ornaments. Then I started really listening to some of the great older players, and realized two things: A) My playing was absolute crap. B) They were, as far as I could hear, playing far fewer ornaments than I was, and less flashy ones at that. Instead, they relied more on melodic variation to add spice to tunes.
Since then, I’ve given up trying to see how many grace notes I can fit on the head of a pin, and concentrated on getting the right feel and lift on the basic notes of the tune. I play a lot of eighth-eighth-quarter patterns in places I would have always rolled before, and only cran (on bell D) on a couple of tunes I learned before the switch. And I’m a lot happier with my playing.
Excellent - for your personal preferences and playing style cranns are not favored.
BUT - your initial post implied that they are a bad idea for everybody. I respectfully diagree. I do concur that ornamentation (complex articulation, more precisely) is not the most important aspect of the music, and maybe shouldn’t be a priority for someone starting out.
My own background is in GHB. I consistently get comments that my articulations are quite clear and distinct. I happen to prefer “clicky”, distinct, complex ornaments in some spots, in some tunes, some of the time. Because of my training, they aren’t that challenging from a technique standpoint. So is my style better than yours or vice versa? Not what I am saying at all. It all boils down to personal preference. I do think it’s better that new players (myself included) be exposed to as many styles as possible.
Amen, especially to point A. (that my playing is crap, not colmon’s) I don’t know if its your experience, but I have noticed several of the great players don’t play nearly as fast as it seems they are. They just have an impecable sense of timing and makes them seem like they are playing at breakneck speeds. I really think that this is one if not the most important thing in Irish / scottish tunes. I have heard the same tune sound good with alot of ornamentation, or with very little and with alot of tounging. But if the rythm is a little off or the timing is a little off, it will not sound very good. I know for myself, that when I try to fit too much in, my timing gets all off.
Very good points colomon and Celtic983! I have thought much of this, cause I am always recklessly putting all kinds of different ornaments and stuff up the tunes totally with hundreds of notes and try to play at lightning speed. Then I listen to some of the great players and notice that they play more slowly with less ornaments and still sound much more better and more like “virtuoso”. This happens even though I practise a lot and think my timing is okay and all the ornaments well played. It seems that I cannot too much remind myself about this thing, cause after all the more down to earth simplier tunes and arrangements I play sound much better.
So, it is the patience, timing and taste of good players that make them good I think. (and make rest of us seem like headless chickens running around) 