The cran is the next ornament to learn. It is a typical piping ornament and many players of other instruments don't use it; however, it has a wonderful sound and you will benefit from knowing how it's done. The cran is a sort of stuttering, bubbling roll done on the low D or E, and consists of three main notes separated by cuts. To do a cran on D, use the following procedure:
- 1. Play a low D.
- 2. Use your fourth finger to make a cut on D.
- 3. After replacing your finger to get the second main note, use your fifth finger to make another cut on D.
- 4. Finish with the third main note D.
A cran is often followed by a normal cut, which is done with the third finger as usual. When practicing crans, hold the first main note just a little longer than the others, especially if you are cutting afterwards. This figure is nice to hear because, if you notice, you never have two of the same grace notes in a row.
The trick to doing a cran cleanly is to be sure to replace each finger before lifting the next. Keep your cuts short and your main notes long, so that you hear each main note clearly.
| EXERCISE 22 Practice crans on D and E. Lead into each cran with an A, and follow the cran with a normal cut, ending on D or E. Blow continuously throughout each one, taking breaths in between as necessary. Start very slowly, and gradually get faster. This ornament will be awkward at first, but keep at it. |
Crans work great in our jig. The end of each part has a place that is just begging to have a cran put in, and that's what we're going to do.
| EXERCISE 23 Refer to the music above. Play through the tune slowly, using crans as indicated. Continue to put in other ornamentation as you see fit. Make sure to cut between crans if they occur adjacent to one another (such as the repeat of the A part). Gradually increase your speed, and continue until you have mastered using crans in the tune. |
If you have successfully completed all the exercises up to this point, then clap yourself on the back - you're well on your way to becoming a great whistle player. You should have a basic understanding of how to use ornaments in a tune, and should be ready to continue further. To progress, you will need to 1) learn more tunes, 2) increase the clarity of your playing, and 3) give more attention to subtler aspects of your playing. As you learn tunes, you acquire more and more fingering patterns, and it will get easier and easier to learn new tunes.