Taps:
Taps are a very simple form of ornamentation or embellishment.
A tap is an embellishment that involves using a lower note "during" the embellished note.
For example, a G tap would be G(F#)G within the same note, by tapping the right index finger against the F# hole on a D whistle. Alternatively for a G tap, you could tap before the note, by going (F#)G.
Taps are a very simple form of ornamentation or embellishment.
A tap is an embellishment that involves using a lower note "during" the embellished note.
For example, a G tap would be G(F#)G within the same note, by tapping the right index finger against the F# hole on a D whistle. Alternatively for a G tap, you could tap before the note, by going (F#)G.
Use of Taps:
Taps are useful as standalone ornamentation on G's, A's and B's, although not widely used - a cut or an X-note are easier to manufacture, and often can be in-chord - taps generally aren't. It might be a useful note if you're dipping up and down from a note, say A to G and back to A, it then would be a useful one, because a G cut or X-note would be easy to miss in this circumstances. Also, if you're going up next, and want to hide the surprise of the higher note, and not muck up the transition to the higher note, the tap will sound cleaner. There's a good example of this below.
The most common place you'll see a tap in tin whistle or flute playing is as part of a roll, with an X-note before it. Because there's no other ornamentation that can create the down-note ornamentation, it's necessary to create the effect. Therefore, it's as part of this that you'll use your taps most often.
They can be combined with slide notes for an impressive standalone ornamentation sound, although this takes quite a bit of practice.
Taps are useful as standalone ornamentation on G's, A's and B's, although not widely used - a cut or an X-note are easier to manufacture, and often can be in-chord - taps generally aren't. It might be a useful note if you're dipping up and down from a note, say A to G and back to A, it then would be a useful one, because a G cut or X-note would be easy to miss in this circumstances. Also, if you're going up next, and want to hide the surprise of the higher note, and not muck up the transition to the higher note, the tap will sound cleaner. There's a good example of this below.
The most common place you'll see a tap in tin whistle or flute playing is as part of a roll, with an X-note before it. Because there's no other ornamentation that can create the down-note ornamentation, it's necessary to create the effect. Therefore, it's as part of this that you'll use your taps most often.
They can be combined with slide notes for an impressive standalone ornamentation sound, although this takes quite a bit of practice.
Common Mistakes with Taps:
The best things to avoid with tap are a lingering finger, and a missed tap. It literally is just a tap of the finger, and any longer can sound inexpert, and make your tap sound like a note, or worse, throw the rhythm of the entire tune.
If you miss a tap, it's not as bad as a lingering finger, but a roll will be unfinished, and a long note can sound unnecessarily bare or thready without it.
The best things to avoid with tap are a lingering finger, and a missed tap. It literally is just a tap of the finger, and any longer can sound inexpert, and make your tap sound like a note, or worse, throw the rhythm of the entire tune.
If you miss a tap, it's not as bad as a lingering finger, but a roll will be unfinished, and a long note can sound unnecessarily bare or thready without it.
Using Taps Initially:
Like all ornamentation, the best way to introduce it into your playing is to pick out specific tunes and circumstances, and try your best to incorporate it into your playing deliberately in a planned way at first.
Like all ornamentation, the best way to introduce it into your playing is to pick out specific tunes and circumstances, and try your best to incorporate it into your playing deliberately in a planned way at first.
Example of How to Use in Practice:
Below is "The Boston Sligo", one of my most recent uploads.
It has quite a few instances of the use of taps, so it's a good one to hear how it is used in practice.
I'll point out the pertinent examples:
1. As part of a high A roll three times in the first 8 seconds (at 0:01, 0:03 and 0:06). Notice the importance of the tap in making a complex ornamentation
2. A low A tap at 0:19-0:20 - notice how it adds a natural lilt and divides the repeated As nicely, as opposed to a long unembellished note, or an indistinct gap between the notes. You can compare it to the glottal stop / throating effect at 0:49 - 0:50 on the exact same note sequence to see how it would sound different with another form of ornamentation or division.
Below is "The Boston Sligo", one of my most recent uploads.
It has quite a few instances of the use of taps, so it's a good one to hear how it is used in practice.
I'll point out the pertinent examples:
1. As part of a high A roll three times in the first 8 seconds (at 0:01, 0:03 and 0:06). Notice the importance of the tap in making a complex ornamentation
2. A low A tap at 0:19-0:20 - notice how it adds a natural lilt and divides the repeated As nicely, as opposed to a long unembellished note, or an indistinct gap between the notes. You can compare it to the glottal stop / throating effect at 0:49 - 0:50 on the exact same note sequence to see how it would sound different with another form of ornamentation or division.