Hearing Celtic Music: The “Celtic” sound starts with the tin whistle, a peasant instrument. Whistle ornaments shape the Celtic sound, even when performed on instruments that don’t require them: harp, piano, flute, fiddle, and voice. Because the chirpy whistle lacks a rich woodwind voice, you won’t hear many long sustains. Exactly played notes sound plain. To avoid both, quick tunes often let notes arrive with a quick, sharp warble (“tip” or “cut”) or a breathy non-note-sound (“chiff,” produced by too much air or too little). For smoother tunes, one plain note often transitions gently into the next, creating a sense of movement that sounds interesting despite the whistle’s simple voice. Fast articulation on a whistle sounds sharp and clear—short runs up and down the scale are quick as you can say “plop”—and performers add them to break up long notes, or to add emphasis. Rolling fingers across a whistle’s open holes creates smooth, soulful transitions; going up they sound “soaring” and down they sound “moaning,” which have become Celtic trademarks. Next time you hear a Celtic song, listen for the genre’s distinctive reluctance to sustain long notes, the warbles and quick runs that break them up, and a frequent sense of soaring up and down the scale. You can also hear whistle ornaments in genres heavily seeded by Irish and Scots immigrants: American hymns, bluegrass, and country. Want to hear it? Compare Elyse Masterson’s Celtic rendition of How Deep the Father’s Love for Us grooveshark/#!/search/song?q=Various+Artists+How+Deep+The+Father%27s+Love+For+Us+-+Elyse+Masterson To Selah’s more traditional one https://youtube/watch?v=1vmY2ztb5xc
Posted on: Tue, 29 Apr 2014 15:10:19 +0000
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