"crans"

[Slainte]

I always here this talk about crans, I can do cuts rolls taps, etc etc. Hell maybe i even play crans too but just dont know what they are by name? Could anyone give me a brief definition?
cheers
-chris

[Bloomfield]

Cranns are a piping ornament. They work on flute or whistle, too. Basically, they ornament the D like a roll. Think of using to cuts instead of a cut and a tap/strike.

The simplest form of whistle cran might be

xxx xxx D
xxx oxx cut 1
xxx xxx D
xxx xox cut 2
xxx xxx D

But: If you listen to piping you will find that pipers often put in three (rather than two) cuts, that there is a distinct tripletty-rhythm in there, and that cranns are played differently depending on what not precedes them (and probably depending on other factors I don't understand). You'll here cranns on the E rather than the D (think Kid on the Mountain), and on the hi d (on flute, anyway). Get a pipe version of Fraher's or Blarney Pilgrim or a tune like that to hear lots of cranns.

If you want more information, run a search for "crans".

[fluter_d]

Crans do tend to have quite a few more notes in them than in Bloomfield's example, as he explains. In order to get the bouncy feel of piping crans, the first cut is usually to the A, rather than the G, and crans will usually end on the A, leaving a total of at least 7 notes, eg:

XXX XXX D

XXO XXX Cut 1

XXX XXX D

XXX OXX Cut 2

XXX XXX D

XXO XXX Cut 3

XXX XXX D


For a more bouncy cran, add more cuts (each of these is both pre- and anteceded by D):

XXO XXX Cut 1

XXX OXX Cut 2

XXX XOX Cut 3

XXX XXO Cut 4

XXO XXX Cut 5


Start on cut 1, end on cut 5, and add as many of the internal cuts (in the order written) as you can in the time allowed. Everyone clear? You have 35 minutes to complete this exam...

Seriously, though, once you get the hang of the finger order you can do 9-, 11- or even 13- note crans (you can cut to the B rather than the A, if you're feeling extra ambitious). You can also cran other notes - E works quite well (same technique, starting on E rather than D), or, on a flute with a Cnat key, G can be very effective (cut 1 is to Cnat, using the key, then B, then A, then Cnat again, with G in between all of the above).

So there. More info on crans than you ever really wanted. Enjoy! (*Laughs evilly: has now started a spate of cran-practising that may well end up in a string of murders by close relatives and nearby neighbours of the cranners... "Police are baffled by the presence of badly mutilated 6-hole recorder-things at all of the crime scenes; there seem to be no other connections between the homicides." *)

Deirdre

[Zubivka]

For a more bouncy cran, add more cuts (each of these is both pre- and anteceded by D):

XXO XXX Cut 1

XXX OXX Cut 2

XXX XOX Cut 3

XXX XXO Cut 4

XXO XXX Cut 5

Gotcha...

So if I play:
XXO XXX Cut 1
D
XXX OXX Cut 2
D
XXX XOX Cut 3
D
XXX XXO Cut 4
D
XXO XXX Cut 5
D
XXX OXX Cut 6
D
XXX XOX Cut 7
D
XXX XXO Cut 8
D
XXO XXX Cut 9
D
(... ad lib)

... I.e. skipping the first D, does it make it a "short cran" ?

[Nanohedron]

As I've been given to understand, the ideal crann (and there are many ways to finger it) is characterised by a sort of "stuttering" quality, at least in pipering; the D after the first cut is a bit drawn out comparative to the others to get an asymmetrical character to the timing of the whole ornament. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I like the "stutter", myself.

A piper I've been practicing with, just to get my goat one day, made the offhand comment that he thought "cranns on the flute sound silly". I replied with, "Bite me."

We're getting on well.

[Wombat]

As I've been given to understand, the ideal crann (and there are many ways to finger it) is characterised by a sort of "stuttering" quality, at least in pipering; the D after the first cut is a bit drawn out comparative to the others to get an asymmetrical character to the timing of the whole ornament. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I like the "stutter", myself.

A piper I've been practicing with, just to get my goat one day, made the offhand comment that he thought "cranns on the flute sound silly". I replied with, "Bite me."

We're getting on well.

You're getting love bites from a piper?

[Nanohedron]

As I've been given to understand, the ideal crann (and there are many ways to finger it) is characterised by a sort of "stuttering" quality, at least in pipering; the D after the first cut is a bit drawn out comparative to the others to get an asymmetrical character to the timing of the whole ornament. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I like the "stutter", myself.

A piper I've been practicing with, just to get my goat one day, made the offhand comment that he thought "cranns on the flute sound silly". I replied with, "Bite me."

We're getting on well.

You're getting love bites from a piper?

...I'm workin' on it. Don't tell his wife, tho.

[selkie]

I'm confused here. The crans posted in this thread.... should all of those lines be done for one note? How on earth do you get to play quick enough to do this? I have a problem trying to play xxxooo xoxooo xxxooo xxxxoo xxxooo which I believe is a long G roll. :roll:

[Nanohedron]

Selkie, the crann is basically a substitute for a roll, and so the time it takes to do it ought to allow for the fingerings with practice. It helps to be able to listen to U-pipers or recordings of them to get the gist of it. If you hear it on the bottom D or E, it's a distinctive bubbly effect. That's probably not a good description, but I hope it helps.

[fluter_d]

I'm confused here. The crans posted in this thread.... should all of those lines be done for one note? How on earth do you get to play quick enough to do this?

Not should. Can. Over time, and with much practice. The hardest part is hitting the D (or other base note) between each cut - that requires that your fingers move very quickly, but also very accurately. A 5-note (2-cut) cran is relatively easy once you get it in the right order; once you have that much, adding more cuts is pretty straightforward. Either way, don't worry! It's not compulsory! (I was just kidding... )
Deirdre

[hellbound skunk]

On the uilleann pipes I always do crans on D (off the knee of course, duh) like this:

xXXO XXXX - cut 1
xXXX XXXX
xXXX OXXX - cut 2
xXXX XXXX
xXXX XOXX - cut 3

low D crans on whistle like this:

XXO XXX - cut 1
XXX XXX
XXX OXX - cut 2
XXX XXX
XXX XOX - cut 3

high D crans liike this:

OXO XXX - cut 1
OXX XXX
OXX OXX - cut 2
OXX XXX
OXX XOX - cut 3


However, I detest the sound of crans on E on both pipes and whistle. Instead of crans I use another ornament for E:

OXX XXO - cut 1
XXX XXO
XXO XXO - cut 2
XXX XXO
XXX XXX - tap

This has commonly been used by Seamus Egan on the flute, I am not sure what it is called but I have heard people call it a double cut, even though it really is more of a double cut followed by a tap.

[Slainte]

Just a quick question, whilst doing a cran say on D for instance is the trick so sound the D for the slighest second inbetween each cut?

[Whistlepeg]

Slainte.......

yes

[Nanohedron]

Yes again. The alternative (not sounding the Ds between) will serve, but it's been called a "false crann". Sounds OK, but not the same.

[The Weekenders]

Bringing this back just to say: if you have access to a chanter for pipes, try a cran on it and it will make sense what they are supposed to be. I have a delrin chanter. The pressure of the air coming out of the holes makes the cran plunky and lovable. We are imitating it on the whistle, that is for sure and trying to make up in articulation what the pipes do naturally. Never played UP so I dunno if its the same deal.

Also, while fooling around with it, I realized that some reels have what are basically crans in eighth note time as a feature of the melody. Think of the beginning of Music for a Found Harmonium for example (I think thats the title of the tune). The way it starts sounds like a metric cran going from the third to the fourth back to the third for cuts.

Also, Hellbounds cran starts with a cut. Is that a special version or is the D assumed?