2nd octave F# "blip" thingy, what is it?

[ennischanter]

I hear this "blip" sound alot in Séamus Ennis' recordings, but don't hear it much in any other recordings. I listened to Mick O'Brien play The Flags of Dublin, and he did something that sounded a lot like it, only it wasn't in the second octave.

Was this strictly an Ennis Technique? If not, what is it called? Does anybody use this?

I hope you know what I am talking about...

[Brazenkane]

post a sound sample...

[ennischanter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnRJS76ohQ0 I you can see and hear him doing it at around 6-7 seconds in.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Liv8-iYQrcY Mick O'Brien doing it at around 42-43 seconds in, though I am not sure if it was intentional or not...

You can listen to virtually every Ennis recording out there, you'll always hear it.

[JR]

The lower octave F# is played so tightly that it jumps up an octave. It just 'nips' in.

It's not an unusual phenomenon, and certainly characteristic of Ennis and his pipes. It could be considered musically incorrect but I like it. Punches in the rhythm a bit more than a low F# would.

[ennischanter]

I like how it makes the uilleann pipes sound kind of like some sort of mechanical machine..

[Christian Tietje]

Hello ennischanter,
for me it's simply that he plays the f# with closed fingering and slighly higher pressure as necessary for the lower octave which forces the f# into the second ocave. Simply like the g-f#-e-triplet in the lower octave with closed fingering which also jumps to the 2nd.

[Mr.Gumby]

Simply like the g-f#-e-triplet in the lower octave with closed fingering which also jumps to the 2nd.

Hm, it's not at all a given that a first octave gfe, or a fgf for that matter, will necessarily jump the octave.

[Christian Tietje]

"and slighly higher pressure as necessary for the lower octave" Beginning from a closed chanter it then always jumps to the higher octave. Beginning with an open chanter that might not happen jumping up

[Brazenkane]

Simply like the g-f#-e-triplet in the lower octave with closed fingering which also jumps to the 2nd.

Hm, it's not at all a given that a first octave gfe, or a fgf for that matter, will necessarily jump the octave.

yeah...depends on hole size

[ennischanter]

I thought it was an actual thing, so I actually use it!

It's very easy to do on my chanter too.

[john]

so was this something ennis did on purpose?

[john]

sorry to be a nuisance, but I thought earlier that ennischanter had made a quick response to my question but I can't see it now - was I imagining it? just trying to ascertain that i'm not losing what's left of my mind...

[ennischanter]

Hahahaha!! I did, but I removed it because I am starting to find I post on my own threads too much. Not to worry, you are sane!

But yes, I do suspect that he may have intentionally did it.

[ausdag]

so was this something ennis did on purpose?

Not necessarily done on purpose, but given the nature of the instrument, the odd unintended foray into the second octave can be considered acceptable and not neccesarily a mistake or poor form but rather one of the idiosyncracies of piping.

Edited to add a degree of speculation

[Christian Tietje]

I'd disagree completely! A piper on this level like Séamus Ennis at his time did or a piper today will do everything by intention, nearly nothing accidently. It's simply: playing the open f# safely to stay in the lower octave - two fingers off - or playing it closed with higher pressure to jump up at each time when it appears or more difficult, playing it closed with lower pressure to stay below with the danger to jump up.

Or do other pipers have instruments on which this does not work so? On those I've tried beginning from the closed chanter opening to "g" or "f#" with only a little pressure they always jump up. Only very low pressure or open fingering from another note let them stay in the lower octave.