Jig - Long Rolls
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The long roll is a staple ornament in Irish music, and believe it or not, you are already almost able to do one. It occurs over a group of three identical eighth notes separated by a cut and a strike. The cut separates the first and second main notes, and the strike separates the second and third main notes.
To perform a roll on G, use the following steps:
Do not stop your breath during the roll. Make sure you give each main note an equal amount of time, and make your main notes very long compared to your grace notes. Until you are proficient enough to do this without thinking, practice slowly and pay attention to these things. The most common mistake beginners make is to rush their rolls so their grace notes overlap and they sound "muddy"- be sure to give the middle note its due. It is imperative that you practice slowly so that you will develop a clean, crisp, even roll. It will take some time, too, so be patient, and keep at it.
The long roll is principally a rhythmic ornament - it serves to separate what is essentially a dotted quarter note into three distinct eighth notes. You can use it anywhere you have a dotted quarter note, or a three-eighth-note figure that begins and ends on the same note (assuming that the note in question is between E and B).
EXERCISE 18 Practice rolls on each note from E to B. Start very slowly at first, and gradually increase your speed. Be sure to play each main note an equal amount of time, and keep your grace notes short. Gradually increase your speed, but do not forget to keep the roll clean. The A and B rolls will give you the most trouble, as they are done with one hand, so practice them more. Continue until you can play a roll on any of these notes quickly and smoothly. |
Listen carefully to recordings of master players and try to identify rolls. You should be able to find them whether played on tin whistle or some other instrument, such as fiddle, flute, or pipes. Try to get a feel for where they are used and to what effect. Also, listen carefully to the timing of the rolls. Some players do not play rolls evenly, but give the first note more time and emphasis, which gives the tune a more bouncy, "swingy" feel. This is discussed in more detail later on.
EXERCISE 19 Refer to the music above for I Buried My Wife, etc. Play through the tune slowly, using rolls on the notes indicated. Gradually increase your speed until you can play the whole tune up to speed with rolls, but don't sacrifice quality for speed. When you feel proficient with using rolls, try putting in strikes leading into some of the rolls, and/or cuts following them - these are very common figures. |