Cran Drill
Cet exercice n'a pas encore été entièrement traduit — les instructions ci-dessous sont en anglais.
The cran is an ornament borrowed from uilleann piping (where a roll on low D is physically impossible). It uses a rapid series of cuts in succession on the D note to create a stuttering, percussive effect. The cran is used to drive home D notes with rhythmic energy — particularly effective at the start of a phrase or on a long held D. It is an advanced ornament requiring fast, precise finger control.
Instructions pas à pas
- 1
Play a sustained low D (all holes covered). Briefly lift and replace the E finger (hole 6, bottom of lower hand), making a single cut on D. Repeat until this cut is clean and brief.
- 2
Now make two cuts in sequence on D: lift and replace the E finger, then immediately lift and replace the F# finger. The D should remain continuous, with two brief interruptions.
- 3
Add a third cut: after the F# cut, add a G cut. Three cuts in rapid sequence: E, F#, G — each finger lifts and falls as quickly as possible.
- 4
The full traditional cran on D: E — F# — G cuts in rapid succession. Practice slowly at first — all three should sound evenly spaced.
- 5
Apply the cran to musical context: play a D-heavy passage from a reel or hornpipe, replacing held D notes with crans.
Conseils de pratique
- The cran is most effective when the cuts are extremely fast — they should sound like a brief stutter or buzz, not three separate notes.
- Listen to uilleann pipers performing slow airs to hear the cran in its most expressive form before applying it at speed.
- Some traditional players use only two cuts for the cran (E and F#). Both versions are valid.
- The cran is particularly effective on low D at the very start of a reel — it announces the note with authority.
Prêt à l'appliquer dans un vrai morceau ?
La technique ne s'ancre que lorsque vous l'utilisez en musique. Parcourez la bibliothèque de tablatures pour trouver un morceau qui vous permettra de pratiquer ce que vous venez d'apprendre.