Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hi Guys,
I just realized I haven't posted in a long time! How is everyone?

I have a question, what are crans? I know rolls and cuts, but know nothing about crans.

Next to that question, I just wanted to post and say hi, so hi!

<marquee>Peace</marquee>
_________________
"Sometimes I talk about Karma like it grows on trees." - Train

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Sara on 2002-05-08 11:25 ]</font>

<marquee>Hi Sara! I just wanted to say I like your scrolling messages!</marquee>

<marquee>Thanks! </marquee>

_________________
"Sometimes I talk about Karma like it grows on trees." - Train

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Sara on 2002-05-08 11:31 ]</font>

Crans come originally from the bag pipes. They are a rhythmic ornament used instead of a roll on the D, the lowest note (and sometimes also on the E). When flute-players started using more and more pipish ornamentation, crans began to be used on the flute and whistle. Matt Malloy (of Planxty, Bothy Band, and Chieftains fame) is often credited.

Think of a cran as three D eigth notes separated by cuts (you can't tap below a D, you see). Here is a fingering chart, but remember that the cuts are to be the merest blips, which is why I put them in italics:

xxx xxx D
xxx oxx cut
xxx xxx D
xxx xox cut
xxx xxx D

The important thing is to sound the D again clearly between the cuts. It is supposed to give the same rhythmic feel as a long roll. A common figure is this

L:1/8
... | GED ~D3 | ...

you see that there is an eigth note D before the dotted quarter note that you're going to cran. In that case, you could play (grace notes in italics):

xxx ooo G
xxx xxo E
xxx xxx D
xxo xxx cut
xxx xxx D
xxx oxx cut
xxx xxx D
xxx xox cut
xxx xxx D

I practice these with the first part of Blarney Pilgrim. But I am led to understand that crans are quite optional to good whistling (taste-wise, that is, not showoff-wise) and that it makes sense to work on solid rolls first. As to rolls, see Brother Steve's page, if you haven't already.

[Edited to make it clearer. Ha, what a joke.]
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/bloomfield

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Bloomfield on 2002-05-08 12:07 ]</font>

Hrm; the way I was taught crans was only slightly different, which is, to run it a little faster and do:
D (f#-cut) D (e-cut) D (f#-cut) D,
or
XXX XXX
xxx oxx
XXX XXX
xxx xox
XXX XXX
xxx oxx
XXX XXX
This means, of course, running them somewhere between eighth note and triplet speed, which is a little odd. If you have extra time or fast fingers, you can do,
xox XXX
XXX XXX
xxx oxx
XXX XXX
xxx xox
XXX XXX
xxx oxx
XXX XXX
ie, start with a 'regular' cut on the 2nd tone hole. This is supposedly closer to the 'real' cran that pipers do, but I don't actually play pipes, so.

Personally, on D's I've been taking a cue from the L.E. McCullough instruction set and doing triplet, or eighth + triplet, depending on what time needs to be filled, where the middle note of the tripple is an E (XXX XXO). This is harder to time, easier to finger, and has a more 'bubbly' and less 'crackly' feel to it.

Crans are, btw, 'not traditional' (yet), so don't get in the habit of them if you plan to win the All Ireland competition or do any other hardcore pure-trad things. OTOH, given their increasing popularity, I'm sure in a generation or two, when we can say they've been handed down, that we'll be able to call them traditional. That's why it's a -living- tradition, after all.

--Chris A.

You are exposing yourselves to accusations of techno-crap there guys, be carefull.

The subject has been up before, there are a lot of ways to play crans and they are not necessarily the same from one type of tune to the next.

On 2002-05-08 12:50, Peter Laban wrote:
You are exposing yourselves to accusations of techno-crap there guys, be carefull.

The subject has been up before, there are a lot of ways to play crans and they are not necessarily the same from one type of tune to the next.

Well, that there's lots of ways to play crans is kinda why I put out the alternative that I was shown... so that the original poster wouldn't think there was only the one way. Having been shown how to cran only three weeks ago, I'm certainly not considering myself an expert. I'm just parroting what I was taught for the readership to know what some teachers are teaching.

But I'm curious about this comment about them not being the same from one tune type to the next... what kinds of changes do you mean?


--Chris

Isn't a cran just a roll on a D? since there is no note to tap on a D the cran is the answer. As a roll it is subject to the same myriad of interpretations any other roll would get. Short rolls, long rolls, etc. I find them cumbersome and only use them occasionally. Even crazier is the topic of using crans on C naturals. even crazier than that is the cran on a C#. Talk about going too far for ornamentation.

You should try Dinkey's Reel with a C# roll or C natural rolls in Bunker Hill: they fit perfectly.
Jon Michaels

On 2002-05-08 13:13, ChrisA wrote:


Well, that there's lots of ways to play crans is kinda why I put out the alternative that I was shown... so that the original poster wouldn't think there was only the one way. Having been shown how to cran only three weeks ago, I'm certainly not considering myself an expert. I'm just parroting what I was taught for the readership to know what some teachers are teaching.

But I'm curious about this comment about them not being the same from one tune type to the next... what kinds of changes do you mean?


--Chris

I was referring firstly to a thread in which SteveJ and myself discussed crans,getting accused afterwards of indulging in techno-crap.

secondly there are quite a few crans, the cran in a double jig preceded by the same note [eg the start of the Kid on the mountain, though not the reapeat] is a 'double can' [to use the name Seamus Ennis had for it] which involves a triplet of cuts and has the rhythm 'da-da=dum=dum' fairly distinct and different from the simple cran you'd use starting, say, Sean Bui.
Same for reels, they come in different rhythms and fingering too depending on the context and then there are a few quirky ones I won't even go into here as we are getting into territory belonging to the piper's messageboard next door.

Even crazier is the topic of using crans on C naturals. even crazier than that is the cran on a C#.

CRAN =

C
Raised
A
Notch



Cheers,
BB

Thanks for explaining crans to me! It's a bit confusing but after reading the explanations a couple of times - I totally understood it! Anyway, thanks again! Actually, I've played crans before because I've learned Blarney Pilgrim; I was playing them and I didn't even know it! lol!

<marquee>Peace</marquee>
Sara

<marquee>oh boy, I think I drank too much last night, my eyeballs keep scrolling sideways

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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Martin Milner on 2002-05-09 05:10 ]</font>

<marquee>Here's a good test to see if you've really had too much to drink...try to hit the "edit" button while the world spins sideways....
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<marquee>Dazed Industries
We Dont Make the Whistles you Play
We Make The Whistles you Play Chuffier </marquee>

Uhhh . . .

Is anyone else getting dizzy??

ynniV