How to play a roll - Irish Fiddle Tutorial

I just recently finished a project learning a new tune everyday (pretty much, anyway) for a year. During that time I had quite a few requests for tutorial videos. So this is the first of a series of tutorials I will do on Irish fiddle ornamentation. This tutorial focuses on the roll, that ubiquitous trilly sound you hear in pretty much every Irish tune ever.
Sheet music (if needed) for the tune I play at the end (Killarney Boys of Pleasure): www.thesession.org/tunes/displ...
newtuneaday.blogspot.com (my New Tune a Day blog)
katiedavishenderson.com (my website)

[@tribchb]

Thank you for demystifying this. I can't be the only fiddler out there who's tried to decode Irish players, and thought, "What else are they doing? There's something else in there I'm missing." Look forward to additional videos in this series. I'm 65 and don't live anywhere near any live Irish playing, so this video was a godsend for someone who can't plug into the live scene but desperately wants to be able to emulate the sounds he hears on recordings.

[@Deem60]

I want to say a BIG THANK YOU!!! I couldn't figure out how to play Last of the Mohicans, until you explained this .Thanks so much.

[@LauraPedersen_dlmlap]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Sessions are slowly making more and more sense thanks to videos like this one, thanks!

[@jennyshimmin8002]

Thank you- I’m just starting Irish fiddle & what a good place you start❤️

[@PeterValentino]

I really appreciate your clean and uncomplicated approach. You are an excellent teacher!

[@mikesrandomchannel]

This video really has stood the test of time Katie: short and to the point. The quick fingering guide and short roll info is brilliant. I hope to have this down by Christmas 2018 :=)

[@TheGhost5600]

Finally, a tutorial that teaches a perfectly clear slooow.. lesson on Irish fiddle that a beginner can learn from.. Much better than Keven Burke's dvd. Thanks Katie, please keep them coming.

[@annabets24]

Thank you for this incredibly helpful video!! I'm excited to go practice it!

[@garykuovideos]

Thanks so much for sharing this, Katie! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

[@larissastevenson3720]

OMG thank you for your video!! I am playing Morrison's jig and they use finger rolls and your video helped me so much!!!

[@ThumperDoodle]

Thanks so much for the tutorial, it's so clear and helpful!!! You're awesome!

[@susart7]

Thank you, Katie! Very good explanation! You are a good teacher!

[@danishfiddle]

Excellent Katie! Very well explained and demonstrated.

[@1985OldSkool]

Thank you, Katie, for uploading this educational video.

[@shobarsch]

I can't believe you actually did this. Thank you so much.

[@6xNylon]

Very informative and clearly explained. Thanks!

[@skankymcthothor]

thanks for posting! this was super helpful!

[@bobcollier001]

I learned to play the fiddle in the English style originally and somebody showed me this ornamentation recently when I was learning an Irish tune called Fermoy Lasses.. I found it very difficult to understand until I realised that the roll is actually a variant of a triple with an added grace note. For example, in Fermoy Lasses, instead of starting with a triple G E E-E-E B E E-E-E as I had been doing, I practiced G E E-D-E(slurred) B E E-D-E(slurred) with the same timing until I'd got that, then I added the touch on the F# and there it was - a roll. What you call a short roll seems to be the same as the ornamentation I call a run off.

[@rugged_heart_ranch]

Thanks Katie this video is really helpful. Wish you were planning to stay in the Springs. Would have really enjoyed taking lessons from you. Hope you can make time for more videos like this one.

[@richied9305]

well demonstrated and explained. thank you.

[@johngeddes7894]

Thanks so much for great explanations!

[@fiddlevixen5]

This is a great video Katie! I love that you show the finger numbers while you are explaining it. THIS is how I learn best. You have inspired me to practice this, not an easy thing to do! Thank you!

[@King.DAVid.III2022]

Thanks Princess 🌹🌹, I will learn those licks 📚

[@han_tani]

Great tutorial, thanks

[@sesa1076]

Why on earth would anyone actively dislike this video?

[@sesa1076]

Let alone 11 people!. Ridiculous.

[@violatione]

Thank you for explaining this!

[@kokchuanpuah4038]

Thank you so much! I was going to die if I didn't learn how to do that!

[@fabfaco8271]

I'm very happy to se you again

[@JustFiddler]

thanks katie!

[@tirsoacuna1356]

Thanks for the tips!!

[@mikesrandomchannel]

Great video, makes a lot of sense. Like Lorenzo, I'm a trad flute player finally getting fluent enough to actually tackle this now (strong fourth finger helps). Actually seems somewhat simpler on fiddle (takes a while on flute, especially for us classical players). Talking of fourth fingers, how do you roll e.g. an E? Is third position the only option or is there a a fourth finger roll? Oh, and can you reverse the bow direction on the last part (like the equivalent of a tongued roll on the flute)? Just some thoughts after watching this great vid, thx, Ed

[@katiehendersonfiddle]

Either one works, whichever is easier for you, (see right around 0:52)... like everything in Irish Trad, anyone who says there's only one way to do things is full of it. :) The whole point of the roll isn't to voice the upper note, it's just to break up the sound, like when a piper quickly graces a finger across the button to interrupt the flow of air. So a 2nd or 3rd finger should make no difference to how the roll sounds.

[@GroomeJenny]

Thanks for your great videos and especially this one! Please also can you do a tutorial or two on bowing technique thanks!!

[@davidhillewig]

Thank you !

[@johnaustin9259]

Very helpful and clear. Could you possibly do 'The Gael' (Last of the Mohicans) which has lots of these rolls I think.

[@Melvorgazh]

If I could find the same video only for the guitar it would be fantastic.
I learn tunes often from Kevin Burke ans Paddy Glackin recordings, and I noticed they make that kinda ornamentation quite often.
But broken down like this is really nice.
At least I’ll get the grasp of it.
Go raibh maith agat Katie.
ps: Máiréid and Ciaran of Altan also made similar ornementations on their (Comb Yer Hair and Curl It) Gweebarra Bridge track.
But they do it damn fast, even with a slowdowner it wasn’t easy to figure out all the notes.

[@jeannieramberg4566]

So do you basically do this slowly and work to speed up? Seems simplistic in concept but a bit to put into action.

[@lollipopgamer05hannah39]

Thanks and how did you get so fast geese

[@SaracinoFlutes]

Hello Katie, I'm a flute player but I'm learning to play the fiddle. I've been told that on rolls on 1, the second note you play instead of 2 should be 3, so it would be: 1 3 1 0 1. What do you think about it?

[@user-fm1kz4lf4g]

สวัสดีครับ ผมคนไทยอยู่เมืองไทย สนใจการเล่นFiddle Irishมาก กำลังพยายามplay
ขอบคุณครับ

[@SatyrosJayIronHorse]

Thanks!

[@SatyrosJayIronHorse]

Thank you so much for this!

[@weemarky]

hello can you help with what app I need for to plat the download please, as sighed up to the website .Thanks marc

[@katiehendersonfiddle]

Do you mean the MIDI download from thesession that I linked to? You'll need something that will play a .mid or .midi file. You can download a few different free midi players if you don't have one that will play the file already. You can display the sheet music by clicking on the "Sheet Music" button on that page if you just need the written transcription and don't want an audio file.

[@SatyrosJayIronHorse]

Been woorking on this for a bit but the fer last part of the rolls are a bit difficult cause it's so fast. It's almost as it there is a time limit to explain it...

[@kutilkol]

what is meaning of this? you play c or c#

[@jockellis]

I understood you to say all 5 notes receive equal stress, but it sounds a as if the first note gets a little extra time or at least emphasis.

[@Staccato21]

cпасибо хорошо

[@JustFiddler]

thanks katie!