Taps: a quick touch
Touch the next open hole to articulate a note from below.
By the end of this lessonMake a clean tap on G and return without disturbing your grip.
Close, then release
Sound G with your left-hand holes covered. Briefly close the next hole down with your right index finger, then release it. This momentarily lowers the pitch. A tap is also called a strike or pat.
Keep the touch brief
Think of a quick contact with the hole, not a held F♯. The finger must seal the hole to make a clear interruption, then return to its hovering position. Keep the air flowing throughout.
Know the lower limit
On E, the tapping finger is your right ring finger. On low D, all six holes are already closed, so there is no lower open hole for this kind of tap. Do not force a standard cut-and-tap roll onto low D; the cran lesson offers another approach.
One tap, one return
- Hold G for four counts and rest. On the next attempt, tap once on count three.
- Repeat at the same pace, checking that only the right index finger moves.
- Try a cut on one held G and a tap on the next. Listen for the different interruptions while keeping both notes the same length.
Separate two Gs with a tap
Touch and release your right index finger at the start of the marked G. Keep the pulse even.
Practice
Tap a staff note or finger tab to hear a note and practise from there. The staff and tabs follow the same beat.
Hear it & follow the fingers
Synthesized examples on a high D whistle. Compare the sound, then study the movement below.
Movement breakdown
Read left to right. These diagrams show the order, not equal lengths of time.
- 1. Hold G
- 2. Close right index
- 3. Return to G
Find taps in Drunken Sailor
Use a TAP label to see the finger for that note, then compare playback with ornaments on and off.
Your self-check
I can seal and release the tapping hole without leaving a lower note hanging.
Take your time. You can revisit any lesson, completed or not.