Long Trills

Bo · Post by Bo » Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:02 pm

Hello,

I have been playing the flute for a little bit less than 2 years now.
I know how to play trills, but I cannot figure out how to play this one (I scanned the page)
http://rapidshare.com/files/211588143/Scan0000.jpg.html
because it is so long and it goes over other notes.
All the trills in this piece are like that. I surmise there must be a method, but I have no idea...

Can anyone give me some suggestions how to play these long trills please?

Thank you!

Bo

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Sun May 17, 2009 9:17 am

Hmm. That's interesting. My best guess is that it means to trill each note for the full value, and trill each and every note. So, the entire passage would be trills. Make any sense?

pied_piper · Post by **pied_piper** » Sun May 17, 2009 9:37 am

Yeah. That's pretty wild. Take note though that the C trill is over other notes and then the trill line continues for that entire phrase. I wonder if the composer's intent is that the player starts the C trill and just keep trilling the C trill key throughout while playing the lower notes that are under the extended trill line. Those notes could be considered "ghost" notes of sorts and give the effect that two flutes are playing - one on the trill and one on the lower notes. Or perhaps the composer may just be going for a special effect of using the C trill key on that entire passage.

It would have been nice if the composer had provided an annotation to indicate his/her intent. Who is the composer?

Bo · Post by Bo » Mon May 18, 2009 2:23 am

Thanks for the replies and the suggestions.

It is an arrangement for flute by John Amadio of Offenbach's "Barcarolle". Strange arrangement... I wonder what Offenbach would say to it...

I found it in "40 for Flute" (Allans Publishing). There are actually other pieces with strange symbols in this book, but with explanations. This does not have an explanation though.
It could be that the original piece had those trills (for another instrument).

B