Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hello all! I haven't contributed to the C&F for quite a while, I don't even know how long! Anyway, I play in Bloomsday with Thom Larson. I told Thom about all of the wonderful posts on the message board. He hasn't been able to make it to his computer to check out the postings you have all made, ...

I say play. This country needs more music in it. Someone will love it, even if it is one little kid. Besides, maybe the guy next to you will pull out his pocket accordion and join in. Thereby drawing the crowds' rage away from you.

shut the dorian it's phrigian in here! I agree totally. I have often played in that key before but the c#'s they never appeared before Those fiddlers can talk about dorian But they cant have their tunes ala modal. Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! I've grown accustommed to that key. smirks and giggles a...

Blackhtorn Walking Stick!

I know a tune about that. You have to come so we can play in honor of your walking stick!

How is it that I have lived withing a 30 minute drive of Tallula for most of my life and have never heard of it? I should really pay more attention when I am driving. Too much practicing going on. Alton you say. I heard that Larry Nugent is doing a stint down at McGirks in St. Louis. Chuck, If you k...

I wish I could go to the games. I have many friends performing there and many more going that way.
I have been meaning to ask you exactly where Tallula Illinois is. Are you close enough to Bloomington to come over for a session?

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 usin...

I received a copy as a gift myself. A great album! The first thing I did was to sit down and learn the Christy Barry's set. A great set of tunes!

One thing I always try to keep in mind while negotiating a roll is the concept of pitch. No matter how you approach it technically or how long your blips or blaa-daaas are, the goal is a decorated pitch. The note you are rolling on is one note decorated with some rhythmic interruptions. Often I find...

Thank you for your time in writing out your experience. I hope to someday get to sit down with some of the greats for a lesson but until then lesson hearsay is just as good!

Phrasing is the most difficult thing to learn on any instrument. Irish or not. Because Phrasing is the essence of music. It is what turns sound into music. I like to think about what part of the line the notes lead to. Often the last notes in a measure function more as the beginning of the next phra...

Your P.S. by no means offended me and I apologize if I sounded upset. If anything I greatly appreciate your mentioning it. I was suprised to see just how strongly I felt about the whole thing. It was very eye opening for me to really look at the tunes we play and the history they have. We are all st...

[P.S.: Some of you might know that this was the favorite tune of Danny Pearl, the journalist who was recently abducted and killed in Pakistan/Afghanistan. He was a bluegrass fiddler. I think it was played a lot in his memory at sessions in the US after his death. I have heard calls for the tune to b...

I speak of the whistler in question
who scoffed the suggestion of lessons
his tune was less on
an in tune was less in
but alas did not lessen the session.

Hats of to all of you, this is great craic!

I have had that concern as well. As I band director I have spoken with many in my field about the subject of specific hearing loss. One of my colleagues can't hear a piccolo anymore. Talk about scary! The conventional wisdom that I have picked up is (not a doctor here) that decibels are the problem ...