I would have to 2nd that. There’s a big difference between being able to perform a technique and choosing not to use it, versus not being able to perform a technique and then griping about pipers who can and do use it.
I think someone was playing word games with “double-flapping”. The technique is more commonly called “double-tapping”.
The concept of “reverse crans” may be a POV issue. I would think of these more as short crans followed by a long note, instead of as a reverse of the long cran.
[quote="David Lim] Piping would be boring if everyone only used perfect ornaments. But IMHO generally the most important thing is to be a musician first and a piper second.
David[/quote]
Well said. I think I was trying to say that in a roundabout sort of way, but you nailed it.
Great pipers like Mick O’Brien, Liam Flynn, Paddy Keenan, etc can do everything on that list and a great deal more but it’s their choices that make their music special. I’m still finding my own voice with the instrument, it’s like learning being able to use tools well but then there’s the years and years of crafting beautiful things that separate a journeyman from a master.
Becoming a musician is much harder than just learning technique.
This much is obvious, though it is not technique I am debating… rather, the over use of grace notes/embellishment… technique and embellishment are two separate critters. I am not even speciffically talking about piping, but the playing of tunes… on any instrument.
Even then, technique should not get in the way of, or disrupt the tune.
technique and embellishment are two separate critters.
I believe they are inextricably linked.
The point I am proposing (and I am happy to be argued with) is that pipers who are exceptional musicians also have all or most of the flashy technique, if they choose to use it.
Getting all the fancy ornaments working and even occasionally over using them to the detriment of the tune is part of the journey to becoming a good musician who plays pipes.
Maybe it’s the onset of maturity (or senility) but when I hear a young piper with great technique putting too much in I think Yes, Go for it!!
It’s like driving a fast sports car when you are 18, are you going to put your foot down and spin those wheels?
… linked yes, the same no. You can have technique without embellishment, and if one uses embellishment… they ought to have good technique… at least, for the sake of others listening.
Perhaps Flo-Joe means variations when he speaks of embellishments. In this case, they are not the same as technique. If that’s not it then I don’t understand you either, Joe. Maybe you could embellish (oops!).
There seems to be no mention of ghost d’s on the list. Also, partially covering the bell to flatten the d for effect (not that big a deal, but still a technique, I guess).
I did a search to find out about backstitching. It seems very much like the leumluath and taorluath of highland piping, but the notes used are easier on the fingers.
May I suggest a more accurate way of self-assessment - bin the check lists and all that, make a few recordings of yourself - any old equipment will do, such as the mic that comes with your PC and some freebie software - listen to yourself playing tunes you’ve heard/learnt on/from your favorite professional piper’s CD and compare yourself with said Piper. Done. Repeat once a year and compare performance with previous year’s.
I tried this with a freebie package (quickencoder) rigged up thru a laptop and some loooong mike cables to get away from the sound of the hard drive and processor fan. Then played the audio back to friends, family, colleagues - enemies even!
May I suggest a more accurate way of self-assessment - bin the check lists and all that, make a few recordings of yourself - any old equipment will do, such as the mic that comes with your PC and some freebie software - listen to yourself playing tunes you’ve heard/learnt on/from your favorite professional piper’s CD and compare yourself with said Piper. Done. Repeat once a year and compare performance with previous year’s.
Repeat once a week, actually…or repeat several times in an evening if you can…
I would still have to disagree with you there Joseph.
A technique is usually defined as something that is a small, defined part of the whole, where as you appear to be defining it as musicality, a much bigger item.
Much more importantly here, myrddinemrys, is that there is no such thing as pass or fail. The checklist is not really about self assessment for vanity. (At risk of being boring and repeating myself, the scoring system was added purely for entertainment on C&F).
It is meant to aid teachers and students in identifying logical routes of study and practice. If you are scoring over 150ish you probably don’t need the checklist as it means you have had a good teacher or you have taken the hard route and worked this out for yourself.
If you are really scoring 0 then the items marked B1 are a logical place to focus your practice. That would be more helpful to you than recording yourself and comparing it to a professional piper as you would need to be past a certain standard for it to be any help.
Edward, thanks for the heads up about the ghost d.
The technique list could go on and on…where do you stop?
gfd triplets
ggf
fed
what about the way Paddy Keenan plays 3 octave e’s by flapping them but raising the chanter off the knee for the third..all at breakneck speed?
So what about when asked, “How’s your piping coming along?” and the oft stated response is - “Fine, but I’m still working on my technique.”? Seems to me this is a collective noun for the whole range of bits and pieces that go together to form our playing style, ie, all the embelishments and what-not.
True, although you tend to get a more accurate feel for how you are developing if you record yourself and then again about a year later to really notice the difference, and it can be an amazing difference.
