Actually at the moment I am seriously debating whether to trade in my 12-string Rickenbacker for a low A flute with a few keys. . . . it’s an agonizing choice. A truly wonderful guitar. The sound is unique and it’s fun to play.
The problem is, I’d get a lot more “public” use out of a low-A flute and it would be equally unique and fun to play. and I have another guitar (6-string rick) for home/hobby purposes, which is all I ever do with guitars.
I’m very interested in pipes myself though I don’t play them. Am
wondering also if anyone in the know (Peter?) might have heard this
traditional point I’ve been told of - that the flute and the pipes being 2
different instruments, that crans and some other piping elements should
not be brought to the flute. Has anyone else heard of this? I’m
wondering about its origin.
I like to do the opposite and try out decorations from other instruments,
though of course there are some things that just don’t fit on a flute, and
taste is always a key point.
Where is a good place to find out what these 3 words mean?
-Lesl
I think it depends on the context.
If you are playing to please yourself, play whatever you want. You owe it to yourself, however, to become informed of as many different ways of playing as is reasonable, and to be educated in how it’s been done in the past.
If you are playing in a formal setting like competition, or in an environment where certain conventions are the norm (Like a very conservative session) then maybe consider not playing things that will annoy others.
But IMO refusal to experiment and learn and cross fertilize is absolutely ridiculous and ostrich-like. That doesn’t imply a lack of respect for tradition, rather, that there is a time and place for everything.
After all, one could argue that “true” flute ornamentation is tonguing, and that cuts and taps aren’t, if you go back far enough. (I’m not saying it’s a good agument - just that somebody could make it.)
I like to do the opposite and try out decorations from other instruments,
though of course there are some things that just don’t fit on a flute, and
taste is always a key point.
Bingo.
Where is a good place to find out what these 3 words mean?
-Lesl[/quote]
A highland bagpiper should show you what they mean - they are all forms of percussive ornamentation found in the GHB repertoire. Would take 5 seconds to illustrate by playing, and an eternity to put into words adequately.
I agree about the fosgailte movements. You know another one I’ve found that sounds nice on the flute is the vedre (?? I think that’s what’s called). The one you would play on F (#) on the pipes (B on the flute).
Taorluaths are similar in structure to a cran though different in function. If you imagine an extra hole at the end of a flute a taorluath on the bell note would look as below:
xxx xxx o
xxx xxx x
xxx oxx x
xxx xxx x
xxo xxx x
xxx xxx o
A crunluath is an expansion of that and always terminates on the 5th (which on GHB would be played xxo xxx o) .
xxx xxx o
xxx xxx x
xxx oxx x
xxx xxx x
xxo xxx x
xxx xxx o
xox xxx o
xxo ooo o
Fosgailte is done with the low notes left out. A crunluath fosgailte from the bell note would be:
xxx xxx o
xxx ooo x
xxo ooo x
xxx ooo x
xox ooo x
xxo ooo o
With out the bell not it would be an edre. A vedari is another one that works well on flute (terminating note on GHB played xoo xxx o).
xxx xxx o
xox xxx o
xxo ooo o
oxo ooo o
xoo ooo o
This is all diagrammed without the left thumb hole which would just add an extra x on the front.
Cheers,
Aaron
I’m a newbie to the pipes, but I play the flute with a lot of piping ornamentation and stylistic elements. It’s even crept into my fiddle playing. I’ve tried not to, but finally gave in. Ever since I started playing the flute and whistle about 7 years ago, I’ve been playing around pipers. It just kind of seeped in while I was learning. I love Galway style flute playing, but every time I try to do it, I end up right back where I started. Some tunes I can manage to play in another style, but only a few. The good part is that I’ve already got a trained ear for piping styles and ornamention. Once I get to the point where I can actually play tunes well enough to start getting fancy, that should help a bit. Ahh, only 20 1/2 years to go!
"How has moving from one to the other affected one’s style eg. do tight pipers who learn the flute loosen up a bit. Are flute players more inclined to play pipes as though they’re just an extension of the flute and not get into the technicalities of staccato/tapping/trilling etc. "
I started to get serious about playing the flute about 18 months ago and I don’t find that playing the pipes has a noticable affect on the flute playing or vice versa. The most difficult obstacle in flute playing was/is the embouchure and getting a good sound and also playing in tune. but even that comes with practice sooner or later. It’s just to have at it. The pipes & flute are two different instruments as regards technique I’ve found. Extensive listening to solo players of both instruments seems to be the best way to go.
James Kelly spent had Willie over to his house many times. I’ll ask him if he remembers any flute playing out of him.
I play flute and pipes. Personally, there is a phsycial duality that both instruments share. Playing flute, for me seems to aid (only generally) in piping. That said, they’re both VERY different. So distinctly, that doing one on the other sounds ..well …I don’t do it and I really don’t enjoy hearing the pipes played like a flute AT ALL, and vise versa. Although, I beleive there are more pipers playing like flute players…so dillusional are they, that they THINK they’re playing like Johnny Doran! I’m working on a very interesting article about doubling or tripling as it were (pipes and flute and…) w/ interviews including Harry Bradley, Gearoid O’Hallmhurain, and more in the Piper’s Reveiw. My article will appear in the summer edition.
Neverminding technique, I’d think muscle memeory might come into play. Flute and pipes share more than say pipes and fiddle as far as motor skills go. I know a guy who goes back and forth between pipes and fiddle a lot, but also plays flute, low whistle and whistle. He says he has to be a lot more conscious of the change of skills moving to the fiddle than when he plays the flute or whistle.
I had a gig where I was constantly switching from pipes, concertina, flute, whistle, electric guitar. Besides it being a shitload of gear to bring to a gig (including mics, mic stands, pedal board, amp, blalblabla). it was a HUGE challenge as I’d never play more than 1 set of trad tunes on one instrument, so there was never a warm up time. I still direct you to my prior post in regards to this topic..