Chiff and Fipple Forums

Joints?

Locally grown, organic, farm-fresh.

*ducks*

Good stuff can happen, though, when good players mix and match them - I was playing an O'Carollan on my guitar, full distortion, the other day... I thought it sounded great; not sure it would have won over a pub crowd. I should have used a wah pedal, though... Maybe that would have helped... Once a...

Here's another data point. . . I had recurring wrist pains for a year and a half when I started. They went away when I switched to a lighter, more ergonomic flute. I went from delrin to wood. I just don't get the same pains anymore, even when playing all day, every day for a week at East Durham. Thi...

"The girl that broke my heart" is often played in C.

I believe, anyway.

Living in Vermont, I am kind of spoiled for contradance music.

The following bands all put on a good show, and have albums.

Wild Asparagus
Nightingale
Beeswax Sheepskin (now defunct, but a fantastic band based around a clarinet)
Crowfoot

I still think harp can be a great instrument for accompaning others. The only thing it's missing, that I can think of, would be loudness, and if playing on stage then that's easily fixed with a microphone. On sessions... Well, I rarely hear my mandolin on sessions neither, and I still play melody. ...

FWIW, harpers don't usually play accompaniment...other than for other harpers or, occasionally (if they do classical music) for a cello, flute, or singer. The harp is primarily a soloist or duetist's instrument. It's a quiet instrument by nature. In traditional Irish music, it takes center stage. I...

A ball of light-gray lint. And a ball of dark-gray lint.

The Lilting Banshee.

FWIW I have been very happy with my Dell laptop. it is 1.5 years old, one of the higher-end models. It does everything I need it to with a minimum of complaining. The main reason I wouldn't switch any time in the near future is that I have about $700 of PC-specific graphics software on it (One of th...

I've played a few outdoor gigs.

If it's dry, windy, and hot, it's tough.

Can you get away with playing a whistle if necessary?

Just to throw out some more names, Johnnie Gallagher Windward Flutes (made by Forbes Christie) Sam Murray The thing that has worked for me was to ask all the local flute players if I could try their instrument for more than a quick puff or two. Really try to get familiar with what is ergonomically c...

The most memorable compliments have been when other musicians have asked me to perform with them. OTOH, nothing makes me feel better about my playing then when I see people moving in time with what I'm playing :) I was berated once in a slow session (at a certain week-long summer workshop) for start...

A big hearty congratulations!

Adrian brings up a valid point about the timbre of the flute vs Low D whistle. In ITM circles there's usually an unspoken assumption that the flute is inherently superior in every way. But the truth is, only a fairly small percentage of people get a really interesting timbre out of their Irish flut...