An Draighean wrote:
dyersituations wrote:
... holding the chanter too tightly in a "death-grip".
Aye, the dreaded death grip! Took me a long time to overcome it.
Try to imagine the chanter floating in the air, and that you barely need to touch it. In fact, between the bag neck and the knee, the chanter is quite stable. I think the problem is trying too hard to get a good seal on the tone holes with the fingers. Learn and practice the piper’s grip, and make a conscious effort to relax the fingers, and shoulders.
Yes, I've definitely noticed the death-grip. So thank you both for feedback in that regard. I have improved on it some already, but I am sure I could improve more.
Mr.Gumby wrote:
Where to start?
At this point probably the mechanics of it: your bag/bellows coordination, bag control and keeping a constant and reasonable pressure, would probably be the most likely things to look at.
That seems to be a good place to start. I think it is an area where I probably do need more instruction. (For reference: I'm right-handed.) I'm a little unsure regarding the constant pressure on the bag... I think when I've been playing UP in the last few days, I am relying too much on the bellows to provide air-pressure rather than the pressure of my arm against the bag... in which case, lifting the bellow is acting more like a breath. Does that description make sense? Am I correct that I should be relying more on my left arm's pressure to play notes than on pressure from the bellow?