Pipers Grip

Ballygo · Post by **Ballygo** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 4:25 am

On my old flute I made the switch to the so called normal flute grip. I found it was better in some respects, but difficult to roll the b note. The holes were smaller on this flute. Now I have a new Hammilton, with larger finger holes, and I find the pipers grip ( I am a piper), much easier. The tone needs working on but the ease of playing is great. Im strongly thinking of abandoning the normal grip in favor of the pipers. Im sorry now I didn`t get a more piper friendly key arrangement .

Ballygo

LorenzoFlute · Post by **LorenzoFlute** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 4:37 am

I come from piper's grip and now play with normal grip. I think normal grip has some nice advantages, and with time the B roll should come. But you're a piper, so do as you prefer, if you don't mind the keys (I do).

jemtheflute · Post by **jemtheflute** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 6:26 am

Without getting into ancient worm-can territory of pros and cons of different ways to hold a flute (not, EVER, "grip"!!!!

) or telling what you personally "should" ultimately do, I offer this for your consideration:

If you are doing "normal" hold correctly, there should not be any issue with A or B rolls - they should be just as easily available as in a pipers' type hold. If you're struggling with them, you haven't got the hold right. Simples. Get it right and the full finger-fluency will be there, and there will very likely be other ongoing advantages over other holds.

bradhurley · Post by **bradhurley** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 6:54 am

I think it's called the "piper's grip" in part because of Seamus Ennis's famous little ditty about the pipes that says, "then you must learn the grip." See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMm-WVt6RQA

There are plenty of very accomplished Irish flute players who use the piper's grip or hold or whatever you want to call it. But I don't think any of them use the keys very much. I started out playing with the piper's grip but switched to the standard flute hold because there was no way I could hit the Bb key, and there were a number of tunes I wanted to play that had Bb accidentals. The long C key was awkward (but not impossible) to hit as well. I didn't have much problem reaching the other keys, but all of them are easier and more comfortable to reach using the standard flute hold.

JackCampin · Post by **JackCampin** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 7:07 am

On the recorder I will regularly switch from fingertips to flat-fingering on tunes where it feels better one way or the other (and will sometimes switch in the middle of a set). Why should you have to decide that one is The Only Way?

Ballygo · Post by **Ballygo** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:56 am

Jack. I do the same my self switching from one to the other. I stuck with the normall grip for 3 years now and still cant to a short roll or long roll on b. But with pipers grip , no problem. I do notice a difference in tone when using normal , in that it`s a bit more solid.

B

Rob Sharer · Post by **Rob Sharer** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:06 am

Are you using the second joints on your fingers to cover the holes?

That's what pipers do, so fluthing in this fashion is properly called piper's hold. If you're straight-fingering but covering with the first joints, as I do, there's nothing piperesque about it. I call that the Irish hold.

Rob

Post by **benhall.1** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:12 am

jemtheflute wrote:Without getting into ancient worm-can territory of pros and cons of different ways to hold a flute (not, EVER, "grip"!!!! )

It's GRIP, for heaven's sake! Personally, I use my own patented death grip © . That way, there's no chance I'll ever have to learn how to roll on a B. To quote the Wizard of Os(westry) "simples"!

an seanduine · Post by **an seanduine** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 11:11 am

"It's GRIPE for heaven's sake!" After all, it is the Chiff and Fipple.

Bob

Ballygo · Post by **Ballygo** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 11:38 am

Rob. Im using the first joint to cover hole one, hole two is more on to the second joint, and hole 3 is also straight finger but above first joint more on the pad of the finger.

b

Ballygo · Post by **Ballygo** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 11:54 am

I just did a bit of a search on the net, and some great players are using this straight fingered method. Michael MacGoldirck, John Wynne, Eamonn De Barra, Patsey Hanley, Alan Dogherty . Sorry about the spelling of the names.

An impressive line up.

B

bradhurley · Post by **bradhurley** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:18 pm

Paul McGrattan as well, and we could probably come up with at least a half-dozen more.

dhamilingu · Post by **dhamilingu** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:25 pm

Hi all,

As someone who uses piper's grip/Irish grip/piper's hold/Irish hold, I enjoyed watching this video of three excellent flute players all using a straight-fingered approach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCU07LkzSvE

Cheers,

Peter

Ballygo · Post by **Ballygo** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 1:06 pm

Peter. Thats just lovely, what a treat, wonderful.I read they were playing tunes from Josie McDermot, I actually had the honor of playing with Josie Mcdermot in the trades club in Sligo 1978 aprox. I was playing pipes then. There were only a few people playing that night.

B

jemtheflute · Post by **jemtheflute** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 2:49 pm

benhall.1 wrote:
jemtheflute wrote:...... there's no chance I'll ever have to learn how to roll on a B.

Well, just as well - you might get stung.......

Chiff and Fipple Forums

Pipers Grip

Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip

Re: Pipers Grip