Piper's grip on the low whistle

[Tom Dowling]

THE TWISTED CLAW OF MUSICAL IMPERFECTION!!

I like it. Would Hellbound Skunk or any other C & F Board members object if I were to consider appropriating this (unfortunately and uncomfortably) apt image as my C & F 'Nom de Plume'?

Now, to find just the right graphic clip to use for the avatar to replace the current Gray Ghost!

Tom D.

[msheldon]

Am I the only person who thinks that this is unessesary?

No, but for some folks, it's very necessary.

For me, no. But then I can comfortably play a bass Bb with fingertips.

[MacEachain]

Hi Folks,
I use pipers grip on the low whistle simply because that's what was recommended to me. I didn't give it much thought. I noticed that Brad holds the flute in the same way (or very similar) I would. I tried holding a low D like a flute and it would work ok for me so I suppose it's not strictly nessecary to use pipers grip. That said using pipers grip on low whistles helped when I started to learn the chanter. I've seen people using pipers grip on a flute and was wondering how you would operate the Bb and Cn keys?

Cheers, Mac

[Zubivka]

The stretch on a diet flute is the same as on a real flute

Yes, if the fipple flute has a conical bore, and relatively small holes.
I have a Le Coant blackwood low D which I could easily play with my fingertips.
The Copeland would have the same stretch, but some holes are just to big for my fingertips.

From his scriptures, you learn by Sankt Theoböhm the Bald that, when he decided to improve the flute, he went for straight bore (for a better 3rd register) and bigger holes (for tone and power), thus departing from the traditional British flutes design.
Then he found out the fingering stretch ended up unmanageable, and went on developing his fully-keyed system.
Now, if you take in account most low whistles are metal, with big holes, here's your answer.

_____
If when 8 years old I had been offered a Boehm-system piano instead of a Campagnolo-system bicycle, I'd be a musician by now.

[hellbound skunk]

THE TWISTED CLAW OF MUSICAL IMPERFECTION!!

I like it. Would Hellbound Skunk or any other C & F Board members object if I were to consider appropriating this (unfortunately and uncomfortably) apt image as my C & F 'Nom de Plume'?

Now, to find just the right graphic clip to use for the avatar to replace the current Gray Ghost!

Tom D.

Go for it!

[Loren]

[Brad wrote:

"Am I the only person who thinks that this is unessesary?"

No there are 2 or 3 more of you out there

"The stretch on a diet flute is the same as on a real flute, do people just follow suit because they think it looks cool."

Gee, why not ask Seamus Egan, Mike McGoldrick, Rory Campbell, and the like - I'm sure they just play that way to look cool.

It's not the stretch so much as the fact that the flute is held at a radically different position than the Low Whistle that makes the difference.


"Maybe they are having delusions of musicianship & are pretending they are a piper in their own world? What gives?"

Again, perhaps you should ask some of the the 90 so percent of top players why they use the piper's grip.....perhaps they are having delusions.......

"It takes a little getting used to"

Yeah, we know Egan is a lazy basmati, just can't bring himself to practice enough to enjoy the benefits you allude to

"but playing with the finger tips has big time advantages."

Like???

Seriously, I say all of the above in good fun, but seriously, do you honestly think so many great (and not so great) players have their heads up their a**es??

I'm curious if perhaps it's YOU who haven't given the piper's grip a fair chance.....

Loren

[madguy]

Try as I might, fingertips or pipers' grip, I've never been able to get the hang of the low whistle...

~Larry

[chas]

I have box hands -- broad palms and short fingers. I did try the "normal" grip for awhile -- I certainly can reach all the holes that way. But I could never play very long, nor very well. I think rolls and such are crisper with the second pads, and at times I play Bb and even C whistles using the pipers grip. Also, my Silkstone D+ requires a modified pipers grip on the right hand in order to reach the seventh hole with the pinky.

I do also play the flute, and even bamboo flutes, which don't have conical bores, are easier than low whistles grip-wise. They really are different beasts. As the others have said, whatever works for you.

[corinthia]

I have long but very thin fingers. I play low whistle, not "diet flute", and I have to use the piper's grip because my fingertips don't naturally fall in a straight line when they are spread out that far. If you look down at your hands, and spread your fingers out, you'll notice that the natural lines that your finger tips form are ARCS, not a straight line. That is why I can't play low whistle with my fingertips. It has nothing to do with "pretending musicianship" or whatever the original poster said.

[brad maloney]

try rolling on B, or doing an effective fingerbounce without using pipers grip. I think it IS nessecary to get a certain sound. Mike McGodrick even plays his flute with pipers grip (with both hands) for this reason. It seems more natural for your hands to sit on the whistle/flute/chanter as they would if you were to lay them palm down on a table relaxed than to contort them into a twisted claw of musical imperfection and use the finger tips. Take a little bit of time to explore this technique before you talk trash about it!

The lovely bloom of youth!

First off any apologies to anyone who took offense to the Diet Flute comments. My humor crossed the line, I honestly jsut ment to cause a few giggles.

As far as the pipers grip, I did explore it, I can play both ways & found that playing the fingertips has big advantages. If you move on to deep-fried, fattening wooden flute you'll find that with the piper's grip your fingers hit the keys. Sometimes the ribs, blocks, pins etc will prevent your finger from closing the holes properly. Also you can feel the vibration of the notes with your fingertips better than you can with anything else on your hand. Throwing another sense into the mix is a good thing, unless you prefer to give up one of your senses.