Noobie Needs Help!!

BluegrassBoy · Post by **BluegrassBoy** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 8:28 pm

I've been a lurker now for a few months... and enjoyed the postings, but I've never had anything to say.. until now.
So I've been learning to play the whistle now for about a month now, and so far I've been very happy with my playing: Tempo is good, ornaments are coming along cleanly, breathing is coming. Everything seemed to be going great, and I really love it because it's so different than what I normally play (bluegrass guitar and banjo).
To make a long story short..... I realize today that I have my hands switched around (My left hand on the bottom and my right on top). I've been playing great like this, and if I try to switch and play the standard way I sound terrible. I'm right handed, so I'm wondering if I should switch now, or just continue playing. If this could hurt my down the line I'll switch, but if not the why bother.. right?
Do any professional right handers play like this? Finally... I would like to eventually ( down the road ) play the pipes. Would my hand position make that any harder?
Thanks in advance for all the advice, and sorry my first board post had to be such a rant.
William
(Looking for suitable avatar

)

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 8:51 pm

You play like the guy (girl?) in the picture? Mary Bergin plays that way too, and it doesn't seem to cramp her technique the least bit.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 11:48 pm

Unless you plan to use the whistle as a stepping stone to the flute, I can't think of any reason you can't play with the right hand on top, if that's what works for you.

Redwolf

bjs · Post by **bjs** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 2:26 am

If your body is bilateraly symmetric there should be no problem - the look alike behind my mirror always plays that way.

skh · Post by **skh** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 3:21 am

BluegrassBoy wrote:Do any professional right handers play like this? Finally... I would like to eventually ( down the road ) play the pipes. Would my hand position make that any harder?

No problem on the whistle, no real problem on the Irish flute (you can and would have to buy a left-hander flute with the embouchure cut accordingly). I'd guess it depends on the type of pipes you want to play - as soon as keys or regulators are involved, it probably does matter which one your top hand is. Maybe ask on the Uilleann Pipes forum for opinion.

Sonja

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 6:03 am

and enjoyed the postings, but I've never had anything to say

Don't worry about that part. If you've noticed many people here don't have anything to say.

unicorn · Post by **unicorn** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 6:24 am

geek4music wrote:
and enjoyed the postings, but I've never had anything to say

Don't worry about that part. If you've noticed many people here don't have anything to say.

Oh. In that case I will pipe in. I am new here too. I have been lurking and I still do not have anything to say. I have had fun reading past posts by some of the more flamboyant posters.

I have played whistle for about a year and a half. I have a small collection. That is all for now.

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 6:40 am

We had a poll a few months ago about this. Oddly everyone who played right hand up was right handed.

It's quite common, BB, I wouldn't fret about it.

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 6:41 am

Welcome to both of you. Good to hear from another bluegrass player. I don't think it has anything to do with being right handed. I am right handed and I just naturally play whistle with my left hand on top. I believe someone said in an earlier thread that this will interfere with learning the pipes. BTW you can play a lot of bluegrass tunes on the whistle. Keep whistling.

Ron

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 6:44 am

There is a section devoted to left-handed playing at the Flow. It's mainly about problems associated with flute playing, though.

http://www.oblique-design.demon.co.uk/f ... _left.html

Steve

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 9:06 am

I consider myself left handed as anything that requires just one hand, I automatically use my left.

For anything that requires two hands, I use them right handed, so I play left hand on top, bat right handed, etc.

I know someone that was right handed and he learned whistle left handed. As a result, when he started pipes, he had to order a left handed set.

Since my left arm is the stronger, it just made sense to me that the bag should go under the strong arm since it has to work constantly.

BluegrassBoy · Post by **BluegrassBoy** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 10:49 am

Interesting to note is that on the cover of Jerry O'Sullivan's first CD, The Invasion, he is pictured playing his some pipes right hand up, while in subsequent, (recent) pictures, he is pictured playing the standard way. Did he decide to switch up one day? BluegassBoy

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 10:54 am

The photo was reversed is what he told me.

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Noobie Needs Help!!

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