Q&A with Grey Larsen

Post by **Dale** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 12:22 pm

Grey Larsen has agreed to start writing a regular column for the C&F newsletter. Coolness. He is likely to focus on playing techniques. He wants to start with a Q&A format and I'd like to ask you folks to submit questions. I'll pick one or two for the first column, and then we'll go from there. So, post your questions here.

Dale

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 12:28 pm

Coolness, indeed!

Question: Can I play his flute? Just kidding.

janice · Post by **janice** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 12:47 pm

Exceptionally cool!

(p.s. nice avatar, Dale

)

(and you can't play his flute Jim-your fingerpads would shed all over it)

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 12:58 pm

I'll shave!

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:01 pm

Question: If the goal is to make stylistically sound and expressive music, at which point will technical analysis and classification become counterproductive?

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:14 pm

I'd like to know how long it takes him to blow-dry his hair...
(SWAT team wrestles evil Emily to the ground...)

BTW,
Bloomfield, you have, in your own verbose way, described the reason why I can only spend a limited amount of time with Larsen's book at one sitting...but I do think it's mighty useful to be able to look up the technicalities of a given ornament when one is confused, or just can't get it.

Roo · Post by **Roo** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:25 pm

Question: When am I no longer considered a beginner? It's just that you quite often see workshops offered for beginners or intermediate players or advanced players but you never see any definitions of whats what.

Andrew.

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:28 pm

Andrew, when it's Time you will know.

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:28 pm

I haven't got his book yet, but I would like to hear about ornaments on the middle D, particularly crans (rolls?) and how he fingers 'em.

And you might as well drag him into the territory of improved cheapos versus premiums and what he prefers. Let's make him squirm!!!

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:42 pm

Roo wrote:Question: When am I no longer considered a beginner? It's just that you quite often see workshops offered for beginners or intermediate players or advanced players but you never see any definitions of whats what.

Andrew.

I remember reading a flyer for the Irish Arts Week, where they divide classes into Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced. IIRC, Intermediate required you to have a solid command of the technical aspects of ornamentation, to have an active repertoire of 200 or more tunes, to play in sessions regularly. Advanced meant a repertoire of 1,000 or more tunes and that you lead a session or peform regularly.

If this isn't exactly what you wanted to hear, it may help to remember that very many people who crowd the "advanced" classes taught by Mary Bergin are still struggling with rolls (but can't resist the big name).

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:44 pm

The Weekenders wrote: Let's make him squirm!!!

and THEN we'll mess up his hair.

No, I'm just kidding. I wouldn't do that. Very nice, and courageous, of him to offer to field questions from a bunch such as this.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:45 pm

Well, here's a question I've been tossing back and forth between a couple of folks, I'd value Grey's input:

Does all Irish dance music have some degree of swing, no matter how subtle, or are some pieces (reels, say) ever played completely 100% straight?

Perhaps the same question phrased differently: if you play a reel or a jig completely straight but are using another technique such as breath pulsing to provide a bounce to the rythm instead of swinging it, I mean in place of instead of in addition to, are you still playing in a style that is authentic to the tradition?

Thanks for your input--I have found your book to be an extremely valuable resource.

--James

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 2:00 pm

Question: do you ever use any of the keys, on an 8 keyed flute, with any of your rolls? Some uilleann pipers do this, and I wondered if flute players do. (follow up) When would a flute player use the Cnat key most, instead of the regular fingering?

PS: tell Grey this question is from "An Uilleann Piper's Fruitcake Recipe" and he'll get a nice laugh.

antstastegood · Post by **antstastegood** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 3:23 pm

I'd like to hear about, well, anything. Expert opinion is always interesting.

PS: That avatar is a scream!

LimuHead · Post by **LimuHead** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 4:49 pm

Very cool, indeed! I love the book. I've learned heaps and heaps of useful stuff from it.

Question for Mr. Larsen: What are your favorite whistle(s) and flute(s)? Why?

The Weekenders wrote:I haven't got his book yet, but I would like to hear about ornaments on the middle D, particularly crans (rolls?) and how he fingers 'em.

Hey Weeks, on his website he talks about crans in one of the tutorial things. He also has 3 different "tune packets" you can download for free.
Be forewarned: I downloaded the pdfs and tune packets and was possessed with the desire to own the book. I gave in, and am very pleased!

Aldon

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