Sessions - Hearing Yourself Playing

boomerang · Post by **boomerang** » Fri May 28, 2004 1:10 am

I have the pleasure of both playing at sessions and with a band, one of my pet hates is when i am stuck beside a fiddle , banjo or accordian player and have trouble hearing myself playing unless i am in the upper register,
I dont know about others, but i have troubles playing well if i cannot hear, its like not blowing and just fingering the notes,
I have my susato which aleviates some of the trouble, yet i prefer My other whistles, ( feadog, generation, waltons and clarke), i am sure its the curse of the whistle player, but i ask those around me who can hear me play very well......anyone else have the same trouble?

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Fri May 28, 2004 3:32 am

That's why I play to the side. That way I can even hear myself play when sat between my son and my brother in law, both on 120 bass accordians. (Mind you, I don't think anybody else can hear me from there.

)

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Fri May 28, 2004 3:51 am

Boomerang, have you tried wearing a broad-brimmed hat? Apparently that helps in situations such as you've described.

As for not being able to play if you can't hear yourself, I think that's common. Happened to me once many years ago when a friend asked me to play alto sax on one of his tunes with his rock band...then stuck me next to the drum kit with the amp stack just to my right. And I had no monitor. Hopeless.

In the ancient TV series "Jeux sans frontieres" one of the games was to shut a competitor in a booth and have them sing "Frere Jacques" whilst wearing headphones through which the 1812 overture was blasted (so they couldn't hear themselves singing)... the results were terrible (and amusing). But outside of that game-show, it's not funny at all.

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Fri May 28, 2004 4:54 am

[quote="GaryKelly"]Boomerang, have you tried wearing a broad-brimmed hat? Apparently that helps in situations such as you've described.

Yeah-- with one side of the brim snapped up. That way you can hear yourself with one ear and the rest of the session with the other!! All the stockmen down by the billabong play that way

slowair · Post by **slowair** » Fri May 28, 2004 7:58 am

Not only do I have that problem, but when there is another whistle player in the group who does so many ornaments that the tunes are barely recognizable, I hear what he is playing and it totally throws me off. Somehow my mind thinks that sound is coming from me and my fingers say, "Huh?"

I do much better in my Thursday session when it's me and usually just a guitar player. Unless of course when the guy with the piano accordian shows up. He has this thing about getting out of his seat and standing next to the other players. He is so damn loud, I just stop playing. I think he got the message though. He stopped standing next to me.

Tis a curse of the poor whistle player I'm afraid.

And how about those bodhran players who can't carry a beat? Zoinks!!!

Still more fun than staying home though!

Mike

Brian Lee · Post by **Brian Lee** » Fri May 28, 2004 8:37 am

One thing to bear in mind about session playing - especially if you're newer at it than the rest of your group:

It pays to really know the tunes you're playing in the set.

I've played in many a great session that I didn't know the tune and so didn't play along. Listening is such a great learning tool. But if you DO know the tune(s) being played, and I mean really know them, you should have no trouble following along, no matter what the speed or variations being played happen to be. At least I've never had any trouble with it - and I certainly wouldn't consider myself to be the epitome of session musicianship!

It comes with time, patience and practice really. But it DOES come - sometimes slower, sometimes faster. If you're having a tough time hearing yourself, you may want to move to a different seat (easily done if you get up at some point to refill your Guinness) or when the set is over, ask one of the players if they would mind going over a tricky part or two of the last tune with you real quick. Sometimes this can help both you to learn the tune and then to know you're struggling a bit - but making a great effort.

E = Fb · Post by **E = Fb** » Fri May 28, 2004 10:10 am

I have yet to try it but I've heard it said that if you plug your ears you can hear yourself better than others. I assume it's becuase you hear others though the air, but yourself through your head, partially anyway.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Fri May 28, 2004 10:59 am

GaryKelly wrote:Boomerang, have you tried wearing a broad-brimmed hat?

Gary, every Australian wears a broad brimmed hat.

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Fri May 28, 2004 12:22 pm

Wombat wrote:
GaryKelly wrote:Boomerang, have you tried wearing a broad-brimmed hat?
Gary, every Australian wears a broad brimmed hat.

But do you have a big knife?

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Fri May 28, 2004 12:29 pm

DCrom wrote:
Wombat wrote:
GaryKelly wrote:Boomerang, have you tried wearing a broad-brimmed hat?
Gary, every Australian wears a broad brimmed hat.
But do you have a big knife?

No need to when I have a baby trained to lead my pet croc around with me.

boomerang · Post by **boomerang** » Fri May 28, 2004 7:31 pm

DCrom wrote:
Wombat wrote:
GaryKelly wrote:Boomerang, have you tried wearing a broad-brimmed hat?
Gary, every Australian wears a broad brimmed hat.
But do you have a big knife?

Gee guys its not the size that matters but how you use it.....right???

brewer Paul Quote
Yeah-- with one side of the brim snapped up. That way you can hear yourself with one ear and the rest of the session with the other!! All the stockmen down by the billabong play that way

and he sang as he stuffed his whistle in his tuckerbag, and who will come a whistling matilda with me?

Regards David