Just how good are you?

[Tyghress]

I was wondering what level of musician-ship the regular readers of this board would claim -- not necessarily 'on a scale of one to ten', or 'beginner, intermediate, advanced'.

Do you play primarily by-and-for yourself, or in a gathering? Would you feel comfortable wandering into a session in a strange town and asking if you could join them? What if that session were in Ireland? Have you ever played professionally, or solo with a mike in front of you and an audience expecting a certain level of performance?

I, for one, play only fairly, and though I play primarily in session, I would never be able to play with any confidence in a strange location or miked. I only play a quarter of the tunes (and only about half the notes of THEM sometimes) during the evening, and only solo or lead on airs or waltzes.

Just wondering. . .

[Ron Rowe]

I don't play well at all, and mostly play by myself.The first session I attended was a couple of weeks ago in SLC at Brian's invitation and I must sya what a great group of people. I was so nervous about playing in front of others though, that even tunes I knew flew out of my head leaving me drawing a blank.
They have a slow session here in Denver on the 4th Sunday of each month and I am going to start attending those to build up my confidence about playing in front of others.

[rich]

I tend to think of things in stages, sort of influenced by an old line about learning the pipes. The first stage is learning the instrument itself; then you learn the tunes; then you learn to play the tunes in the proper style; then you develop your own style. Of course, they overlap, but still...

On whistle, I'm past the instrument-itself phase and am doing pretty well in the tunes phase and the proper style phases, although I welcome tips on an A roll . On flute, I'm occasionally back in the instrument-itself phase -- I'm still not at the point where I'm 100% confident that the flute will make the sound I want when I pick it up, and I don't have enough stamina in my embouchure -- but am equally far along in the tunes phase and in the proper style phase as with the whistle.

I've got a formal music education, so I'd say I'm ahead of the game a little in terms of general musicianship -- improvising, transcribing and picking up tunes, that sort of thing -- and managed for the most part to escape the backward steps required moving from classical and jazz to folk by moving from low strings to high winds.

If I knew the tunes, I'd have no problem sitting down at a session; I've been a little slow to get out to the ones around here because of the language thing, though. I'm planning on going to the beginner sessions when they start up in the fall to sort of evaluate where I'm at, and use that as a bit of a springboard to get to the normal sessions. But with a session every night of the week, I'm a little spoiled here in Montreal.
<ul>-Rich</ul>

[thesackrat]

On the 1 to 10 scale I play at (about) a 2 level. However if the 1 to 10 scale is based on _enjoyment_ I'm at the scales' top number. A 10+++ in fact.

I play strictly by myself the vast majority of the time. Once in a while when people visit I will do a couple of tunes and I have been known to busk on rare occasions.

I would guess that a very large number of our group fit into the same "mold."

[cj]

I'm strictly amateur. I play and sing with a not-ready-for-prime-time group, but it's not Irish music, and we don't perform in public. I'd rate myself barely adequate in the whistle area, and I doubt I could hang with a session unless they slowed themselves way down! Of course, I'm not really aspiring to play for the public, I do this for my own pleasure.

[avanutria]

I'm in the learning-the-tunes phase. I've recently switched from recorder to whistle, so I know the basics, but I'm still learning rolls and cuts. I only know a few *edit - TUNES * so far, and still mess them up.

I play primarily for myself, have never played in a group, or even seen an irish group play outside of festivals, and only played recorder once with someone else (guitar) after much cajoling, hehe

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: avanutria on 2001-08-22 11:39 ]</font>

[JessieK]

I know few tunes, but the ones I do know, I know very well, and I play in sessions anywhere, including Ireland. I have played A LOT with a microphone. We have a little Irish music band here, and we have a little music studio in the house. I record a bunch and have spent a lot of time on a stage, singing, mostly, but playing, too. I play mostly airs, but I have several fast ones, too.

Jessie

[Loren]

How good am I?

Not good, I'm afraid. I get frustrated with my meager skills constantly. To make things worse, I find it hard to sit still long enough to get good consistent practice sessions in.

But hey, I've got no one to blame but myself...and perhaps the neighbors who don't seem to care for the playing when I do practice. Apartment life definitely has it's drawbacks....

Loren

[WhistlingGypsy]

I would say I'm a middle-of-the-road player. I play in a session every Monday night here in Ottawa and since joining it, have learned a ton of tunes. Actually this session has been going on for 15 years at the same venue.

I would have no problem joining in a session anywhere, including Ireland, unless of course the players were unwelcoming, in which case I wouldn't want to play with them anyhow.

I don't play a lot on my own, and find that playing in a session ,I can play tunes that I really am not very good at solo, but can miss a few notes here and there and it is not noticed.

I have played in front of a mic. several times, but usually for short stints and tend to stick to the tunes I am realy good at.

Cheers,

Gerry

[Brian Lee]

It sounds to me like the main underlying theme here is:

"I'm OK, and can hold my own, but regardless of my skill level, I play for the love of the music."

This would describe me to a "T" as well! I've recorded for a little over a year, and play in several sessions each month. Every once in a while I'll get a paying gig, but again...it's for the love of the music that I play.

I've got my whole life to practice, and learn new techniques, and instruments. (WHEN will I ever be able to afford those pipes???) so I'm not too hard on myself to become an overnight virtuoso. Just enjoying the music, and the journey as it unfolds!

The thing I still have trouble fathoming, is the openess and friendly attitudes of the vast majority of Irish musicians world wide. I can call someone in Ireland, or anywhere in Europe or America and we can very possibly chat for hours about what we like and share in the music.

When I have the chance to meet musicians in person ie: Mack, Tom, Ron, etc. etc. they are the very highest caliber of people. Like a second 'musical' family in a sense.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
Bri~

[Blaine McArthur]

On the whistle I am about a 1, rapidly bearng down on 2. I can play through Arthur McBride, and Planxty Irwin at a tempo of about 30. I can play snatches and bits of a bunch of Davey Spillane tunes. I can play a few non-Irish "cutesy" tunes: Auld Lang Syne (is that Irish????), Amazing Grace, the Lion Sleeps Tonight, etc. - the ones that don't require any finger gymnastics at all. I am far from ready for public whistle playing. Still, like everyone else, I have a good time while I am playing.

I have played the mandolin and guitar in groups, on stage and miked. There is a difference, if I may digress, between simply playing on stage, or in a circle, and being miked. Miking seems to set up a whole new dynamic. I like the fact that I can always back away from the mike if I am uncertain about a phrase or simply for the effect, or to bring down the level of my instrument relativeto the rest of the band, but miking also seems to accentuate all those little muffs that people might not otherwise hear if you were playing unplugged.

Returning to the whistle, I often find myself using it the same way a Zen monk might use his Shakuhachi. I am not particularly into Zen, but love taking long hikes into the wilderness or going to the local park, and playing not tunes, but scales and riffs and other stuff that sound good to my ear - simply improvising.

Most of all, I just love making noise, and the mechanics of playing are therapeutic - For now I play primarily for myself, but am reconsidering getting back into playing with others soon.

Blaine

[Lori Peters]

I *like* to think that I'm good

I pick up things easily by ear and can join in alot of tunes (or songs) that don't have whistle included (i.e. no whistle to copy).

I really don't have anyone to compare myself to, because I don't know anyone else who plays, so I do it mostly by myself. So, all in all....I'd say I'm a 8 for myself, 1 compared to anyone else I'm sure!

The nearest session is over an hour away from me...and with 5 kids on a Thurs night it's hard for me to get there, I don't *think* I'd be nervous to start in, but you never know! Someday....

[rich]

On 2001-08-22 11:46, WhistlingGypsy wrote:
I would say I'm a middle-of-the-road player. I play in a session every Monday night here in Ottawa and since joining it, have learned a ton of tunes. Actually this session has been going on for 15 years at the same venue.

I might be up in Ottawa a bit in the near future -- where's this session?
<ul>-Rich</ul>

[Mark_J]

I consider myself a novice (2 moving to 3).
I have played for an audience before a few times, only once solo.

I am not a beginner. I was able to hang on in John Skelton's intermediate class this summer, but that doesn't make me intermediate. Intermediate is not advanced but better than a novice. I think if you can go to a session and play more than half of the tunes at whatever tempo is there, you are an advanced player. If you play most all of the tunes in a session and can play with good solo and ensemble work, you are an expert.

While I want to learn more tunes, I'd rather learn to make every note an investment before I move to a new tune. Its a shame I don't have that patience.

[Otter]

I guess I am intermediate.
I have been playing irish music for about 2 years but I have owned whistles for as far as I can remember. In fact I have a Bb Generation brass bought in France about 25years + ago I could never part with.
Here in Chicago, I play in sessions every week but it is not a very fast session. Venturing into a faster one makes me a bit incomfortable.
I went back to France a few months ago and found a session in Paris. They were all excellent, I joined them for the tunes I knew (which was about half) but eventhough I held my own, I was pretty nervous, which means of course that I was way out of my league.
Recently some friends and I played for a wedding with a sound system.
Funny how a microphone instantly makes you feel selfconscious. At one point there was a bit of time to fill in and I could have played "Women of Ireland" solo on my whistle, but at the last moment I totally chickened out.

S.

_________________
Eagles may fly high but otters never get sucked into jet engines.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Otter on 2001-08-22 14:17 ]</font>