pipers grip vs. normal

[jim stone]

Yes, the brace is interesting.
Also, she sure looks happy.

[rama]

i'll try to be honest, however illusive that appears to be for me...

i bought grey's cd a few years ago. and was disappointed at first because i was exposed to alot of hype surrounding it's release. the flute tone threw me off at first. i thought there was something wrong there. thin and sickly sounding. but after a while, i got used to his flute sound and playing style (on various instruments) and appreciated some of the tracks. i could tolerate the flute once i realized it's different model flute than what i expected and am accustomed to. overall i give him credit for hard work, it's not easy to do a cd, and there is some musical taste and sensiblity i can appreciate. good job. why i might even pull out his cd and give it another listen...

[jim stone]

The fellow is playing to the beat of a different drummer,
certainly. He's coming at the music in a very deep way,
it seems to me, that's his own. It's probably fair
to say it lacks fire and brilliance and the raw edge
that many of us love. But there's something interesting
there.

[Guinness]

I'll be interested to read what other people have to say about his playing.

His playing is extremely technically accomplished. He possesses an outstanding mechanical ability at operating his musical instruments. If I had 1/4 the skill he has I would be very happy.

Agreed. But despite all this, his music has always struck me as being rather...grey, actually. Perhaps, unfortunately for him, this all was pre-ordained by his parents when they named him at birth. Not unlike the dirty trick Mr. and Mrs. Theclown played on their young son when they named him Bozo. What else was he to do with his life?

BTW, I'm more than willing to have Mr. Larsen tell me in turn that the music I make belongs in the John. He can even use a more crude synonym for that if he'd like. In fact, given the slander that has been perpetrated on my given name over the years, I'd actually prefer that he'd use a synonym. But whatever word he chooses, he'd probably be right on in his assessment of my playing.

Empty invitation. Although I have no personal acquaintance with GL, no doubt in my mind that he'd be unwilling to engage in a reciprocation of book burning and personal vendetta. It would have been enough (and decent) for you to politely disagree with his book, methodology, format, and even playing style but instead you've turned it ugly for some undisclosed reason. Name calling, that's really mature:

"After Ellen came out as a lesbian, televangelist Jerry Falwell referred to her in a sermon as "Ellen DeGenerate." Ellen responded: "Really, he called me that? Ellen DeGenerate? I've been getting that since the fourth grade."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_DeGeneres

Although those clips were published primarily to illustrate the tone quality of two flutes (a Terry McGee and a Casey Burns Bb), I tend to agree that GL's playing is a bit clean cut. Classically trained flute players strive for eveness of tone and volume, good intonation, and proper accenting for each and every note. His playing demonstrates much of this control.

[jemtheflute]

Cocus, I thought I was remarkably concise (by my standards,anyway). Is that a wrist brace she's wearing? I hadn't noticed it , but having done so, (and it isn't really at all clear in the picture) I'd say there's at least as good a chance that it is some sort of ornamental cloth or leather wristlet as there is that it is one of those elasticated sports supports. Even if it is one of the latter, does she always wear it? There's no sign of it in any of the pictures on the Draiocht - Land's End CD or on any of the other pics on the Draiocht website........ There is also the chance that she could have been temporarily using such a thing after sustaining a non-flute related injury like my recent one, which nonetheless required support whilst playing till it healed. What I'm getting at is that we clearly lack sufficient evidence from this picture to make any such claim about the wrist thingy (let alone to imply any possibility that she has strained her wrist by her flute hold!!!!!).

[cocusflute]

...you've turned it ugly for some undisclosed reason.
Name calling, that's really mature...

John did this? Our John? John Kerr? I don't see that at all.
I read mildly self-deprecating humor and nothing of the meanness
to which you referred. What did I miss?

Apparently Mr. Larsen is not strongly supported on this forum.

It is a wrist brace. I've heard that she had an ailment-
perhaps carpal tunnel syndrome? It doesn't seem to
have hurt her playing. Perhaps I shall get a brace.

[jim stone]

Right. Grey, whom I do know personally, would not
respond in kind. A quiet, intelligent, kindly and
wholly unassuming man, who
has devoted his life to this music. A good teacher. He leads a session
once a week in Bloomington, plays flute and concertina.
Never tries to outshine anybody, not in his nature, apparently.

He thinks a lot, thinks deeply about things musical.
The book, which is of course of little use to advanced
players, reflects this. When he's right, he's really quite
helpful, but, like most of us, he's not always rt.
I reckon the book is a real help to people starting
flute and whistle in the absence of a good teacher.

[jemtheflute]

It is a wrist brace.

You say that with such certitude that I take it you know it for a fact from personal contact or close second-hand information? If so, I bow to that, but I certainly can't see it clearly enough in the pic to make such an identification.

[Nanohedron]

Pointing out prominent players who use certain grips is illustrative, certainly, and ultimately proves that the subject is an open terrain. I'm not getting the relevance of personal tastes in their various styles, though. Rather an odd deflection from the subject, I think.

Some players I know use standard grip and can rip a hole in the air with their speed, precision, and fire. Others seem, IMO, to be hampered by it, but it's probably too late for them to change. Many of my favorite players use "piper's" grip, but I've never attributed the fruits of their accomplishments simply to that, per se. That would be silly and poorly thought-out.

Sometimes my flute friends and I discuss and compare grip. We don't argue about it, though, understanding that in the end, you go with what works best for you.

[jim stone]

It is a wrist brace.

You say that with such certitude that I take it you know it for a fact from personal contact or close second-hand information? If so, I bow to that, but I certainly can't see it clearly enough in the pic to make such an identification.

Yes, it's a wrist brace. I have one, too. It's hard for me
to play with it on (mine is left handed, like hers). It makes
the left wrist so straight that my fingers nearly lose
contact with the holes. But it helps train the wrist to
assume a more neutral position, which I do need to
do. Hers may be less rigid than mine.
Why she's doing it I don't know.

[Guinness]

...you've turned it ugly for some undisclosed reason.
Name calling, that's really mature...

John did this? Our John? John Kerr? I don't see that at all.
I read mildly self-deprecating humor and nothing of the meanness
to which you referred. What did I miss?

R-E-A-D again. Partial quotation:

Disclaimer so Dale doesn't start accusing me of personal attacks again: This is my opinion. As they say on the internet, YMMV.

Apparently Mr. Larsen is not strongly supported on this forum.

Are you suggesting that you and JK's opinions are representative of the population?

[johnkerr]

...you've turned it ugly for some undisclosed reason.
Name calling, that's really mature...

John did this? Our John? John Kerr?

I must confess, I did indeed call Grey Larsen a name. I believe it was his own given name I called him, but perhaps it's just a nickname he's been given along the way, or some name he's decided to call himself, you know, like a stage name. But whatever. Yes, I did call him a name. I'm so ashamed. But I'm more ashamed of stealing that Bozo joke from Jerry Seinfeld.

And if anyone wants to know my detailed criticisms of his book, check earlier threads on this forum. They're there. I didn't really feel the need to repeat them in this thread.

[johnkerr]

BTW, I have seen June McCormack wearing the wrist brace every time I've seen her play live over the past three years. When I took a week-long class with her at East Durham three years ago, she was wearing it then. I forget the details, but she has some sort of problem that has developed as a result of her playing, and the only real remedy would be for her to quit playing for some time in order for it to heal. As a professional musician, she doesn't have that option. Hence the wrist brace, which I guess must help. Obviously she took it off for the CD photos, just as many people who wear glasses will often take them off for formal photos.

[jim stone]

Thelonious Monk, when asked if the kids at school made
fun of his first name responded:

"no. That was too much for them. But they did call me
monkey, and man, you know that was a drag!'

[sbfluter]

There's Gray Larsen holding his flute perfectly. Such long, graceful, relaxed fingers he has! I wish my fingers were as long as his.

Would that I could have such relaxed fingers and have the holes fall perfectly beneath them. Well, I can -- and do -- with an ergonomic flute.

Why don't more people acquire flutes with ergonomically-placed finger holes?