Grey Larsen and tone.

[brotherwind]

[Denny]

Truly it hearkens back to the good old days

[chas]

Just thought I'd share this: If you want a nice tone, cover 1/4 of the embouchure hole or less.

I think you need to modify your language to something more like "if you want to sound like Grey larsen, try this." Different people have different natural embouchures, and different people are after different tones. The world would be a boring place if everyone sounded like Grey Larsen. I like Garry Shannon, but I don't tall people to play lefty with the flute on their shoulder.

I like Chris Norman's tone. He suggests covering half the embouchure hole. I want to be able to play like him, so I do my best to cover half the hole. Most days, I eventually slip back to my "normal" 1/3-1/4 covered. I like my "original" sound, but I also like the more focused sound that comes with more of the hole covered.

[Ceili_whistle_man]

I love Grey Larsen's playing. He's the only Irish flute player that's truly expressive, I think.

Yeah, you're entitled to your opinion, and I have reasoned over your statement for probably longer than you have reasoned over 'Matt Molloy, June McCormack and the like' and have come to the conclusion that you are talking out of your arse.

all those guys sound kind of rushed and very pedestrian in their approach.

Mmmmm, rushed...and very pedestrian... all at the same time? So that's what the intangible 'it' is that Matt Molloy has that I could never figure out, thanks friend!
C'mon, really, who is this? It's a regular playing tricks on us isn't it? You really can't be serious.
If you are serious, then have at you!!
:lol:My sides hurt

[chas]

Mmmmm, rushed...and very pedestrian... all at the same time?

LOL! I'd missed that -- the new tempo, presto-andante.

[johnkerr]

Before being introduced to Grey's playing I covered about two thirds of the embouchure hole, and I REALLY struggled with getting a consistent sound. Now I cover slighlty less than a quarter of the hole, and look up at the ceiling. I have found that this gives a nice consistent sound, very pretty, not ugly and harsh like many player's tones. Just thought I'd share this: If you want a nice tone, cover 1/4 of the embouchure hole or less.

I used to cover all of the embouchure hole, and got a very consistent sound. Consistently bad. Then someone, I'm pretty sure it wasn't Grey Larsen, suggested that I might actually try blowing into the hole. Suddenly, my sound got much better. Just thought I'd share this: If you want a nice tone, blow into the hole.

I'll have to try that looking up at the ceiling thing, though. Usually I look at the nice-looking women walking down the street outside the pub's window, and I do have to admit that frequently I find myself not even thinking about my tone.

[Dan Mozell]

I love Grey Larsen's playing. He's the only Irish flute player that's truly expressive, I think. .........

Frankly, if there's only one Irish flute player who you think of as expressive, then it seems you really aren't into traditional Irish flute playing. I'm not criticizing you; this style might just not be your cup of tea.

[jiminos]

no, really, jcboydilis, don't beat around the bush. tell us what you really think.



i've not been playing very long, maybe not even as long as you, but .... IMHO... anybody who would come to this forum, home to many great ITM flute players, and make a sweeping statement such as yours is, frankly, somebody who has no idea what they are talking about. it's right up there with riding a Vespa scooter through the doors of a Harley bar, swaggering up to the bar as you remove your Gucci doeskin riding gloves and Oleg ascot to demand a fresh cup of Chamomile Tea with just a dollop of honey.... and then wonder why ya got yer arse handed to ya as you got tossed out the door.... just before your scooter and ascot.

your post may have been the product of excitement for Grey's style, but its presentation and wording was nothing less than rude and disrespectful to most people here, and certainly to MM... and the like.

go have a cup of tea and give another listen to some ITM with an open mind and both ears open.

be well,

jim

[crookedtune]

Matt Molloy doing a pedestrian approach?????
BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!

Totally wrong. He's definitely a passenger. Sometimes he even gets to drive.

[Akiba]

Ouch...did you know you were beating a hornets nest with a stick??

Grey's playing is a stylistic choice. What I love about ITM fluting is that it has such a broad spectrum of styles, tones, approaches. It's very individualistic to a certain extent. Grey is at one end of the spectrum. I like his playing and Matt's playing and others...no right or wrong, just different.

Welcome to C&F.

Jason

[benhall.1]

I haven't heard Grey Larsen's playing either. Thanks to this thread, I now know I don't have to bother.

... but seriously folks ("folks" employed only as part of the quote, and not necessarily meant to imply more than one person), there's a whole world of different interpretation out there, and it seems a shame not to at least try to appreciate a few of the different approaches there are.

[jcboydilis]

I was simply trying to express that Grey has reached a level of expressiveness that I feel has not been reached by any other ITM flute player I've heard. And I happen to like a pleasant tone rather than the sharp, sickening foghorn-like blast of a tone that is accepted as the mainstream in Irish flute playing. Yuck. I don't know why all of you are attacking me; some of you have really hurt my feelings.

[Denny]

Is he on any of the WFO CDs?

first WFO 2nd CD

[ImNotIrish]

OMG!!!! I'm supposed to COVER the embrochure hole? Okay. Now I get it!
Arbo

[Aanvil]

It is, I believe, considerably impolite to not cover your blow hole in some cultures.

I'm not one for much protocol though.