pipers grip vs. normal

Post by **Nanohedron** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:54 am

Grasping the flute, you have lost it. Letting go, all the gods cannot take it from you.

CranberryDog · Post by **CranberryDog** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:08 am

As Alan Watts said: "the ego is a good servant and a bad master".

I use the Irish Piper's Grip.

Here's to your success?

Best

cadancer · Post by **cadancer** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:05 am

Lee Stanford wrote:
talasiga wrote:the gripless state cannot be gripped
The grip that can be spoken about is not the true grip..."

My favorite:

"In action.... watch the timing" ( I like to think we can apply this to music)

"No Fight: no blame" ( I like to think we can apply this to message boards)

...john

lixnaw · Post by **lixnaw** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:21 am

I've found a good grip yesterday,

[URL=http://imageshack.us]

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Don't neglect your feet!

lixnaw · Post by **lixnaw** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:22 am

I've found a good grip yesterday,

http://www.comfortshoes24.co.uk/

Don't neglect your feet!

jemtheflute · Post by **jemtheflute** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:04 am

I love this thread! Just as well my Broadband provider's server was down yesterday! (In case anyone was wondering why I've shut up! - No, I haven't "got a grip" of my verbose/pa[ren]thetic tendencies, I was shut out, not up!) Seriously, there's some great stuff on here, and not much unfortunate descent into personalised slagging off.

Tala and Rama, you both rock! Nano, much good sense well put. Wish I had some people's felicitous ways with concisely summing things up.

Lixnaw, snazzy "grips", but look like mostly nasty sweaty (and soon cracky and smelly) synthetics. You need leather, man. (Leastways, I do.)

If anyone wants a good chuckle (given the general context of this thread, not, I trust from malice!), I've been struggling for the last week with an injured L shoulder and upper arm - probably an incipient RSI from driving (definitely NOT caused by fluting), exacerbated by sleeping on it awkwardly - not sure if is a trapped nerve or a muscle/tendon strain. Anyway, last Thursday I could not lift my L arm above rib level, and I had a gig on Friday night. Practising on Thursday I had to improvise a sling from a belt to hold my L arm up to support the flutes - no problems with finger movement etc, just "getting it up"!!!!! Thought I might have to perform that way too, looking a right 'nana. Fortunately it eased off enough by Friday night that I was OK to play unstrapped, despite an hour-an-a quarter's drive to get there, though I had to be careful lifting my arm. Still having trouble with it. I've stuck a couple of clips from the gig on the clips sticky, if anyone's interested.

johnkerr · Post by **johnkerr** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:16 am

This discussion has gone on far too long, with way too many words written by people who really don't know what the hell they are talking about. So let me add here the collected wisdom on the subject of proper grip, from two icons of Irish traditional music. You the reader and flute player can then decide whose zen-like words of wisdom you wish to choose as your own personal grip mantra. Here they are.

"You know there's awful lot to be said about this Irish traditional folk music and folk lore, because first of all, you have to learn it, and first you must learn the talk, and then you must learn the grip, and after that you must learn the truckly hallow, and then you have the whole lot, only just to keep on practicing it, because Seamus Ennis knows far more about this than even the old folk lordy lordy themselves, because Seamus Ennis once met a little leprechauny truckly hell, which come up from that in the limeretty limeretty hill huckers, before the earthean trove, before the leprechaun erean, and long before the argy forrey, and that was in the deep pond doon, before the emerald isle was dropped 'blucck' in the water."

- Seamus Ennis

"Buy my book, now available for only $26.37 on amazon.com."

- Grey Larsen

Andrew Hollom · Post by **Andrew Hollom** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:17 am

The only benefit I can think of for the classical grip is that the fingers either move more rapidly at the tip than at a point further inwards (due to having a greater radius), or requires less effort for the same speed or deflection. The speed aspect is good if you like the percussive effect of a rapid strike/tap, and the reduced effort is good for avoiding fatigue.

I suspect that the piper's grip is good enough for most people in both these regards, but cannot be described as being optimal. Of course, if you cannot reach the holes without using the piper's grip, then your choice is somewhat limited.

Andrew.

Rob Sharer · Post by **Rob Sharer** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:24 am

As one of the main defenders of alternate grips on this thread, I just want to point out, before we all abandon this topic, that I've never once tried to claim that the "piper's" grip is better than anything else. I'm arguing for equal time and consideration, and against pedantry, nothing more. Some recent posts seem to be suggesting otherwise.

John Kerr, you've hit it. It's pretty obvious that more of us have learned the talk than the grip. Now, on to the truckly hallow...

Rob

Lee Stanford · Post by **Lee Stanford** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:40 am

johnkerr wrote:This discussion has gone on far too long, with way too many words written by people who really don't know what the hell they are talking about. So let me add here the collected wisdom on the subject of proper grip, from two icons of Irish traditional music. You the reader and flute player can then decide whose zen-like words of wisdom you wish to choose as your own personal grip mantra. Here they are.

"You know there's awful lot to be said about this Irish traditional folk music and folk lore, because first of all, you have to learn it, and first you must learn the talk, and then you must learn the grip, and after that you must learn the truckly hallow, and then you have the whole lot, only just to keep on practicing it, because Seamus Ennis knows far more about this than even the old folk lordy lordy themselves, because Seamus Ennis once met a little leprechauny truckly hell, which come up from that in the limeretty limeretty hill huckers, before the earthean trove, before the leprechaun erean, and long before the argy forrey, and that was in the deep pond doon, before the emerald isle was dropped 'blucck' in the water."

- Seamus Ennis

"Buy my book, now available for only $26.37 on amazon.com."

- Grey Larsen

Darn I paid fourty dollars for it. Pages are now falling out of it. I may have to get another one at amazon.

neilC · Post by **neilC** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:55 am

Can anyone tell me the correct grip for holding Grey's book? I've been using a straight-fingered approach, with half the book in each hand. The problem is that I get cramps, and the book starts to slip out of my fingers.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:12 am

johnkerr · Post by **johnkerr** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:34 am

neilC wrote:Can anyone tell me the correct grip for holding Grey's book? I've been using a straight-fingered approach, with half the book in each hand. The problem is that I get cramps, and the book starts to slip out of my fingers.

Close the book. Then grasp it with your right hand (or left hand, if you're a southpaw) using either a flat or curved finger grip, whichever you prefer. Crouch down by the table on the side with the short leg, and with your other hand lift up the table. (If it's a particularly heavy table or you have a bad back, have a friend lift the table for you instead.) Then slide the book securely under the short leg and gently release your grip. Lower the table and stand up.

I bought this book used a few years ago at well under list price, flipped through it once or twice and then put it on my shelf, where it's sat ever since. This is the best use I can think of for it, should I ever decide to grip it again. Perhaps if the table leg is not all that short, the section of the book that talks about various flute players and their styles might be worth ripping out and saving for a future read.

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

sbfluter · Post by **sbfluter** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:00 am

The only ergonomic way to handle the GL Book:

jemtheflute · Post by **jemtheflute** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:56 am

As I said, I haven't even seen the GL book, let alone perused it, but given what I know of some folks' opinion of it (e.g. John Kerr above) and out of sheer but un-prejudiced and non-malicious devilment (who me?), I had thought of suggesting the appropriate grip might be the one used by martial arts show-offs when ripping up telephone directories????? But then I thought better of posting it....oooooops!