Much joy 'pour moi' last night, for when I arrived in Tom's, a glorious sight met my eyes - no fewer than FIVE new musical faces .... yippeee
It's always an adventure isn't it, when new musicians appear, full of new stories, new tunes, new sets, etc etc, .....what's the word that best describes all of that ........ aye crack.
Well, we ended up with 4 Fiddles, 1 Concertina, 1 Harp, 2 sets of Pipes (sadly the flat set never did reach the smokey atmosphere) plus a Flute, Whistle, Bodhran & two Guitars.
OK - OK I know, that's more than 10, but some of us were multi-tasking!
Anyway, the point I wanted to finally get round to making was that some folks here, who are always moaning about just how tuff it is to play ITM & who go on & on & on about all the hardships they encounter when trying to reach perfection on their instrument, should perhaps chill out once in a while & just relax & simply enjoy the music, without getting so worked up about it all.
So why am I saying this now?
Well because last night, the visiting Guitar player had only - one arm!
.
........ 'nough said, I think.
Sounds like a great night. Who where all these new faces? Any students? Will they be in the North coast area for long or are they just passing through?
Ptarmi, next time such liveliness occurs in Toms - give us a shout! Although perhaps you've tired of my tune-recycling every thursday night! I am merely a two-armed fiddler i suppose....
Hey, 'proinsias .....pilot' - it was a great night & all the better for it being a surprise visit!
"Who where all these new faces? Any students?" - A Fiddler from Derry, another from Belfast, a Whistle player from around Belfast, I think, a Fiddling Pipe playing Pipe maker from Glasgow, which is where the one-armed Guitar player was from.
Fraid none of them were students, at least I doubt it, as they were all about my age ( Ah .... the Golden Years! )
"Will they be in the North coast area for long or are they just passing through?"
- fraid they were just passing through, but hopefully they enjoyed the night as much as I did, so might be back!?
Hey Spoon - At least, now we know how you got your nicknameplus, check out 'proinsias .....pilot' video clip!
( nice one Proin! )
Can you give more details? *How* did he play the guitar with one arm?
- well Spoon, for a start - it looked to me like he may well have been right handed originally, but was now forced to make his chord shapes with his right hand!
His left arm only extended down about 1/3 of the way towards his elbow & on the end he had attached some kind of Plectrum holder with which he strummed the strings.
200% credit for this guy's determination, ingenuity & guts!
Incidentally, I asked about this hero over at 'Footstompin' & one person responeded by telling me about another bloke he knows in Glasgow, Ally, who only has one arm & one leg
- & he plays Bass!
Edel, yes I did think of phoning you, but as the ten of us had already taken up most of the bar, I'm not sure where we could have put you!
"Although perhaps you've tired of my tune-recycling every thursday night!"
- in reply to that question Edel, may I quote big Ian ..... "NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!"
I remember a one-armed guitarist one late evenving in Wynne's, Killeshandra. He did some nice Delta blues, strumming with his arm and using the side of his head as a slide. He would smear his cheeks and jowls with goose fat, so the strings didn't rip into him. He was a decent musician, but he frightened the children, more becuase of his constant advances than his appearance. I also remember two twins (supposedly, although they looked nothing like each other) at a circus in Longford. The ringmaster told us they had each lost opposing arms in a freak rail accident. They sat on each others lap, the twin with the left arm fretting and the fella with the right arm strumming. It was an interesting novelty act, but to be honest they were very poor musically.
Now I know we all have a passion for ITM here, but I can't help wondering if we would 'all' have the same determination, adaptability & guts to carry on playing after losing an arm, as those guys above obviously had or would we be so frustrated by not being able to play up to our previous standard, that we would lose heart?
Personally, I like to think we would all continue, because after all, despite all the serious discussions that go on here about technique, at the end of the day, playing ITM is about sharing our music with others, perhaps more than any other factor.
So although we all get a big kick out of improving our playing levels, the big high, I suspect for most of us, is that sheer joy we get from being able to play our music with others.
So despite our individual technical ability, there is a session out there, & a place for every one of us, to suit every level of playing ability - YIPPEEEE!
Perhaps it's this quality, more than any other, which sets ITM apart from many other forms of music making, & makes it so appealing around the World?
By the way, someone over at 'Footstompin' believes the Guitarist I met in Tom's is actually a bloke by the name of: -
"Finlay an auld stalwart of The Scotia in Glasgow, not only a fine guitarist but a gifted mechanic with a talent for customising vehicles"
I wonder if Finlay has seen the above website?
If you do meet him at a session while he's over here, please tell him about that site ......... Oh, & thank him from me, for his music in Tom's that night!
Agreed. It was pretty standard in days (long) gone by to train blind children (well, boys, anyway) to play organ or harp. Yer right, some of us should quit whingeing. ;)
This page also highlights how, in some countries, blind musicians were actually persecuted:
“...musicians traveled around Ireland, providing music for dances and other occasions. As in Ukraine, these musicians often faced persecution — by the English, in this case. And, as in Ukraine, many of the Irish musicians were blind.”
What tuning was the fellas guitar set at EADGBE would just about cover all the keys I guess if he was providing one note backing. It reminds me of our friend "Stumpy" the one legged tap dancer
There is a man in the Boston area that I met at Gaelic Roots one year, who said he was looking forward to playing in that night's session. I tried not to look surprised, as he had no hands. But it turned out he played harmonicas, in a number of keys, mounted on a spindle that he could rotate to get to the one in the right key. And he was a mighty player who knew lots of tunes.
Those of us who whine about glasses half empty need to take a lesson from folks like him!
Stop whingeing!
Stop whingeing!
Much joy 'pour moi' last night, for when I arrived in Tom's, a glorious sight met my eyes - no fewer than FIVE new musical faces .... yippeee
It's always an adventure isn't it, when new musicians appear, full of new stories, new tunes, new sets, etc etc, .....what's the word that best describes all of that ........ aye crack.
Well, we ended up with 4 Fiddles, 1 Concertina, 1 Harp, 2 sets of Pipes (sadly the flat set never did reach the smokey atmosphere) plus a Flute, Whistle, Bodhran & two Guitars.
OK - OK I know, that's more than 10, but some of us were multi-tasking!
Anyway, the point I wanted to finally get round to making was that some folks here, who are always moaning about just how tuff it is to play ITM & who go on & on & on about all the hardships they encounter when trying to reach perfection on their instrument, should perhaps chill out once in a while & just relax & simply enjoy the music, without getting so worked up about it all.
So why am I saying this now?
Well because last night, the visiting Guitar player had only - one arm!
.
........ 'nough said, I think.
# Posted on October 14th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Stop whingeing!
Hello Ptarmigan,
Sounds like a great night. Who where all these new faces? Any students? Will they be in the North coast area for long or are they just passing through?
# Posted on October 14th 2006 by proinsiasrua
Re: Stop whingeing!
Ptarmigan - I'll stop whingeing if you stop grousing.
Can you give more details? *How* did he play the guitar with one arm?
# Posted on October 14th 2006 by ragaman
Re: Stop whingeing!
Perhaps it went something like this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCKTeRW3OhQ
# Posted on October 14th 2006 by proinsiasrua
Re: Stop whingeing!
Ptarmi, next time such liveliness occurs in Toms - give us a shout! Although perhaps you've tired of my tune-recycling every thursday night! I am merely a two-armed fiddler i suppose....
# Posted on October 14th 2006 by edel in portstewart
Re: Stop whingeing!
Which arm? I'm assuming it was the pickin' or strummin' arm that was missing. What did he use instead?
# Posted on October 14th 2006 by Shrog
Re: Stop whingeing!
Hey, 'proinsias .....pilot' - it was a great night & all the better for it being a surprise visit!
"Who where all these new faces? Any students?" - A Fiddler from Derry, another from Belfast, a Whistle player from around Belfast, I think, a Fiddling Pipe playing Pipe maker from Glasgow, which is where the one-armed Guitar player was from.
Fraid none of them were students, at least I doubt it, as they were all about my age ( Ah .... the Golden Years! )
"Will they be in the North coast area for long or are they just passing through?"
- fraid they were just passing through, but hopefully they enjoyed the night as much as I did, so might be back!?
Hey Spoon - At least, now we know how you got your nicknameplus, check out 'proinsias .....pilot' video clip!
( nice one Proin! )
Can you give more details? *How* did he play the guitar with one arm?
- well Spoon, for a start - it looked to me like he may well have been right handed originally, but was now forced to make his chord shapes with his right hand!
His left arm only extended down about 1/3 of the way towards his elbow & on the end he had attached some kind of Plectrum holder with which he strummed the strings.
200% credit for this guy's determination, ingenuity & guts!
Incidentally, I asked about this hero over at 'Footstompin' & one person responeded by telling me about another bloke he knows in Glasgow, Ally, who only has one arm & one leg
- & he plays Bass!
Edel, yes I did think of phoning you, but as the ten of us had already taken up most of the bar, I'm not sure where we could have put you!
"Although perhaps you've tired of my tune-recycling every thursday night!"
- in reply to that question Edel, may I quote big Ian ..... "NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!"
# Posted on October 14th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Stop whingeing!
Sorry, missed your question Shrog, but I hope it's answered in my last post?
# Posted on October 14th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Stop whingeing!
Can I come to your session? Sounds like good craic, welcoming and fun and not tremendously territorial. I miss that.
# Posted on October 14th 2006 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Stop whingeing!
I love the spoon guitar! I showed Herself and she went and hid all the spoons.
# Posted on October 14th 2006 by Bob himself
Re: Stop whingeing!
Hey, Silver Spear, next time you are passing through Ballycastle, you really must call into Tom's for a few tunes!
Bob, if that was "herself's" reaction, then whatever you do, don't try playing your guitar with a Dollar Bill!
# Posted on October 15th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Stop whingeing!
I remember a one-armed guitarist one late evenving in Wynne's, Killeshandra. He did some nice Delta blues, strumming with his arm and using the side of his head as a slide. He would smear his cheeks and jowls with goose fat, so the strings didn't rip into him. He was a decent musician, but he frightened the children, more becuase of his constant advances than his appearance. I also remember two twins (supposedly, although they looked nothing like each other) at a circus in Longford. The ringmaster told us they had each lost opposing arms in a freak rail accident. They sat on each others lap, the twin with the left arm fretting and the fella with the right arm strumming. It was an interesting novelty act, but to be honest they were very poor musically.
# Posted on October 15th 2006 by howsshecutting
Re: Stop whingeing!
Here is a photo, from the early C20th, which shows not one but FOUR one-armed Guitar players ....... & a one-handed Cello player!:
http://www.harpguitars.net/iconography/knutsen-amend2-amend.jpg
& here is a photo of a one-armed Mandolin player:
http://www.harpguitars.net/knutsen_images/amend5.jpg
These images came from this site, which also gives details of the ‘Knutsen’ Harp Guitar & Harp Mandolin:
http://www.harpguitars.net/Knutsen/amend.htm
Now I know we all have a passion for ITM here, but I can't help wondering if we would 'all' have the same determination, adaptability & guts to carry on playing after losing an arm, as those guys above obviously had or would we be so frustrated by not being able to play up to our previous standard, that we would lose heart?
Personally, I like to think we would all continue, because after all, despite all the serious discussions that go on here about technique, at the end of the day, playing ITM is about sharing our music with others, perhaps more than any other factor.
So although we all get a big kick out of improving our playing levels, the big high, I suspect for most of us, is that sheer joy we get from being able to play our music with others.
So despite our individual technical ability, there is a session out there, & a place for every one of us, to suit every level of playing ability - YIPPEEEE!
Perhaps it's this quality, more than any other, which sets ITM apart from many other forms of music making, & makes it so appealing around the World?
By the way, someone over at 'Footstompin' believes the Guitarist I met in Tom's is actually a bloke by the name of: -
"Finlay an auld stalwart of The Scotia in Glasgow, not only a fine guitarist but a gifted mechanic with a talent for customising vehicles"
I wonder if Finlay has seen the above website?
If you do meet him at a session while he's over here, please tell him about that site ......... Oh, & thank him from me, for his music in Tom's that night!
# Posted on October 15th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Stop whingeing!
Hear Hear! Well said Ptarmi!!!
# Posted on October 15th 2006 by proinsiasrua
Re: Stop whingeing!
Heh. One-armed guitar players ... *pouf*
http://www.jokaroo.com/extremevideos/playing_guitar_with_feet.html
# Posted on October 15th 2006 by Tish
Re: Stop whingeing!
Ain't it amazing what we take for granted and what those who don't have that opportunity can achieve?
# Posted on October 15th 2006 by Tish
Re: Stop whingeing!
Wow Tish, that guys fantastic! ........... I think it just goes to show what a powerful force the music is in us.
# Posted on October 15th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Stop whingeing!
Agreed. It was pretty standard in days (long) gone by to train blind children (well, boys, anyway) to play organ or harp. Yer right, some of us should quit whingeing. ;)
# Posted on October 15th 2006 by Tish
Re: Stop whingeing!
Aye Tish & this might interest some folks:
“..research has shown that blind musicians are more likely to have perfect pitch than sighted musicians.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_musicians
This page also highlights how, in some countries, blind musicians were actually persecuted:
“...musicians traveled around Ireland, providing music for dances and other occasions. As in Ukraine, these musicians often faced persecution — by the English, in this case. And, as in Ukraine, many of the Irish musicians were blind.”
# Posted on October 15th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Stop whingeing!
What tuning was the fellas guitar set at EADGBE would just about cover all the keys I guess if he was providing one note backing. It reminds me of our friend "Stumpy" the one legged tap dancer
# Posted on October 16th 2006 by Ripthecalico
Re: Stop whingeing!
There is a man in the Boston area that I met at Gaelic Roots one year, who said he was looking forward to playing in that night's session. I tried not to look surprised, as he had no hands. But it turned out he played harmonicas, in a number of keys, mounted on a spindle that he could rotate to get to the one in the right key. And he was a mighty player who knew lots of tunes.
Those of us who whine about glasses half empty need to take a lesson from folks like him!
# Posted on October 16th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Stop whingeing!
Isn't it amazing Al, the lengths people will go to, to be able to enjoy that wonderful feeling of sharing their music with others!
# Posted on October 16th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Stop whingeing!
Oh, & just for the record, here's a one-handed Bass player:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5ThulqDmKc
# Posted on October 16th 2006 by Ptarmigan