And so, at wee session today, one of the old boys turns round and says to me, 'So tell me, how is sittin' tappin' away at wan a them computers gonna make a better musician out o' ye?'
Tappin' away is not gonna help at all, but sittin' back in listenin' couldn't hurt. Sitting in the middle of the states, I can find more tunes online than I can find at any local cd shop. So, to be a devil's advocate, there are reasons for these glowing boxes. I'd love a Custy's right here in St Louis!
I just upgraded my computer to an imac with DSL and I'm listening to some of the best music I could hope for on the Comhaltas website and YouTube. There's loads of great videos where you can watch as well as listen, and that's something I used to have to go to Ireland to experience. There's a lot that you can pick up from watching how the music is played. I'd say that this will improve my musician ship since it's such a tremendous resource and, in a way, places me in a closer proximity to brilliant players. Just in the last week of having good Internet access I can see the changes in how I'm playing.
>sittin' back in listenin' couldn't hurt
....more, please more. This thread wasn't started provocatively, or t least not entirely. There have been tons of threads about how good is the internet for networking and so
LOL... I just realized I placed myself on a musical ship. (I said "musician ship" instead of "musicianship") Hmmm... maybe the Internet IS a musical ship in a way...
Ah yes computers are great for learning trad. when session is only once a month. First get hold of the DOTS from the thesession.org and the tune from COMHALTES. Then slow down the tune 20% and of you go. In no time you have that lovely tune under your skin. You have a version of the tune that is both from the DOTS , the audio and your own head. Yes Computer-audio and the DOTS thats the way to go. Ha ha ha somebody will kill me now for sure ;)
You don't really need the dots when you have the audio and sometimes video. The dots are just good as a reminder of how the tune goes. The videos and such are the next best thing to being there as far as learning goes.
Yep, my view is the ould fella was wrong, but I just thought I'd throw his opinion into the session "arena" to see how badly mauled it got, and fair play to ye's, you treated it gently and patiently explained the case for computers. My dots- and ABC-reading abilities are so bad these days that I find the sound files associated with the tunes the best little quick reminder. So for me that on its own justifies all the tappin' .
Finger exercises ~ so, how many do you use. I'm 10 fingers. And what is your WPM? (Word Per Minute) Well, last I checked it was pretty damned good, but you know how it goes, things start to slow down a bit with age. I think I'm around 60 wpm...
At one point, host Joe Byrne talks about how great technology is, and how it's allowed the music to be shared all over the world. He also talked about how technique is at a higher level and musicians' repertoires are bigger because of it.
I don't think the old guy was wrong, he just shouldn't think that what's good for him is applicable to everyone else. If I was old and didn't aleady have a computer, I could understand his position. But he's lucky that he's got a session to go to. In his day, he probably thought these young whipper-snappers learning tunes off 78s and 33s were cheating, and that you should learn them from another human being, not one of them "machines". To each his own.
Regarding typing speed, I can probably do about 70 wpm, but then I backspace about 20 wpm, so it comes out about 50.
Without the help of this forum and the internet, I'd be In The Dark about ITM. I'm learning here in a few threads more than I have in 20 years of playing. No sessions nearby , never even knew about them until recently. I strive to one day make a trip to the closest ones and try it out. I have a lot to learn in the mean time.
If you persist in abbreviating a whole tradition to the three letters, ITM, you're obviously still in the dark about it. It's called Irish music or Irish traditional music, not ITM.
justjim comes to the rescue... I was hoping someone would say something along that line ~
"it's not the speed, it's what you put into it."
I also agree with KML, abbreviation is the bane of real communication... Can we really trust what a BLT will be? Bacon says so much more than an bare naked B...
All said, I have been at my happiest without technology that plugs into a wall, without electricity... Given a choice, if I had that, I would still be hiding away in the toolies. The trouble is, someone always finds you...
there is no denial that the internet will change irish music--for the worse and for the better. we got a lot of people stuck on here, just reading dots, but then we got so many wonderful musicians on youtube. for the first time ever, videos of all the old players are available in america, and that magical spark in their eyes can reinspire us all to dedicate ourselves to the music, and not to the show of it all.
phantom--you're just discovering youtube now? o my, you have much to catch up on. when i first hit youtube, there was hardly a thing irish music related. it seems within the last year, youtube has exploded with bothy band, old men, young kids, and what have you playing wonderful irish music.
besides irish, i myself have been watching a lot of nina simone, jacques brel, the animals, beatles, philip glass, joshua bell, steve reich, heifetz. i even found this amazing tenor from the 20's who gives pavarotti a run for his money.
i would just about die if someone got a time machine and got me a recording of charles nicholson and mozart. any takers?
If you want to type out "Irish traditional music" every time you refer to it -- that's your choice. Some of us use the abbreviation to save a little time so we have more time for expressing ourselves.
Well, the old boy might be right. You have to combine the theory you
get on the 'Net with playing Tunes.
But if you get the wrong ideas from the 'Net about playing Tunes,
then all that playing just makes you worse - you're practicing being
bad.
If you want to prove the old boy wrong, you have to be always
humble and think 'maybe I could do that better'.
Then you need good critical thinking skills ('maybe what I just read is
crap') and some kind of mentoring or at least good players to watch.
(Yo Key, can I write "Tunes" instead of "Irish Traditional Music",
because maybe that's more accurate anyway with all the Scottish,
Shetland, American, McGoldrick, etc)
them computers
them computers
And so, at wee session today, one of the old boys turns round and says to me, 'So tell me, how is sittin' tappin' away at wan a them computers gonna make a better musician out o' ye?'
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: them computers
traditions used to be more localized. The geographic community is changing.
Music is forever the constant
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Random_notes
Re: them computers
Tappin' away is not gonna help at all, but sittin' back in listenin' couldn't hurt. Sitting in the middle of the states, I can find more tunes online than I can find at any local cd shop. So, to be a devil's advocate, there are reasons for these glowing boxes. I'd love a Custy's right here in St Louis!
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by nofrets
Re: them computers
I just upgraded my computer to an imac with DSL and I'm listening to some of the best music I could hope for on the Comhaltas website and YouTube. There's loads of great videos where you can watch as well as listen, and that's something I used to have to go to Ireland to experience. There's a lot that you can pick up from watching how the music is played. I'd say that this will improve my musician ship since it's such a tremendous resource and, in a way, places me in a closer proximity to brilliant players. Just in the last week of having good Internet access I can see the changes in how I'm playing.
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Phantom Button
Re: them computers
>sittin' back in listenin' couldn't hurt
....more, please more. This thread wasn't started provocatively, or t least not entirely. There have been tons of threads about how good is the internet for networking and so
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: them computers
Tapping away at the keyboard is good exercise for your finger muscles. Essential if you're a box player.
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Joe CSS
Re: them computers
So you may think. tappin athte letters has very litlltie to do with pressin ath e butuons..as you may esee from the abonve(tyuped at box-speesd)
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: them computers
LOL... I just realized I placed myself on a musical ship. (I said "musician ship" instead of "musicianship") Hmmm... maybe the Internet IS a musical ship in a way...
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Phantom Button
Re: them computers
Was that the Lonesome Boatman playing on the musician ship ?
I'll come up with a few more in a minute..........
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: them computers
Ah yes computers are great for learning trad. when session is only once a month. First get hold of the DOTS from the thesession.org and the tune from COMHALTES. Then slow down the tune 20% and of you go. In no time you have that lovely tune under your skin. You have a version of the tune that is both from the DOTS , the audio and your own head. Yes Computer-audio and the DOTS thats the way to go. Ha ha ha somebody will kill me now for sure ;)
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by houlberg
Re: them computers
You don't really need the dots when you have the audio and sometimes video. The dots are just good as a reminder of how the tune goes. The videos and such are the next best thing to being there as far as learning goes.
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Phantom Button
Re: them computers
Yep, my view is the ould fella was wrong, but I just thought I'd throw his opinion into the session "arena" to see how badly mauled it got, and fair play to ye's, you treated it gently and patiently explained the case for computers. My dots- and ABC-reading abilities are so bad these days that I find the sound files associated with the tunes the best little quick reminder. So for me that on its own justifies all the tappin' .
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: them computers
Finger exercises ~ so, how many do you use. I'm 10 fingers. And what is your WPM? (Word Per Minute) Well, last I checked it was pretty damned good, but you know how it goes, things start to slow down a bit with age. I think I'm around 60 wpm...
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by ceolachan
WPM
Oh yeah, I make it a general practice, as some folks teach it, to type to music...
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by ceolachan
60 wpm when I'm taking things easy...
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: them computers
Danny, do you mean to say there is +another+ old boy at your session?
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Bren
Re: them computers
I was watching this program yesterday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY5ZJYuCijg
At one point, host Joe Byrne talks about how great technology is, and how it's allowed the music to be shared all over the world. He also talked about how technique is at a higher level and musicians' repertoires are bigger because of it.
So... [shrug]
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: them computers
Ah, Ceol, it's not the speed, it's what you put into it. Do you only type words, or do you have exercises that get you ready to type words?
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by justjim
Re: them computers
I don't think the old guy was wrong, he just shouldn't think that what's good for him is applicable to everyone else. If I was old and didn't aleady have a computer, I could understand his position. But he's lucky that he's got a session to go to. In his day, he probably thought these young whipper-snappers learning tunes off 78s and 33s were cheating, and that you should learn them from another human being, not one of them "machines". To each his own.
Regarding typing speed, I can probably do about 70 wpm, but then I backspace about 20 wpm, so it comes out about 50.
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by nofrets
Re: them computers
Without the help of this forum and the internet, I'd be In The Dark about ITM. I'm learning here in a few threads more than I have in 20 years of playing. No sessions nearby , never even knew about them until recently. I strive to one day make a trip to the closest ones and try it out. I have a lot to learn in the mean time.
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by jjoyce
Re: them computers
.p.s. .. and I have dial-up even !
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by jjoyce
Re: them computers
If you persist in abbreviating a whole tradition to the three letters, ITM, you're obviously still in the dark about it. It's called Irish music or Irish traditional music, not ITM.
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: them computers
justjim comes to the rescue... I was hoping someone would say something along that line ~
"it's not the speed, it's what you put into it."
I also agree with KML, abbreviation is the bane of real communication... Can we really trust what a BLT will be? Bacon says so much more than an bare naked B...
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: them computers
All said, I have been at my happiest without technology that plugs into a wall, without electricity... Given a choice, if I had that, I would still be hiding away in the toolies. The trouble is, someone always finds you...
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: them computers
there is no denial that the internet will change irish music--for the worse and for the better. we got a lot of people stuck on here, just reading dots, but then we got so many wonderful musicians on youtube. for the first time ever, videos of all the old players are available in america, and that magical spark in their eyes can reinspire us all to dedicate ourselves to the music, and not to the show of it all.
phantom--you're just discovering youtube now? o my, you have much to catch up on. when i first hit youtube, there was hardly a thing irish music related. it seems within the last year, youtube has exploded with bothy band, old men, young kids, and what have you playing wonderful irish music.
besides irish, i myself have been watching a lot of nina simone, jacques brel, the animals, beatles, philip glass, joshua bell, steve reich, heifetz. i even found this amazing tenor from the 20's who gives pavarotti a run for his money.
i would just about die if someone got a time machine and got me a recording of charles nicholson and mozart. any takers?
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by daiv
Re: them computers
Mo isn't fond of camera...
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: them computers
ITM says "Irish traditional music" in 3 taps, Danny -- get over it.
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Phantom Button
3 taps
Sometimes it is nice to take your time & express what something is about.
# Posted on June 29th 2008 by Random_notes
Re: them computers
If you want to type out "Irish traditional music" every time you refer to it -- that's your choice. Some of us use the abbreviation to save a little time so we have more time for expressing ourselves.
# Posted on June 30th 2008 by Phantom Button
Re: them computers
Well, the old boy might be right. You have to combine the theory you
get on the 'Net with playing Tunes.
But if you get the wrong ideas from the 'Net about playing Tunes,
then all that playing just makes you worse - you're practicing being
bad.
If you want to prove the old boy wrong, you have to be always
humble and think 'maybe I could do that better'.
Then you need good critical thinking skills ('maybe what I just read is
crap') and some kind of mentoring or at least good players to watch.
(Yo Key, can I write "Tunes" instead of "Irish Traditional Music",
because maybe that's more accurate anyway with all the Scottish,
Shetland, American, McGoldrick, etc)
# Posted on June 30th 2008 by Hup
Re: them computers
"If you want to type out "Irish traditional music" every time you refer to it --" PB
The art and craft of language, in anything you have a passion and history about, is to develop the words, phrases and metaphors to describe it in many ways without ever having to resort to cliché, like the over repeated abreviation ITM... The hope in all communication is to, ideally, achieve increased understanding and appreciation, both ways... The same is true of music... In our case, one of the often abused cliché is the family of ornaments known collectively as 'the roll'...
# Posted on July 1st 2008 by ceolachan
"I.T.M." takes too much for granted, don't you think?
# Posted on July 1st 2008 by ceolachan
Re: them computers
Jack, consider the here & now ~ time is relative.
;)
# Posted on July 26th 2008 by Random_notes