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Author Topic: Playing in front of others...  (Read 11113 times)

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Tiposx

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #60 on: November 15, 2019, 09:20:56 AM »

Re the original post - I would never be able to go public at the speeds these rappers seem to go at! I looked at the videos out of curiosity - incredibly fast playing! Hats off to them but those playing speeds are "unobtainium" for me.
I will stick with nice sedate itm..
Ho Ho
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The Oul' Boy

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #61 on: November 15, 2019, 09:36:46 AM »

Re the original post - I would never be able to go public at the speeds these rappers seem to go at! I looked at the videos out of curiosity - incredibly fast playing! Hats off to them but those playing speeds are "unobtainium" for me.
I will stick with nice sedate itm..
Ho Ho
Indeed!
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Warren M (Edinburgh, formerly Tyneside and Tyrone)
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The Oul' Boy

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #62 on: November 15, 2019, 09:38:44 AM »

To answer the actual OP. I think, give or take a fortnight, I have been learning the box for about the same length of time as the Oul' Boy.
My first attempt to play in public was at the begining of October at the local (Skye) accordion and fiddle club, which organises an evening event one a month through the winter.  The club not only boasts some superb young players but also is very welcoming to players of any age and level of ability. I have found it a very safe and encouraging place to play and the act of playing to the audience makes it easier for me to just sit and enjoy listening to all the other far more accomplished musicians.

Interesting. I had assumed you were rather more advanced than me! Sounds lovely by the way.
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #63 on: November 15, 2019, 09:47:50 AM »

One of the most impressive rapper sets I've seen was a few years back watching Black Swan at a ceilidh during the Chippenham festival.
Matt Crum playing a large Loffet Pro very fast and absolutely cleanly, no basses to get in the way.
It lingers in the mind...…
Q
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Helena Handcart

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #64 on: November 15, 2019, 11:11:15 AM »

Trying to get (vaguely) back on topic. I just re-read the original post and saw that the OP had actually gone to the rapper team to dance - which is, in my opinion, a very fine idea.  Personally I've found  that with dancing and playing for sword and morris trying to do both for one team really hasn't worked for me. I've found that I've been asked to dance all winter then miraculously play all the tunes solo in the summer  :|glug  :M :|||:

Musicians need to practice too  - something that some teams don't take on board. I found this especially true when playing for Cotswold with all the changes of pace and nuances in speed but I guess with rapper the need to play reliably fast and accurately would be similarly demanding.  If the OP is keen to be a rapper dancer then it is likely that the same could happen here - trying to do both just dilutes the learning of both.  I never wanted to play for rapper or longsword - I just want to dance, although I have filled in occasion. With Cotswold I do both but with different teams and that works better for me.

Oh, and the sore wrists thing. That doesn't last long. Go for it. Sword is just about the most fun you can have.   Either way 10 months playing is really not long so be kind to yourself and your playing OP.



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Lester

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #65 on: November 15, 2019, 11:21:48 AM »

In all seriousness though, at what stage did you 'go public' with your playing, and how did it work out?
I played out for my first time at a proper rapper event (Thrales Rapper do) last weekend. Even after 40+ years of playing I still found it stressful especially when I went to change in the middle of a set of two tunes* only to find my fingers were playing a different tune to what my brain though was going to happen. Luckily I was able to disengage my brain until it caught up with my fingers and all was well.
*Set off playing Oyster Girl, aimed for Oscar Woods, and hit Cock of the North.

Helena Handcart

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #66 on: November 15, 2019, 11:25:37 AM »

... I still found it stressful ...

Yup. I know this to be true.  Luckily it sounded just great and anyone who doesn't know Lester pretty well would not have known he was nervous.
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The Oul' Boy

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #67 on: November 15, 2019, 11:44:00 AM »

Trying to get (vaguely) back on topic. I just re-read the original post and saw that the OP had actually gone to the rapper team to dance - which is, in my opinion, a very fine idea.

All excellent points. One of the problems is that I think I'd rather dance morris than rapper, but the nearest side is over an hour away...
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Warren M (Edinburgh, formerly Tyneside and Tyrone)
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Helena Handcart

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #68 on: November 15, 2019, 11:51:42 AM »

Trying to get (vaguely) back on topic. I just re-read the original post and saw that the OP had actually gone to the rapper team to dance - which is, in my opinion, a very fine idea.

All excellent points. One of the problems is that I think I'd rather dance morris than rapper, but the nearest side is over an hour away...

Over an hour is a bit much. I regularly travel 45 minutes plus but then I am a morris tart.  Rapper is no problem 'cos we started out own team so practice is a walk to the pub (literally).

What sort of morris do you fancy?
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #69 on: November 15, 2019, 11:55:09 AM »

Any dance, whether it be rapper or any of the morris traditions are a massive benefit to you as a player.
It shows you where the beats lie, the nuances within the music, it makes you really  listen to the music and you are unconsciously learning the tunes.

As most tunes we use have an origin somewhere as dance tunes, you are sampling the product that you wish to produce.
That's good!
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

The Oul' Boy

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #70 on: November 15, 2019, 11:55:27 AM »

Over an hour is a bit much. I regularly travel 45 minutes plus but then I am a morris tart.  Rapper is no problem 'cos we started out own team so practice is a walk to the pub (literally).

What sort of morris do you fancy?

A nice mixture of Border and Cotswold would be lovely! I do like a bit of stick clacking. Rag Bag in Berwickshire (the nearest one) do such a mix (though predominantly Border I think), but as I say it's over an hour away and I don't want to intrude on a local scene if that's not what they'd like, though I have contacted them to find out more.
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Warren M (Edinburgh, formerly Tyneside and Tyrone)
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Helena Handcart

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #71 on: November 15, 2019, 11:56:51 AM »

... I don't want to intrude on a local scene if that's not what they'd like, though I have contacted them to find out more.

 :D Most morris teams will have your arm off, they'd be that keen to recruit you these days  :M
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The Oul' Boy

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #72 on: November 15, 2019, 11:59:09 AM »

:D Most morris teams will have your arm off, they'd be that keen to recruit you these days  :M

Let's hope so! They do most of their dancing in north Northumberland, which is even further away, though an area I know reasonably well (having once lived there) and love.
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Warren M (Edinburgh, formerly Tyneside and Tyrone)
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Helena Handcart

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #73 on: November 15, 2019, 12:03:18 PM »

... OK, this might be dawning on me a bit late. Was it you I danced with at Whitby in the Papa Stour workshops with the wonderful North British? (yes, I am biased).

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The Oul' Boy

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #74 on: November 15, 2019, 12:06:03 PM »

... OK, this might be dawning on me a bit late. Was it you I danced with at Whitby in the Papa Stour workshops with the wonderful North British? (yes, I am biased).

Not me, if by 'you' you mean 'me'! I have only danced once on a day out for fun to try it out with Bolin Morris in Cheshire for a couple of dances.
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Warren M (Edinburgh, formerly Tyneside and Tyrone)
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Helena Handcart

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #75 on: November 15, 2019, 12:10:09 PM »

... OK, this might be dawning on me a bit late. Was it you I danced with at Whitby in the Papa Stour workshops with the wonderful North British? (yes, I am biased).

Not me, if by 'you' you mean 'me'! I have only danced once on a day out for fun to try it out with Bolin Morris in Cheshire for a couple of dances.

Sorry, yes I did mean you. I thought it was too much of a coincidence but clearly not. There was a chap who danced in our set, living in Scotland well away from any accessible teams and was mad keen to try sword.  He was a melnetter and from memory had only been playing a few months.


Maybe there are two of you and no one told you?
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The Oul' Boy

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #76 on: November 15, 2019, 12:11:39 PM »

Sorry, yes I did mean you. I thought it was too much of a coincidence but clearly not. There was a chap who danced in our set, living in Scotland well away from any accessible teams and was mad keen to try sword.  He was a melnetter and from memory had only been playing a few months.

Maybe there are two of you and no one told you?

Ha ha, The only thing I can conclude is that we need more morris teams in Scotland!
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Warren M (Edinburgh, formerly Tyneside and Tyrone)
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george garside

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #77 on: November 15, 2019, 09:21:57 PM »


for what its worth I found that  playing for rapper at a fair lick was greatly facilitated by:

keeping the bellows as near closed as possible throughout the proceedings ( 6 to 8 inches max) to make rapid in and outing easier and more crisp sounding

using two carefully adjusted shoulder straps to the fingers played no part whatsoever in locating the box;

using only 2 voices mm on a mml box  or better still using a single voice box eg a lilly.

george

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Peadar

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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #78 on: November 15, 2019, 09:58:37 PM »

Showing my ignorance again......There are rapper teams in Scotland these days?
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Re: Playing in front of others...
« Reply #79 on: November 15, 2019, 10:53:36 PM »

Showing my ignorance again......There are rapper teams in Scotland these days?

Yes, Mons Meg Rapper from Edinburgh who are featured in one of the video clips above : 

"Pretty fast here too, with nice melodeon (including bass!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVFD2iwObqA "

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