Newbie having problems with spacing my fingers - Page 2

Rocketjcat · 06-11-2020, 02:56 PM

Thanks all! I'm practicing the stretching & placement exercises daily and hubby says the kazoo is sounding better. That darn pinkie. Baby steps.

Linz · 06-12-2020, 08:19 PM

HIYA! I'm also a 5'2 female with fairly long but very thin fingers. I've been piping for 15 years now. I had the same problems with covering the holes at first, but the more I practiced the easier it got. I started with a Naill PC, then went to a Gibson, only because I liked the sound better.

Don't worry about embarrassing yourself in front of your instructor. Chances are he's heard way worse! It's better if you don't try to do too much at this stage, you don't want to have to unlearn bad habits. (Not that I know anything about that...

)

Welcome to the Rabbit Hole!

el gaitero · 06-13-2020, 07:31 AM

With all the pre-prep efforts...don’t think you mentioned why you are waiting until the Fall to begin lessons?

Pip01 · 06-13-2020, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linz

Don't worry about embarrassing yourself in front of your instructor. Chances are he's heard way worse!

Welcome to the Rabbit Hole!

And... actually... back in his... First Days... and like
the rest of us :) ... did ...and... played... far worse!! :)

That above mentioned "Rabbit Hole"... is rather akin
to The Doctor's Tardis... it's bigger on the inside... than
on the outside... and continues to hold the most of us...
... if not all... and still...Time to Time... quite handily!! :)

Just keep after it!! It will come!! (Promise!! :)

Rocketjcat · 06-23-2020, 04:29 PM

Oh my gosh, thank you all for your help. My fingers are actually getting stretched out as you said they would, and I'm working with my Sandy Jones Book and gotten up through the 2 hand exercises. Still sounds like a kazoo on occasion but I'm learning to sit up very straight and try not to throttle it, so my hands feel much better. And I practice the movements when I'm just sitting around.

I'm up to the Grace Notes and just have a question and I can actually hear you all rolling your eyes... According to the book, High G grace note. "Play Low A, then raise & lower the High G finger briskly." But, if I'm thinking right, High G uses the Left thumb & 3 RH fingers, so what is considered "The High G Finger"?

Also I can be "playing" along and suddenly absolutely no noise comes out. My husband thinks its his reprieve, but it's actually quite jarring. Like no air coming through at all. I'm sure its operator error, but I'd like to blame it on my reed (ha). Any ideas what else I can be doing wrong?
Thanks!

Linz · 06-23-2020, 07:15 PM

If you're not getting any noise, and it feels like no air is coming through, you probably just blew a bit too hard. That makes the reed collapse, and causes it to choke. Just back off a bit on the blowing, you'll be fine!
And the high G finger is the finger that covers the G hole, the top one on the chanter. You're not trying to actually play a G, just picking your finger up and dropping it down again.

johnsog · 07-27-2020, 08:55 PM

It took me while to learn that the fingers are lettered as well as notes. Going up from the right pinkie, each finger has a letter: A=right pinkie, B=right ring finger, C=right middle finger, etc. My early classical training wrestled with my learning of reading pipe music for a long time before I learned the mantra "Oh, it's a pipe thing"

06-11-2020, 02:56 PM	#11
Rocketjcat Forum Member - Shy or Quiet Join Date: May 2020 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 4	Re: Newbie having problems with spacing my fingers Thanks all! I'm practicing the stretching & placement exercises daily and hubby says the kazoo is sounding better. That darn pinkie. Baby steps.

06-12-2020, 08:19 PM	#12
Linz Holy smoking keyboard! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 1,308	Re: Newbie having problems with spacing my fingers HIYA! I'm also a 5'2 female with fairly long but very thin fingers. I've been piping for 15 years now. I had the same problems with covering the holes at first, but the more I practiced the easier it got. I started with a Naill PC, then went to a Gibson, only because I liked the sound better. Don't worry about embarrassing yourself in front of your instructor. Chances are he's heard way worse! It's better if you don't try to do too much at this stage, you don't want to have to unlearn bad habits. (Not that I know anything about that...) Welcome to the Rabbit Hole! __________________ "Your Honor, I solemnly swear I am up to no good"

06-13-2020, 07:31 AM	#13
el gaitero Holy smoking keyboard! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 7,052	Re: Newbie having problems with spacing my fingers With all the pre-prep efforts...don’t think you mentioned why you are waiting until the Fall to begin lessons?

06-23-2020, 04:29 PM	#15
Rocketjcat Forum Member - Shy or Quiet Join Date: May 2020 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 4	Re: Newbie having problems with spacing my fingers Oh my gosh, thank you all for your help. My fingers are actually getting stretched out as you said they would, and I'm working with my Sandy Jones Book and gotten up through the 2 hand exercises. Still sounds like a kazoo on occasion but I'm learning to sit up very straight and try not to throttle it, so my hands feel much better. And I practice the movements when I'm just sitting around. I'm up to the Grace Notes and just have a question and I can actually hear you all rolling your eyes... According to the book, High G grace note. "Play Low A, then raise & lower the High G finger briskly." But, if I'm thinking right, High G uses the Left thumb & 3 RH fingers, so what is considered "The High G Finger"? Also I can be "playing" along and suddenly absolutely no noise comes out. My husband thinks its his reprieve, but it's actually quite jarring. Like no air coming through at all. I'm sure its operator error, but I'd like to blame it on my reed (ha). Any ideas what else I can be doing wrong? Thanks!

06-23-2020, 07:15 PM	#16
Linz Holy smoking keyboard! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 1,308	Re: Newbie having problems with spacing my fingers If you're not getting any noise, and it feels like no air is coming through, you probably just blew a bit too hard. That makes the reed collapse, and causes it to choke. Just back off a bit on the blowing, you'll be fine! And the high G finger is the finger that covers the G hole, the top one on the chanter. You're not trying to actually play a G, just picking your finger up and dropping it down again. __________________ "Your Honor, I solemnly swear I am up to no good" Last edited by Linz; 06-23-2020 at 07:19 PM.

07-27-2020, 08:55 PM	#17
johnsog Forum Silver Medal Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 315	Re: Newbie having problems with spacing my fingers It took me while to learn that the fingers are lettered as well as notes. Going up from the right pinkie, each finger has a letter: A=right pinkie, B=right ring finger, C=right middle finger, etc. My early classical training wrestled with my learning of reading pipe music for a long time before I learned the mantra "Oh, it's a pipe thing"

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search