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Frankie Gavin gives a master class on all kinds of things to do with playing Irish music, if you havent seen it, it really is worth watching all the way through, it gives a great insight into things like holding your arm, bowing tone speeds of playing, basically covers everything.
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He has excellent instruction! home ruler at 15:30...yes?
thanks for sharing 👍
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Hes a legend.
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I will have to watch that. I have the Earth Cm App, actually, and there is one kutside the Temple Bar, and one inside. Interesting they did this in there.
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Mouse, the temple bar is an area of dublin, dont know if they named this pub the temple bar as well because its in the area. Must admit I havent seen this particular one and I have been in most of the pubs in dublin, not for quite a while though. Last time I was there there were actually quite a lot of Americans I think they go to trace family history or something like that. Very expensive city Dublin but some great musicians played there, normally on the other side of the river though.
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Interesting. They have quite a few fiddlers playing at the Earth Cam one, along with guitars and singers.
This one is Essex Street E and Temple Lanes. The inside, of what I saw of the video you posted, does not look the same.
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No its a funny old thing, its like there will be a band on in somewhere like, old swan in Liverpool, and what is meant is a pub in old swan which is an area of liverpool, mind you not much goes on in old swan its just an example if you know what I mean.
Temple bar in Dublin is a street about 3 or 400 hundred yards long, full of pubs, with musicians in every one, usually playing either stuff by oasis or seven drunken nights;)
Real Trad Irish music is played in some of the small country pubs, that tourists dont go to, and a lot of it is played by dreadlocked travellers from England, especially near Cork.
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stringy said.."Real Trad Irish music is played in some of the small country pubs, that tourists dont go to, and a lot of it is played by dreadlocked travellers from England, especially near Cork."
aye..indeed. McDermotts in Doolin was my favorite..
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@stringy -
...he, he, he - you can't keep up with me (4 years ago, Bowing for Dynamics Thread).
There's a lot of GREAT advice in that video.
The only thing I didn't care for - the kinda blanket 'press hard' (bow and left hand) statement.
I think it's easy to misunderstand & end up 'scrubbing' the strings with the bow, and maybe cause tension in the left hand.
@ABitRusty -
Are you just gonna keep it all to yourself? 😉
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Abitrusty, I have not been to Doolin, my mate pat lives quite near there though, so I may go and take a look at the pub you mention next time I am over there..my missus family are from clonmellon a small village not far from Kells, there is a pub there that is real Irish, people come in and buy cornflakes and things like that while musicians are playing, quite amusing, the village pubs sell all kinds of dry goods as well as beer. In mullingar were my family are from they are more like normal pubs you find in liverpool. Next time you are over there go and take a look at Clonmellon, its small but like places used to be.
Emily didnt know you had posted this before, but to be honest I am not surprised, you are a mine of info 
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stringy... i saw no cornflakes except in dunnes when we stocked up in Ennis. There were several pubs there.. lots of music everywhere. but i missed out on a general store kind of place. sounds alot like the more intimate settings here with a few people that play alot together and juat wanna share some tunes. same all over i guess.
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Abitrusty, yep they are intimate no doubt about that, most pubs in the smaller places are basically peoples houses that sell everything, its only in the bigger places that you get what people would call a traditional Irish pub.
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@stringy -
Emily didnt know you had posted this before
🤣 No worries... I can't even keep up with myself! I just had to check to see if I was having deja vu (expecting my mind to go).
OUCH! How can you hold your arms up to play with a broken rib?!!
I always pressed too hard when I started trying to play faster. Even now I can forget when I'm focused on something new - it does cause tension & is very tiring. Taking a few moments to play, while pretending my thumb was dead, helped me start being more aware of relaxing my hand/fingers - made a big difference. It really is just about impossible to tense up my left hand 'if' that one big muscle (where my thumb attaches) is relaxed. I try to catch myself tensing, as soon as possible.
Also, I save speedy stuff in my practice for well after I'm warmed up on slower tunes.
One thing I've done a few times, to get faster playing set in my head & the focus out of my left hand: taken a video of someone playing up to speed, where I can see their bowing VERY clearly... then I 'try' to keep up (🥴), match ONLY my bow movement to theirs - I ignore my sound (mute would be great), but NO left finger movement (maybe fingers just hovering over the strings). Anyway, you might find it a helpful exercise.
We have the luxury to take our time, bit by bit, but it still can get frustrating - why I always keep something easy handy, to feel better.
Btw, there's one advantage (I see) to playing many different tunes/tune types... I now recognize much more similarities.
It's very likely (now) that the next new tune I play will have a motif/sequence, phrasing, or rhythm, that feels familiar. So, it feels like I'm constantly reinforcing what I know (getting better), plus challenging myself to think about something new in a tune, or in a new way.
I think it's ALL been worth every bit of practice... for ALL of us adult learners here!
ALSO, forgot to say - I have NEVER noticed your left hand playing as having any tension!
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Emily, yes it is painful at the moment, and last year was extremely painful, but Like I said ive had worse.
I dont really have tension in my hand but sure do in my neck and shoulder. I have always had a problem of raisng my shoulder slightly, I got out of pressing with the head but still slip back into it. Spose its just one of those things.
Think you are correct about similarities in tunes, mostly Irish ones I notice it more. Most of them seem to have at least a small bit of other tunes in them. I am already getting fairly quick on a visit to Ireland, and father Dollards favourite both from O Neils, like I mentioned elswhere I have also been re doing the priests leap, its on the session but in O Neils its a completely different tune, unless its just the way I am reading it.
Not done any playing a tall today and virtually none yesterday either, makes me feel guilty
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Listen to some tunes when you can't play.
Thanks for sharing what you are working on!
I listened to Moving Cloud (link is the recording by this Danish band) play 'Do You Want Any More?' before 'The Visit to Ireland' - really like how those go together.
Father Dollard's (hornpipe)? Or Father Dollard's Favorite (jig)?
There's some info on the Priest's Leap at the Traditional Tune Archive. The Session has settings as The Bridal, The Humors of Quarry Cross, and Saddle The Pony (which is more different than the other 2). I've only learned The Musical Priest (reel), still like it. 😊
Trying to figure a way to play with injuries is a real PITA.
I think missing practice starts to become problematic if we also stop listening to music (with the intent of learning), or stop learning about music in general.
Wishing you a speedy recovery!
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Drawing from the Well - SAOITHE Episode 3: Frankie Gavin (2021)
This interview really surprised me, talking about Tommy Peoples, Coleman, Morrison (speed that doesn't sound like speed), Seán McGuire, of course Joe Burke ("listen to the rhythm"), but Stéphane Grappelli & playing in an orchestra, etc... probably would've never come across it if this topic hadn't been started (thank you, @stringy)!
From Frankie talking about Seán McGuire (he did have an influence on Frankie, among the others)... don't know about anyone else, but I can sure hear the Classical training influence.
Bowing technique
Among his Irish music innovations have been the practice of using sophisticated key changes, the adaptation of advanced classical bowing techniques, and the use of up-the-neck violin positions."Before 1957 and '58 many young fiddlers coming up were listening to Michael Coleman on scratchy old 78s, and almost all of Irish fiddling was in just a few keys. Then Sean McGuire's first recordings came out, and we had heard nothing like this - tunes like The Mathematician, with parts where he shifts effortlessly through a number of high positions, or like The Golden Eagle where he switches back and forth between second and third positions. And there were a number of tunes where he was playing with great facility in the flat keys. It took me years to find out what he was doing.
"He certainly influenced a lot of my generation - the level of his technique first of all, and also the way with his variations he could get inside a tune and turn it around. And I have seen that many of the young fiddlers who were initially opposed to his approach came to admit his genius later on. He also opened the way for players in the next generation to take classical training and apply it to the traditional style. (Seamus Connolly)
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yes this is a must watch. Really like him talking about his influences and how he listened to people like Morrison and Coleman. His take on Colemans playing. Funny about peoples...i was thinking Johnny Cash 🙂
good share Elcbk!
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@ABitRusty -
Yes, Thanks!
...edited, added a bit about Seán McGuire, too - interesting how intimidated Frankie was by seeing him perform.
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Thanks for those links, that playing of mc guires is very quick and smooth.
Not had a chance to warch the interview yet but I am going to get into it later, I hadnt heard do you want anymore but your right it does go well with the visit to Ireland. Its not the hornpipe, ( father dollards)didnt even know there was one, but its the jig, page 21 in O Neils.
I have been listening to a lot of music and watching others on you tube like you suggested, as for playing I ran through a few scales today, seems to have eased a bit now, but is as you say a real pain in the a......
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I've had 'The Tap Room' on my list for some time & after hearing it again in the Frankie Gavin interview (post #16), plus how he describes Morrison's playing - think it's time I worked on this!
Here's the James Morrison recording of 'The Tap Room' and 'The Moving Bog' - played in the interview (plus a little visual entertainment😁).
Fun to remember some great fiddler's were dancers, too! 🤔
Definitely an amazing abundance & range of info in that interview.
Really liked Frankie's playing of 'The Coalminer's Reel' (GREAT close-up view in the interview) - going on my list! 'The Mystery Reel' and 'Rolling in The Barrel' (going on my list), jeez 'Paddy The Piper' & GREAT 'The Pride of Rathmore' - which I learned as a simple version of 'Gneevgullia' (interesting info on this tune)! There's 2 very similar reels known as 'Paddy The Piper' on The Session: 'The Game of Love' & 'Rory Macnab'.
Forgot to mention Frankie also talked about John Kelly, Paddy Canny, Paddy Cronin, Tommie Potts, playing Fitz Kreisler's violin, playing with Yehudi Menuhin & Stéphane Grappelli! ...even things he points out about Eddie Moloney's flute playing is interesting too!
Well, I've spent plenty of time going over all this today!
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