Posting clips

[LorenzoFlute]

Try connecting a microphone to the PC, it's the fastest way and it should give a decent quality.

I agree about Jem's clip being plain or lacking something. Arbo's second version sounds more "right" to me (if you take off the double tracking), and I'd add some speed (or pehaps not). Maybe is a matter of putting more dynamics in it, or letting the sound "go", instead of trying to control it too hard. Are you reading the sheet while playing?

[benhall.1]

Yeah, it's fine to connect a microphone to the PC, but ...

... I haven't got any recording software to use a microphone. The Windows Moviemaker software seems to insist on using the internal mic. And I don't have Audacity. See the above.

Some bits of me are quite technologically astute. Honest. Just never been any good with sound things ...

[LorenzoFlute]

Have you tried a google search? Something like "audio recording software" or equivalent.

[benhall.1]

Well, that's interesting. In an uncharacteristically humble way ( ) I decided to take your advice, Othannen, and Googled it. I then discovered that, if you Google "Audacity" you get, as the number one, paid for, Google hit, plus the first 5 or 6 after that, a phishing site which has used the Audacity freeware and attached it to two Trojans! I can't believe that Google allows that.

Anyway, if you instead Google "audio recording software" you get the real Audacity site, safe and sound as the first page or two of hits. So I've got it now.

[LorenzoFlute]

if you Google "Audacity" you get, as the number one, paid for, Google hit, plus the first 5 or 6 after that, a phishing site which has used the Audacity freeware and attached it to two Trojans! I can't believe that Google allows that.

Well, good to know, I used to have Audacity on my other PC but I haven't downloaded it yet on my new one...

[Kirk B]

Well, that's interesting. In an uncharacteristically humble way ( ) I decided to take your advice, Othannen, and Googled it. I then discovered that, if you Google "Audacity" you get, as the number one, paid for, Google hit, plus the first 5 or 6 after that, a phishing site which has used the Audacity freeware and attached it to two Trojans! I can't believe that Google allows that.

Anyway, if you instead Google "audio recording software" you get the real Audacity site, safe and sound as the first page or two of hits. So I've got it now.

Interesting, if I Google "Audacity" I get no sponsored links and the very first link goes straight to the real Audacity site. You must get the "special" version of Google over there.

Cheers,

Kirk

[benhall.1]

It is a slightly different Google - it's Google UK, which does do things just a bit differently. I'm surprised it makes a difference on this though. When you say you got the real Audacity site, did you get something called "Download Audacity"? 'Cos that's the fake site with the trojans. It looks genuine enough. But it isn't. And it's a sponsored site.

[Kirk B]

It is a slightly different Google - it's Google UK, which does do things just a bit differently. I'm surprised it makes a difference on this though. When you say you got the real Audacity site, did you get something called "Download Audacity"? 'Cos that's the fake site with the trojans. It looks genuine enough. But it isn't. And it's a sponsored site.

No, the first link I got was to http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ which is the genuine site and there are no sponsored links at all. Maybe the bogus stuff you're getting over there is blocked or prohibited here.

[benhall.1]

It is a slightly different Google - it's Google UK, which does do things just a bit differently. I'm surprised it makes a difference on this though. When you say you got the real Audacity site, did you get something called "Download Audacity"? 'Cos that's the fake site with the trojans. It looks genuine enough. But it isn't. And it's a sponsored site.

No, the first link I got was to http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ which is the genuine site and there are no sponsored links at all. Maybe the bogus stuff you're getting over there is blocked or prohibited here.

That would be really good. It'd be what I'd hope would happen over here. Never mind. All's well that ends well. For me at least.

[jemtheflute]

I don't know how ...

Wimp. Read the destructions? Or ask me...

Lorenzo, if it was me you were asking about reading from the dots, I was semi-doing so, but not totally fixed on them - using them as a prop/memory aid rather than strictly reading them. But certainly neither clip is a developed, fully considered and naturalised performance-ready arrangement. They're exploratory, as already stated.

[benhall.1]

OK. Yer goes.

First file to listen to (only one to take with any seriousness whatsoever) is the one labelled Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore A mix

Then, just for fun, I did one in Eb mix. (I'd asked Jem on FB, tongue-in-cheek, why he hadn't done it in Eb rather than E so that he could use the very lowest note on his 8-key.)

Caveats: the A mix one was first take, no practice, no warm-up. The Eb one was second take (it's a little harder).

Now, those are excuses ... trouble is, I don't think I could play it much better if I tried 20 takes on each. The only thing that would improve them would be a fortnight's practice. I haven't done any on this tune yet, so I'm not quite sure how I could handle it if I did.

Sorry about the rubbish playing. Please feel free to point out exactly where and why it's rubbish. (I have plenty of ideas on that myself.)

[benhall.1]

By the way, re Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore, I was surprised to see Jem saying that he wouldn't normally think of picking up a high D whistle to play it. That's exactly what my first thought would be with this tune. I reckon it's a typical, Irish, high D tune. Much nicer on that than a low D whistle, IMO. Flute's another matter ... but I'd still tend to pick up a whistle first for this one.

[ImNotIrish]

For Lorenzo:

a version in F on the Burns Bb w/o double tracking. I don't know if it is the same way I played it the 2nd time?
http://www.box.net/shared/2764d97v9j
Arbo

[LorenzoFlute]

That's nice Arbo. If it was on a cd, I wouldn't listen to it into the third repetition though, without some accompaniment (other than flute) appearing at some point.

[jemtheflute]

Right, then.
Ben's "serious" shot in A mix: - very well done, Ben! At least, until various things fall apart about half way through the second run - but you valiantly ride and rescue them. There's some over-prominent tonguing and it does all sound a bit tense (and pushed sharp) - doubtless the recording scenario..... but very good phrasing and breath control, nice pace and melodic variation. Of course, I'd expect you to get the musicality aspects bang on.... just the execution being subject to where you're at on the flute. No discernible groaning either!

As for the Eb version - !!!!! - well done! Groaning audible this time, though, and again rather stoppy attack on quite a few notes. (Tongued or "glottalled"? Can't tell, but not keen on the effect.)

Arbo, that "F" (I take it you mean using the A mix fingering?) unaccompanied version is by far the most musical you've put out. It flows, the (I'm guessing mostly involuntary/unintended? - until late on they sound that way to me, as though you're aiming up but don't quite hit it) octave ambiguities/drops mostly work really nicely and don't distract from the melody (as well as showing off the low register). Even the tension vibrato is less in evidence, though still there at a lot of phrase ends. Much nicer/more listenable.