Polska efter Carl Magnusson - take two

First posted May 6th, 2012 by newpiper


No piping yesterday. Today I've clocked up perhaps and hour and a half in two sessions, but I've been concentrating on getting my speed up,and it's been exhausting. Still working on That Tune, Carl Magnusson,the Roros Polskan and the Atholl Highlanders.


I've been over and over that fast run down in the Roros. I think I've mostly eliminated the crossing noises between the G and E and the F and D, but I've picked one up between the D and E. I'm certainly getting faster, though - the fan particularly noticed and put it down to my last long session.


I thought I was picking up speed on That Tune and that it was sounding quite fast and lively, although not quite note perfect, but when I listen to my recordings (which I'm not posting) it sounds creaky, tentative, slow, and full of errors.


The Highlanders creak along. Just started to learn the third part, and looking in trepidation at the fourth part as it seems to have extra sharps scattered about and I don't know whether those are notes I can play, except that it's a pipe tune and I play pipes, so surely....


I've noticed the fingers of my top hand curling and a tendency to use finger pads. Not sure how long this has been going on. Inclined to blame the whistle. I always think you can tell a piper who plays whistles because of their flat fingers, but clearly my fingers' memory for whistling is longer than that for piping and they are reverting to type.


I do partly blame the way my fingers are made - my ring fingers are over a knuckle longer than my pinkies, my middle finger is half a knuckle longer than my ring finger, and - on my left hand - whole knuckle longer than my index finger.


Anyway, today's recording is take two. First recorded for international piping day just under two months ago and practising again in readiness for the Scandi session a week today. I feel as though I am holding the last note for ages, but it sounds too short, too abrupt a finish still. Some hesitancy on the second part - the previous attempt to record involved not finding the holes when my fingers came back down after the As, so I was feeling wary of them. However - just look at the difference in timing between the two recordings - this new one knocks 18 seconds off the previous one - actual real live measurable evidence of improvement, thank heaven.


Recording - Polska efter Carl Magnusson. Lost.