:D
F.
On Apr 14, 2011, at 8:59 AM, [email protected] wrote:
Hah! Felicia, you've hit on a new acronym:
UPE
(unplayable piece of excrement)
Well done!
Mitch
In a message dated 4/13/2011 6:00:13 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [email protected]
writes:
You're right, Michael, gurdies ARE rare, good ones doubly so. I
can't tell you the number of gigs where we've showed up only to have
people sort of back away from the gurdy because they've had a bad
one inflicted on them. Once I get playing they (usually) settle
down and (usually) enjoy themselves. Too many times I've heard the
comment after a set, "Gee, your gurdy sounds like a musical
instrument." I'm not bragging- my playing is not of the highest or
most traditional quality- and I have what many folks would consider
a slightly-above entry level instrument, (a Hubbert Volksgurdy) but
at least it is a fully functioning instrument that is capable of
being properly tuned. Even then I DO complain about it sometimes! :D
I was extremely lucky to have not only heard a couple of good
instruments but to have had good advice about where to send my
money. I was even more fortunate to get a crash course in set up
and basic playing right after it came in the mail. Thanks to Anna
Clemenger I was not let loose upon an unsuspecting public with a bad
instrument and no instruction! I still only had time for the one
lesson before setting out on tour as it came three days before I was
due to leave. I played very simple things for a long, long time-
and it was very well received. Again, much of that was due to the
instrument's quality. Even so, it's been an uphill battle and I've
been extremely grateful for the many teachers along the way who've
helped me so much in taming much of the beastly qualities of the
gurdy. I would have had the same problems only magnified with a
more advanced instrument but at least I wasn't fighting with an
unplayable piece of excrement and thinking that it was all my fault
that it sounded so bad.
I think that's what bothers me the most, that someone with all that
excitement and eagerness to play a gurdy ends up with a bad
instrument (for whatever reason) and then thinks, "I can't play this
and it's my fault," or some variation that puts the blame on them
instead of the instrument/builder. Even with a decent gurdy there
have been times when I had to set it down very gently and walk away
to vent my frustration safely on something else. At least in my
case I knew it WAS my issue that I couldn't get the cotton on
correctly or do the coup correctly or figure out a fingering. It's
not the wheel rubbing the cotton off or a trompette that will never
work or keys that stick or are so loose that they flop over like wet
grass.
I will add one more thing to this thread before I try to stop
yapping. I have heard several of what I would consider unplayable
instruments sounding absolutely wonderful. One was a kit, the other
was barely a step above a kit and the third by a fairly famous
builder who must have been having a "bad hair day." Because of
their players (with wildly varying levels of ability and musical
education) and the tweaking that these people did with these
otherwise potentially dreadful gurdies they were very, very nice. A
couple of these even had weed-whacker line for strings!!! So as
much as I complain about poor instruments it's obvious that
sometimes it's not the instrument at all but the person behind it.
And isn't that a wonderful thing?
Felicia.
On Apr 13, 2011, at 1:24 PM, Michael McMillan wrote:
> I think I've only been able to help about three or four of the
twenty or more people who asked me due to the poor quality of the
gurdy they bought.
Part of the problem [besides expense] is that gurdies are so rare
in many places. Some people will never actually lay eyes on a fine
instrument, much less hear a good player live, and they are even
less likely to be able to get good advice from someone one-on-one.
Thus far, I fall into all these categories.
I'm not interested in buying a GSO, but I still hear a lot of
complaining by real musicians about the real things, too! ;o) If
an isolated individual who is not a musician buys a super 'gurdy,
and can get no help with it, I can imagine he may also be quite
frustrated.
--Michael
From: Felicia Dale <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wed, April 13, 2011 3:03:37 PM
Subject: Re: [HG-new] GSO on eBay
It's just so depressing!!! Here is this enthusiastic, eager, ready
to learn person with an unusable instrument that they spent good
money on. :( It's just so depressing- and so frustrating and it
happens WAY more often than is necessary. I think I've only been
able to help about three or four of the twenty or more people who
asked me due to the poor quality of the gurdy they bought.
Felicia.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "hurdygurdy" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy
The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be
found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce
spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the
webmaster.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "hurdygurdy" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy
The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be
found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce
spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the
webmaster.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "hurdygurdy" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy
The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be
found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce
spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the
webmaster.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "hurdygurdy" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy
The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at
http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from new
subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster.
