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Post by Flolei on Nov 22, 2011 6:45:41 GMT
Dear colleagues flutists,
I have a question for all of us who plays the low G dizi. Until now I've played only dizis from alt E down to bass Bb, but now I would like to try a low G one (so many beautiful pieces are written for it). I have not very long hands, so I'm not sure I won't be disappointed.
When I play the 6 holes Bb, all is OK, but - for example - I have problems with Quenacho, Low D whistle and Irish flute. Because the low G dizi has got 7 holes, I guess it should be less challenging than the 6 holes instruments I mentionned before. But what about the left hand? Is the distance between the first three holes from the top so larger than on the bass Bb?
I'll be very grateful if you will give me a good advice!
Have a nice day,
Flolei
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Post by xindi on Nov 22, 2011 20:46:44 GMT
Hi Flolei,
The irish low D whistle and quenacho both require the pipers grip....usually.Even with short hands, ths pipers grip is possible but uncomfortable.
Frankly I hate it. I'm imprecise on pipers fingering and despite years i'm still inaccurate on it.
That is why I love the low G with 7 holes. The right handed holes are comfortably bunched and the left hand isnot much different from your bass Bb. If you need measurements for finger stretches feel free to ask.
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Post by Flolei on Nov 22, 2011 21:18:08 GMT
Hi, Xindi!
Thank you very much for your answer.
Yes, I saw that the players use such a grip and I tried it, but I felt very uncomforable with it. The hole coverage was very bad.
What you say about the low G dizi makes me optimistic, but it would be better to verify, if it is not to difficult to you. I would like to now the distance between the middle of the first hole and the middle of the second hole + between the middle of the second hole and the middle of the third hole + between the top border of the first hole and the bottom border of the third hole. If you could make the measurements I would be very very grateful!
Best wishes to you,
Flolei
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Post by xindi on Nov 22, 2011 21:34:45 GMT
hah. I think the guys who like pipers grip have inherited spade hammer fingers to cover the holes :-)
the distance between the middle of the first hole and the middle of the second hole = 30mm
between the middle of the second hole and the middle of the third hole = 43mm
between the top border of the first hole and the bottom border of the third hole = 85mm
This is from my first class Bao family dizi flute. It is a 2 piece dizi and perfect in its intonation. The Bao factory are famous for their low register flutes and the low G is a stock item (low F is a custom made usually). Ask for other low G players like Edcat to measure his too...there will be minor variations from these measurements. 100mm is the most I can handle for the low F left hand and boy does it hurt for the first 3 months! Not so with the low G...just grow a spare set of lungs lol
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Post by edcat7 on Nov 22, 2011 21:56:16 GMT
I've got so many dizis, hulusis and (so far) 1 good erhu that it's making a mockery of my embrochure control. I intend to be proficient on one type of D dizi before moving on to something else. I am still looking for that perfect D dizi.
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Post by Flolei on Nov 23, 2011 5:48:24 GMT
Thanks a lot, Xindi! When I'll be back home on Friday, I will draw a prototype to see how it is for my left hand. After that, I'll left a new post on the forum. Have a very pleasant day, best wishes to you, Flolei
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Post by Blue on Nov 24, 2011 15:27:31 GMT
Edcat,
So what's your perfect D-pitched dizi so far?
It's weird, but after a month of not playing that D-pitched queen's tears fandizhi flute, I recently picked it up again and can now easily play high la (XX0XX0) and high so without effort. It's driving me a little crazy that suddenly I can do that when one month ago it was a ridiculous struggle . . . . .
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Post by edcat7 on Nov 24, 2011 18:23:32 GMT
Believe it not my cheapo £2.99 D played all notes, all octaves perfectly. However I think I'll wait for my perfect D - it's not good to have everything I want all at once! I've just bought another erhu which will last me the end of days. (reviews later when I get it)
I've seen Xindi's Bao family concert grade D and it is trully a piece of art - if you can afford it. It even comes with it's own aluminimum flight case.
However if I hadn't wasted so much money on less than satisfactory instruments I could easily had afforded it.
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Post by Flolei on Nov 25, 2011 8:42:38 GMT
Dear Xindi,
I've tried to hold a flute with the hole spaces you've sent to me and my conclusion is that it should be OK. Just now I ordered a DXH low G dizi from Eason (my first dizi by this maker and from this store, and the most expensive I ever bought). I hope I won't be disappointed and will be able to play it well.
Thanks again for the explaination and measurements.
All the best to you!
Flolei
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Post by edcat7 on Nov 25, 2011 13:45:52 GMT
I'm sure you'll be happy with both DXH and Eason. I have an E DXH from Eason as well. Had they had stock of D DXH I wouldn't have wasted money on other D's
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Post by xindi on Nov 25, 2011 22:35:33 GMT
Flolei, the measurements will vary from flute maker to maker. But not by much ...as Ed says....once you get into the high end, there' so little to differentiate one from another. I love the mellowness of the low G...its so much easier than the low F and just that bit special compared to the alto C, which is the next highest pitch I have....
Let us know how it sounds when.it comes!
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Post by Flolei on Nov 27, 2011 12:36:37 GMT
Xindi, Of course I'll post a audio sample to show you how it sounds. Thanks again for all you said me about the low G. I wouldn't have been able to make a decision alone. Best wishes to you, Flolei
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Post by xindi on Dec 2, 2011 22:13:28 GMT
No problem Flolei. There are few things more Freudian and exciting than a great long low G dizi (except a great, long low F dizi).
I really love mine....the embouchure suits me very well. Having never seen the DXH version, it'll been great to have your feedback. I was going for a rose wood low G but the tones are deep and woody enough on a bamboo so I'll prob just get another low G Bao family one.....
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Post by Flolei on Jan 15, 2012 9:53:02 GMT
Dear colleagues (special greetings to Xindi),
Only few words to tell you that I didn't forget my promise, but for now I don't play my new low G dizi and therefore I cannot post any sample. I can only say that Xindi was right: there is no problem with hole coverage at all. It is even easier than with my low Bb (because of the 7th hole!) and I was really very very satisfied with both Eason and DXH.
Currently I'm practicsing with my C dizi "Three variations about the Plum flower", because I will have a public performance with it on the 23th of January (for the Chinese new year or Spring festival). Beside this I am very busy with my job, so I concentrate all my free time to prepare a quite correct performance. I have a very big problem with public performances (I don't play very often in public, so I'm always extremely nervous). I hope I'll manage to play the piece quite properly, but I cannot be sure (I have rellay a very big problem with my nerves). It is a problem when a quite shy qnd timid person wants to play music! It is crazy to hear this from an university teacher who has absolutely no problem to speak behind a crowd of studentks, isn't it? I don't understand myself!
So, I will write some comment about levels, practising and about the low G when the performance will be done and when I'll be less busy with my job, so in about 2 weeks.
Best wishes to all of us,
Flolei
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Post by edcat7 on Jan 15, 2012 14:27:52 GMT
Yes I have a problem playing infront of an audience as well. Even infront of family and friends I get nervous and my embrochure goes awol. Therefore I think the hulusi is a much better instrument to perform with. It's also more usual.
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Post by xindi on Jan 15, 2012 19:48:34 GMT
Flolei, It's lovely to hear that you will have the chance to perform such a classic piece on a fantastic dizi! I have no qualms about playing in public since I enjoy annoying people lol. No really I do If you find you have nerves, try some fixed breathing exercises: pace your breathing, so that you keep a rhythm, and concentrate on that rhythm. You might try 5-7: breath in, and count to 5, then breath out for 7, and do this 7 times, so that you don't panic, or lose it before. Bring some lip balm - I am really vain about my lip balm: cheap nasty oily ones will smear, and make it hard to find the embouchure. High grade non-greasy ones (no coconut oil; no vaseline) are better for women than men, but my girlfriend gets me some lol. I'm currently using mango flavour Don't forget to bring a bottle of water to hydrate before you play. If you're feeling nervous, just play a scale, or a children's piece or a pop piece to warm up. I'm glad to hear you've bonded well with the low G. This is fast becoming my favourite low key flute. I tried to get a quality Chang one. Like your experience, I wasn't too hot with the low Bb - I skipped it, thinking I can just stay with a Boehm flute, since the di mo membrane never really buzzed no matter what I did. Happy Lunar New Year of the Dragon!
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Post by Flolei on Jan 16, 2012 6:53:19 GMT
Xindi, Thank you very much for your kind recommandations. For the mango lip balsam I'm not so sure , but all the others are really welcome. Another thing I try is to represent me in mind the stage, people, all what makes me crazy the day D. Psychologs say that the mind after quite doesn't notice the difference between the "mental" and the "real" situation. We'll see. Thanks again. Have a nice week! Flolei
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Post by xindi on Jan 16, 2012 17:33:39 GMT
Hi Flolei, Haha ... don't take the mango lip balm seriously. Although it works, I'm sure the kiwi flavour ones are just as good You'll do fantastic if the audience becomes invisible and your music can connect to your mind in a direct channel of expression. I'm not very good at this: I still can't memorise large chunks of music. My pipa teacher told me, that music must be read with intonation and tonal pitch, rather than abstract numbers or dots on a 5 line stave: only then, is music realised from the heart. This concept is rather new to me, since I speak English as a first language - English is a non-tonal language, whereas Mandarin and Chinese dialects are tonal. It is intuitive for chinese to think of Jian Pu in terms of tonal pitch, whereas as a western educated non-tonal speaker, I tend to think of Jian Pu as numerical values which translate to fingering positions - this method is too mechanical. Well let's hope the psychological and the real context of your concert come together! I'm going back to the depressing and cold western hemisphere this week
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Post by Blue on Jan 17, 2012 13:31:06 GMT
Lip balm before playing the flute . . . . (Allen rolls his eyes and decides to say nothing further).
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Post by edcat7 on Jan 17, 2012 13:34:48 GMT
Allen
Did you see any dizis you liked in HK. My teacher has got me a Gao de-tsai Liuqin for TWD 30000 discounted to TWD 24000
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Post by Blue on Jan 17, 2012 14:43:55 GMT
I definitely know who told you that I went to HK (Allen rolls his eyes again).
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Post by edcat7 on Jan 17, 2012 15:13:05 GMT
Are dizis in Taipei cheaper, better? TWD24000 for a top notch liuqin (my teacher considers it mid-range). If they are cheaper, better I'd better ask him as he is still in Taipei. Without looking it up, the musical shop where he purchased my liuqin is called Bai..something. Do you know of this shop? There's no place I'd rather be than in HK! (Shanghai comes a distant second)
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Post by Blue on Jan 18, 2012 14:27:51 GMT
百禾樂器 and 百宣民族樂器 in 新竹 where I live
There's a 先進精品國樂 and 百樂琴苑 in 臺北.
Then there's a 長安樂器有限公司 also in 臺北.
I suppose I could show you all the possible traditional Chinese music shops in 北臺灣 if you were around!
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Post by edcat7 on Jan 18, 2012 22:12:34 GMT
Thanks Allen. I won't be in Taipei anytime soon. I'm such a stud-muffin I'm afraid I'll be mobbed by all the girls there. By the way, I've just seen Xindi's new rosewood E dizi (and others) and if I was the jealous type,(which I'm not) I would be green with envy.
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Post by Blue on Jan 19, 2012 12:09:23 GMT
Had to check the urban dictionary for the meaning of "stud-muffin." If you are such, you should be performing music there then: certainly you'll get plenty of female fans stalking you.
Wow, you saw that rosewood dizi within hours of 新笛's arrival to back to London. I had to comment if one of the books he was giving to you was too easy or not.
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