It is the silence between the notes that makes the music;

it is the space between the bars that cages the tiger

—Zen proverb

As harpists, we spend an inordinate amount of time fretting about the position and technique of our fingers as they make contact with the strings, and we easily forget about the “negative space” in our playing—that is, the space between the notes and the space between the strings. Consider that harp strings only make sound when we are not touching them. Let that sink in for a minute—we have to let go of our strings in order for our instrument to sing! This sets us apart from almost all instruments (with the exception of other percussion instruments and guitar). For us, the “negative space” between the notes isn’t the absence of music, but harp music’s very presence.

I have a challenge for you. Before continuing to read, take a few minutes and listen to a recording of your harp playing (or any harp recording) that is handy. Rather than listening to the notes, focus on the sound between notes. Go ahead…I’ll wait here singing the Jeopardy theme song while you find a recording and listen.

Was it a challenge to “tune in” to the sound or noise between the notes? Perhaps your ears needed to adjust, just as your eyes shift focus between something near and far? This is a technical skill for your ears—a skill that you can use during your practice and performances to identify any distracting noises (such as buzzes, whistles, or heavy breathing) in your playing so that they can be eliminated. As always, the process must begin with identifying the source of the noise.

“random” issues

When I locate a noise issue in my playing, I’m always tempted to say, “Well, that usually doesn’t happen; I only buzzed that one time.” Sometimes this is true, but more often these noises are always there, learned alongside notes and dynamics, either due to technical challenges or tempo issues. We don’t hear them because we’re conditioned to listen to everything else around the offending sound. Fixing a random one-time issue is time well-spent as it might prevent the issue from popping up in another part of your music.

the business of buzzes

Whenever I fix a buzz in my playing, the voice of Susann McDonald rings in my ear, “You only have two choices: avoid the string or muffle it.” This is especially true of replacing buzzes caused by the side of the finger or the nail. Above all, when replacing, we must be accurate and secure in approaching the string especially when placing late.

Introduction and Allegro

In order to avoid a string buzz in your playing, you must identify two things: the part of the finger that’s buzzing and the specific string it buzzes against. Then, consider the angle from which you replace—if you’ve been replacing from the thumb side of the hand, try replacing from the fourth-finger side. If your fingers have been angled downward, try placing more on the tips. If it’s a downward-arpeggiated section, try replacing the fingers individually, like this passage in Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro (measures 26–27).

Some experimenting is necessary, and then you must practice the action in much the same way that you would fix a note that was learned incorrectly.

If it’s impossible to avoid the buzzing string, a muffle may be necessary. This depends largely on a person’s hand and finger shape—while one harpist can easily avoid a string, another harpist might find this physically impossible.

Handel Concerto

For example, consider this passage from Handel’s Harp Concerto (measures 8-9, Bundock-Moore edition). I have rather short, stubby fingers, so the only way that I can play this passage cleanly is to use a knuckle muffle—curving my left-hand second finger knuckle to muffle the A string before playing the B string. However, several of my students who have longer, slender fingers have found it easier to simply avoid the A string when playing the B by playing on the tips of their fingers.  If you add a muffle to correct a buzz, take care that the muffle is also silent.

Fauré Impromptu Excerpt

Buzzes in large sequences of chords, such as this example from the opening of Faure ‘s Impromptu, can be corrected by a combination of techniques. By placing “with the eyes” (i.e. watching the strings rather than pausing to place on the strings), you can greatly reduce the time spent on the string because the placing and playing are almost simultaneous. Some harpists find it easier to think of keeping their hands closed for a larger proportion of the note’s length. Additionally, balance in large chords is important—if the hand balance is too far toward the thumb or toward the fourth finger, the middle notes could buzz. Practice by playing only the second and third fingers, and then add the thumb and fourth after you’ve eliminated buzzing in the second and third fingers. This will help you identify the source of the buzz caused by imbalance.

Hindemith Example

Wire strings can create some of the most baffling buzzes. In addition to the above techniques, it may be necessary to “brush by” with the left-hand fourth finger while playing chords that move step-wise, or the thumb while descending, as in this example from measures 89–91 of the first movement of Hindemith Sonate.

This motion has the added benefit of clarifying the sound in the lowest register of the harp. Because the wire strings vibrate and travel a great distance when played at full-volume, the brush-by technique can prevent any sound created by wire strings clapping together.

white noise: non-buzzing sounds

Beyond buzzes, there can be other types of “noise” in our playing, including pedal noise, heavy breathing, and even visual “noise.” Self-awareness of these types of noises can be particularly difficult, so I’d recommend soliciting feedback from a friend or an audio recorder on your phone. This issue can surface when you least expect it… sometimes during the quietest moment of a piece. Awareness in the moment is the key to fixing this issue.

Many years ago as a student, I recall attending a harp performance that was absolutely stunning and flawless, with one exception. As the performer became increasingly engrossed in the music, she began to sway to and fro with the harp, to the point that I began to feel seasick. This visual “noise” impacted the overall success of the performance even though the player otherwise performed impeccably.

Motion and flexibility are important in our playing, but in excess, they can become a distraction from the performance itself. Of course, this is also relative to the music style—head-banging while playing a Bach partita would be considerably more distracting than head-banging while playing Deborah Henson Conant’s Baroque Flamenco.

the skin spectrum and maintenance

There is one more contributing factor to unwanted noise that we should consider—skin quality of your fingertips. I must admit that as a performing harpist, one of the greatest challenges that I have had is the maintenance of my fingertips—I have extremely dry, calloused skin that can produce a dry tone if I don’t tend to my daily fingertip lotion regimen. I’ve had several students with the opposite issue—skin that is constantly moist and sticky, creating extra sounds and whistles every time they play harmonics or muffle. Both ends of this spectrum require daily care, such as extra lotion, filing callouses, or soaking fingers in water. Here too, the development of your skin care formula requires experimentation and can change as seasons and years go by, but your control on the strings will lead to greater clarity in your playing.

putting it all together

When you sit down to practice today, spend some time tending to the white space between the notes, and you will undoubtedly yield more from your next harp performance. In fact, you might discover that there is twice as much music to make!