Arpeggio studies and inversions

[kryptoleadonium]

My teacher gave me some arpeggio studies and I’m finally getting around to looking at them. One thing I noticed immediately was that fingering a chord in second inversion was a lot harder than root or first inversion. Getting the left hand into position above middle C? Fuhgeddaboudit! Any suggestions, links to free sheet music, etc.?

[carl-swanson]

You don’t say if you are studying pedal or lever harp. But one of the best things you can do on either instrument is to use a set of (good) etudes to build technique, and to get your whole technique to the same level. I don’t know what your current level is. But if you are advanced enough(advanced beginner say) to play the Bochsa 40 easy etudes, you should do that. I came out with a new edition of those etudes (1 through 20) a few years ago, and there is a pedal harp version, and a lever harp version. Including those as a regular part of what you are working on will help you enormously, and will help improve your left hand like nothing else will. Both editions are published by Carl Fischer Music and are available at many harp store locations. You can also get them from my web site, http://www.swansonharp.com. If you go to my web site, just click on the STORE tab at the top of the screen. You’ll find them there.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by carl-swanson.

[kryptoleadonium]

Thanks for the reply. My localish music store has them.

[balfour-knight]

Great advice, Carl. I also recommend the book HARP EXERCISES FOR AGILITY AND SPEED by Deborah Friou. It contains many exercises on chord inversions.

Cheers,
Balfour

[kryptoleadonium]

T’anks. One question: Any reason to prefer the lever version?

[carl-swanson]

Are you asking me? I don’t prefer either one over the other. If you play pedal harp, then get the pedal harp version. If you play lever harp, then get that version.

[kryptoleadonium]

I have a pedal harp, but was wondering whether there was any reason to get the lever version instead. Can’t think of one, but what do I know?

[balfour-knight]

Hi Krypto,

If by chance you were asking me, the Deborah Friou book is for either type of harp. All the pieces, exercises, and etudes are in the Key of C with only one exception which requires one sharp. An entire chapter is dedicated to Triads and Inversions, with Arpeggios.

Hope this helps you to attain your harp-playing goals.

Best wishes,
Balfour

[kryptoleadonium]

Got it. C major, eh? I thought they retired that key after it was apotheosed by MOZART.

[balfour-knight]

Too funny, Krypto! I was not aware that Mozart apotheosized any Key, but C Major is certainly central to the pedal harp. On lever harp, you can tune in any Key, but C is still my favorite there, also.

Have a great day!
Balfour

[kryptoleadonium]

Until I started with the pedal harp, I wouldn’t have imagined how much of a difference in sound there was among the keys. Even C major is missing a little something.

I once wrote an arrangement for chorus and harp and started it in Ab minor, not just for the perversity of 7 flats but because I at least knew that all the strings would be at maximum length. “Look at all those flats!” singers said–as if it mattered to voices. It sure does with violins and the like, so thanks awfully, Signor Puccini, for writing almost every aria in Gb.

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