Feedback on Harp Part

[Todd Robinson]

Hi,

I am unaccustomed to writing for the harp, and was wondering if you would be able to provide feedback on this Harp Part for a Symphonic Wind orchestra that I am composing for.

Thanks!

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[carl-swanson]

That’s a piano part, not a harp part. I’m guessing you were working that out on a keyboard with the “harp button” on. If that’s what you did, then that’s what it is written for. You’ve got five note chords. We only use 4 fingers of each hand when we play. You’ve got chords that reach 2 and 3 octaves. How are we supposed to play that? You’ve got fast repetitions of a single note or a single chord. That just doesn’t work on the harp. It sounds cumbersome at best, and doesn’t resonate the way it would on a piano. It’s clear from this part that you don’t have a clue about writing for the harp. And it’s anybody’s guess what else is going on while the harp is playing this part. My guess is that it would be a completely inaudible part, no matter who was playing it.

If you want to write effectively for the harp, take harp lessons for several months. That way, you will at least think like a harpist. And if you are working out a harp part on a keyboard, take some masking tape and tape your 5th finger (pinky) securely to your 4th finger on each hand, and then play your part. That’s what it will be like for a harpist to play the part.

[brian-noel]

I’ll echo Carl. There is almost nothing in this part that is playable on the harp, and a lot of it wouldn’t be playable on keyboard. Particularly concerning are mm. 13 – 15…you can’t just start and stop those short glissandos as they’re written; m. 36 going from flats to sharps…do you have an understanding of the pedal mechanism on the harp? M. 49, 16th notes and complex rhythms at 180 beats a minute marked ff; repeated notes at 69. Harpists always appreciate composers including harp in their compositions, but you’ve got to do your homework and work with a harpist, do a lot of reading in orchestration books about composing for harp, or spend time looking at Debussy’s and Ravel’s (and others’) harp writing in the orchestra. You have to also consider how much time a harpist (or any other player) would be willing to work on your composition. Days? Weeks? You have to make it playable from a practical standpoint, in addition to artistic considerations. Good luck with your composition.

[Todd Robinson]

Hi. Thank you for both of your feedback. I worked further on the part with the help and assistance of your feedback. With that in mind, I am hoping whether you would be able to provide more assistance towards the part with these new changes and revisions.
If I have learnt anything from composing this piece, it would be the skill, time and dedication it takes to compose for the harp.
Also, I thank you for taking time out of your day to provide this very helpful feedback for my work.

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[brian-noel]

Hi Todd, this is a big improvement, good job. A couple of notes:

1st pedal chart should show an Ab

Bars 13 – 15: From what I see this is still almost impossible to execute. The big jumps at that tempo, the one octave glisses (tough to stop on a specific note at that speed and place the other hand while glissing), the 16th note triplets against the regular 16th notes at 90 beats/minute…pretty much unplayable as written. Remember, harpists have to look at their hands AND the music.

Bars 50 – 60: At 180 beats per minute, I don’t know how anyone could place those 16ths accurately.

Another thing to keep in mind is the orchestration. How much of this is actually going to be heard? A mezzo-piano timpani roll can obliterate the harp. Don’t make your harpist work for hours on difficult passages that are just going to get buried by brass and woodwinds.

I have found harpists are usually very willing to take on challenges and help composers, so find a harpist in your area and have him or her play through it listen to their suggestions. Watch their hands and see how they work.

Best wishes to you.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Bar 13 is a very tricky rhythm and unlikely to be playable without much rehearsal. I would rethink that, or give the left hand to another instrument.
If you stick to Berlioz/Strauss’s instructions, you’ll write competent harp parts.

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