Feet on pedals

[Anonymous]

I recently bought and am enjoying “On playing the Harp”-yolanda

Kondonassis. It is a great resource. A student had a question about

a statement on page 4-and it made me question what I have taught my

students over the years. I have encouraged them to keep their feet

away from the pedals when not in use. Not to rest their feet on the

pedals-etc. page 4 says”Even when you are not currently using the

pedals,heels must still be on the ground with your toes resting on

the pedals. Just checking to make sure that this only refers to

finding the proper sitting position,bench height,and posture.

Thanks,Lelia

[unknown-user]

I was taught to have the heels on the floor while the left foot rests on the C pedal and the right rests on the F pedal.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

I think it would be very hard on the back to keep the feet on the pedals at all

times. Think of the strain in a three-hour opera! I have found, over the years,

that dragging your feet around the pedals with your heels on the floor results

in a lot of noise. Playing pedally sections in a pianissimo or in a recording

session requires any creative solution you can come up with to avoid pedal

noise. I “tip-toe”, or just remove my shoes entirely. The size of your feet makes

a difference, too. As far as I know, this rule of keeping the heels on the floor

originated with Salzedo, a man, playing in flat, quiet shoes.

[unknown-user]

My foot position depends on the piece.

[unknown-user]

When one considers that the pedal “topography” is virtually the only tactile way a harpist has to “feel” what key they are playing in, since all major and minor scales have the same fingering, I have no shame in giving a soft brush over the tops of the pedals with my feet, but at a discreet moment.

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