Having issues with sitting at harp – for pedal harpists.

[Jeralee]

I am not even sure if this is the best place to put this. I am having major issues with getting comfortable sitting at my pedal harp. I feel like I am chasing it all over the room when I play. I had this issue years ago. .. and for a brief while when I was in school. And naturally it comes up when I have some stress. I have been putting in a lot of practice time lately – orchestral and solo work. The harp ends up twisting to the right and my body is twisting to the left and pretty soon I am on the edge of the bench. I can’t keep it straight for some reason. It has been an issue for several months. Looking for some advice. It just has felt so uncomfortable to sit at lately. As a result my practice sessions get shorter.

[patricia-jaeger]

Are you presently with a harp teacher, or on your own? The best solution to your problem would be for a qualified teacher in your area to see you practicing, to evaluate your size and that of the harp, to see your body movements etc. The suggestions of that teacher should be followed and then, if the problem persists, post here again for help. Too much stress often means problems of some sort with the human body, so try to slow down.

[Jeralee]

Thank you for your input. I actualy have a private teaching studio and teach at a community music school. It is so easy to observe and tweak things with my students, but not so much with myself. I do like your idea. I think I will get in contact with one of my colleagues and see what kind of input they could give me or what I need to do!

[Alison]

Why not video yourself with a camera on a tripod and place it in various positions around you, perhaps find a second-hand one, and as a priority get any adult friend to observe you, to see why you end up shifting and twisting. Do you swim? for me the chiropractor and swimming are the best ways to re-balance myself, something I have neglected lately.

[Sylvia]

What kind of floor are you practicing on? If you and the harp are sliding around, maybe you need to be on something that won’t allow that to happen, like carpet.

[Tacye]

Are you resting the harp mainly on your right knee? Try making your left knee take a fairer share.

[Gretchen Cover]

Do you sit on a hard surface? I use a memory foam pillow (one that has very dense foam) on my bench. I put it in a black pillow case to match the bench. My bench is padded but the pillow really makes it much more comfortable to practice.

You may also want to try raising the height of your bench. I tend to twist and turn if it’s too low.

I think when you see yourself filmed as Alison suggested, you will figure out what you are doing to cause your problem.

[Jeralee]

Great ideas! Just to respond to some of them. I like the swimming idea. My girls are competitive swimmers so we are always at the pool… that would be convenient. My harp is on pergo laminate. My bench is cranked all the way up. I am 6’0″ and the tall height is more comfortable for me. Probably because my legs have more room. I will video tape myself! Thank you everyone, these tips are things I haven’t thought about and will be helpful.

[tony-morosco]

What Tacye suggests was my first thought. It sounds to me like you don’t have the harp balanced correctly on your knees. Also you may be trying to sit too close in to the harp. Both of these can cause your knees to put excess pressure on the back of the harp causing it to shift as you play.

Definitely video yourself playing so you can see exactly what you are doing from a different perspective.

[paul-knoke]

Perhaps the rubber inserts in the back feet of the harp need to be replaced?

[Author]

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