plus sign in harp notation

[Martha Klemm]

Have encountered harp music with a plus sign associated with some of the notes. What does this mean?

[patricia-jaeger]

This can be confusing the first time you notice it. Grandjany may have been the first one to use it. It means the thumb plucks the note and quickly returns to dampen the sound.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

To elaborate a little further, you place the palm against the strings, flat, with the fingers pointed upward, and play with the thumb, using your palm to muffle the strings below, and if it is a sequence of notes, then to return to the string played and muffle it as you get ready to play the next note. It is not an abrupt muffle, as far as I have seen. It could also be used with the fourth finger, I think, to signify muffling the strings above the bass note.

[Martha Klemm]

Thanks for the help.

[barbara-brundage]

When you see that–one plus sign down low, it usually means to put the hand flat on the strings to muffle the strings below while playing the note with the thumb. That’s why you’d use the thumb rather than fourth finger.

[Tacye]

If, however, you are looking at old music it may mean something different.

[maria-myers–2]

Is there a name for this special effect, that’s represented by a plus sign?

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