Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
My physical therapist agreed with Laurie that tension while harp playing was the cause, and specifically tension caused by keeping the forearm muscles tense while sticking out the pinky.
Coincidence or not,
Laurie Riley had me velcro (it’s more comfortable than tape) my pinky fingers to the 4th fingers for almost a year to break my habit of sticking out the pinky. My first teacher taught from Salzedo’s Method for the Harp and saw nothing wrong with that picture. When the problem caused tendonitis up in my ELBOW, I decided I had to do something about it!
— Alice in windy Wyoming
Laurie Riley had me velcro (it’s more comfortable than tape) my pinky fingers to the 4th fingers for almost a year to break my habit of sticking out the pinky. My first teacher taught from Salzedo’s Method for the Harp and saw nothing wrong with that picture. When the problem caused tendonitis up in my ELBOW, I decided I had to do something about it!
— Alice in windy Wyoming
Laurie Riley had me velcro (it’s more comfortable than tape) my pinky fingers to the 4th fingers for almost a year to break my habit of sticking out the pinky. My first teacher taught from Salzedo’s Method for the Harp and saw nothing wrong with that picture. When the problem caused tendonitis up in my ELBOW, I decided I had to do something about it!
— Alice in windy Wyoming
That’s supposed to be “complete QUIT playing my pedal harp” …
— Alice in windy Wyoming (http://windandroses.com)
I am a pedal harpist too and I have played my friend’s Ravenna 34 (in multiple 3-hour afternoon rehearsal sessions) and I own a Triplett Christina. I’ve also practiced on a Ravenna 26 for a week in Alaska before a church service performance.
My experience has been that I consistently had trouble “over-playing” (plucking too hard) on both of the Ravenna’s. The tension on the Triplett Christina is a little tighter and I don’t ever have that problem. I switch back and forth between my pedal harp, a Triplett Catalina and my Triplett Christina multiple times a day in practice sessions and my work as a healing musician, so I’m used to playing different harps. My personal preference is that I would never buy a Ravenna for myself unless I completely quite playing my pedal harp.
— Alice in windy Wyoming (http://windandroses.com)
Part of it depends on how much you want to pay for a music notation program. If you “Google” for ‘free music notation software’ you will find a number of easy to use programs. I have heard good things about Finale Notepad and Noteworthy, although I have never personally used them.
Because I wanted the features of a full notation program, Sibelius is my preference. It is really pricey, but if you are a music teacher, there are educational discounts available. I highly recommend this program (especially the harp pedal charts) and because I had used previously used MusicTime Deluxe, I did not find the learning curve at all difficult.
The Yahoo Groups Sibelius list is monitored by a Sibelius Senior Product Manager, so the tech support is really good. Even basic questions are answered without making you feel stupid.
Hope this helps.
— Alice in windy Wyoming (http://windandroses.com)
Hi Helen,
As a musician who took up harp when she turned 50, I agree with the others that it is never too late to start. However, I would strongly urge you to (1) do your best to find a teacher who likes working with beginning adults, and (2) plan on renting a harp for the first 6-months to a year. The teacher will help identify irregularities in hand and body positions before they become bad habits and problems. The harp you think you want today may be entirely different than the one you want to play for the rest of your life. A good teacher can help you match the type of music you want to play to the appropriate type of harp. There are teachers who will offer lessons over the Internet using computer software like Skype or ooVoo, but for a beginner it is usually easier to start with “hands-on” lessons and leave the Internet teacher for later.
Good luck!
— Alice in windy Wyoming (http://windandroses.com)
As a practicing healing musician, I get this question often, so I put together a Web page of information on programs. (http://windandroses.com/healingmusic.htm)
Hope this helps.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
ASL is American Sign Language for the deaf. It is truly beautiful when someone signs as people are singing.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
Try to stay as hydrated as possible. Bring your own fluids (don’t rely on the venue to provide them) and include energy drinks if you tolerate them. Always stand while drinking and bend and stretch as described by others.
— Alice in windy Wyoming
One of the ways is to play the first 3 notes of the scale. If all the notes are a full step apart (like the white keys C – D – E on a piano), then the scale is in a major key. If the 3rd note is a half-step up from the 2nd one (like the white keys C – D and the black key E-flat on a piano), then the scale is one of the minor keys or modes.
As
I have played both the Nightingale and the Christina. Although there is technically only a half pound difference when you look at the specifications and the Nightingale is 3 inches shorter, I bought the Christina because I liked it better. However, those Camac levers on the lowest C and D strings are really fragile if you knock the harp over on them accidentally (says one who has broken them several times). It’s all a matter of personal preference and really helps to be able to play them both side-by-side.
