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It’s taken quite some time to convince her of the need to read music, but she loves her theory activity book, full of stickers and questions, sometimes colouring and last time she actually said thanks, as I’d put it out for her. I have established that routine to engage her whilst I tune and her Dad helps out with that. She’s aurally aware, sings the next note as I tune in 4ths and 5ths so with patience we have made a good start !!
There are 2 volumes: £3.50, Theory Made Easy for Kids (levels 1and 2) also entitled Theory Made Easy for Little Children, one and the same, probably different print runs, I would recommend these. They have piano pictures on a few pages but the rest is great stuff and she’d like to take it home…. but I’d never see it again..Someone in my local community orchestra in UK has got some musician’s ear plugs I’ll ask her. I have tried ordinary ones myself and they don’t allow you to hear ones own instrument, so that’sself defeating
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.
in dollars? well there is a lot to do and you have to be there, so I’d suggest $90 or $120 and think of it in terms of the number of tickets they sell to cover it..not that many…if they offer $60 well that’s up to you.
Lyn, best ask Emma to explain and demonstrate when you see her, but in the meantime. It’s easier for a beginner to understand if I say put all the A, B and E levers ON and tune the harp in C like your sharpsicle.
1. Refer to a music theory book for key signatures and you will realise that you now have the flexibilty to flatten the Bs (test it yourself & play scale of F) and next take the E’s off ( so both Bb and Eb to play scale of Bb) and the A’s off (BbEbAb to play scale of Eb).
2. Put all the A,B,E’s back on (back into C) check out the key signatures with sharps one at a time in this order (F# on, that’s Gmajor) next C# on too (so F# and C# that’s Dmajor) then G# on (so F#, C#, G# makes A major), lastly put D# on (F#,C#,G#,D# gives you Emajor).
So now you have found 8 major key signatures – hint: look up the circle of 5ths in the index of any book. Additionally you could set some minor keys, but not all, more theory for another day…
Once you’ve got your head around this, it’s quicker to leave the all levers off, tune in Eb and then put on what you need. With children I generally tune this way and ask a pupil to fix the levers at the start of the lesson.Reply 100: this one, when you’re down and troubled……. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4abiHdQpc&feature=youtube_gdata_player But seriously, this rendition of Viejo Zortzico is lovely and I really like her stripey pullover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESLSbIkZYOQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player I can’t work out where this was, suspect Italy.
I’m impressed by the research, to learn that there are more than 2000 individual works is staggering as is the tally of pieces with 2 parts.
I have an authorised copy into which I have reworked some enharmonics. The publisher is UE – Universal Edition who were in Paddock Wood, Kent UK when provided me with a one-off harp part , although it says printed in Austria, which makes sense. It’s a tall narrow part so I could scan it onto A3 if copywrite laws permit; I assume it’s out of c/w by now as he must have died in 1936-7, but having checked imslp.org I see that only the full score has been uploaded there. Perhaps try http://www.universaledition.com/contact I used berg and violinkonzert as search terms and found it myself http://www.universaledition.com/Series-1-Musical-Works-Volume-5-Concertos-Part-2-Violin-Concerto-for-violin-orchestra-Berg-Alban/sheet-music-and-more/detailview/UE18155B/kid/639109 for the complete orchestral set. Do ask me again if you are still stuck and give me your email address.
Consider this then, my main reservation is that the levers are missing on the top 5-6 strings http://www.earlymusicshop.com/product.aspx/en-GB/1000680-ems-minstrel-harp-29-nylon-strings and the low tension of the lower strings. I meant to say I’d just seen one earlier the same day, someone has had hers for 7 years and still in mint condition, that’s how I noticed the missing levers at the top. You could arrange to speak to the owner or view it (HP6 area).
With a limited budget you might as well rent something for 6 months, take lessons and get some music, then you’ll be better informed to take things further and choose a harp to suit your ability and musical goals.
Musically, what about repeated enharmonic notes used so much by Tournier (he wrote an illustrated volume of harp effects) and bisbigliano or shimmering effects, such as in the Planets / Harp II’s part towards the end (where there’s one system per bar). Don’t forget harmonics (not on piano) although bowed strings and guitar have these. Then pdlt and etouffe, playing with nails (Salzedo), those idiosyncracies. Convenience of rewriting chords, regular shape of arpeggios, easier hands over, easier transposition, easier nasty keys like C#, F# major…. 6 flats, setting the harp in the blues scale, etc.
I bought a Korrigan so that I have a large lever harp to play outside when requested, which works a treat as I refuse to play my pedal harp outside. It has a tension and feel similar to the pedal harp, the space and a range to play bigger pieces like @Natalia. It’s also useful for teaching. You can put nylon on the top octave to economise but they never feel or sound the same. It’s not light though and I struggle if I have to carry it a long way. Best not to sit too high at it. I make myself practise on that alone before an outdoor gig (so that I restrict myself to that repertoire without being distracted) and then I must admit, the pedal harp feels like a silky jewel when return to it.
I can’t believe it, there’s an ‘aha’ moment with this…. you have to get to know it first, then start looking at the right hand, articulate 1/3 properly and then lo and behold (like Christmas again) your 2/4 easily places on the next chord before 1/3 again and overall less tiring on your brain, eyes and thumb; you get that split-second feeling of time, control and security. Occasional bars can be fingered differently, but the 1/3 2/4 becomes reliable and more relaxed, once you have learnt and understood the RH syntax.
I guess one has to divide one’s time between new works and familiar pieces. It seems to take quite an effort to reinstate a difficult piece, about 10-15 repetitions, instead of 4-5 times as I’d expect, and tripping up over bits I have played before so at first it’s worrying and I begin to think I’ll never get it sorted or that I’ll run out of time. Tacye’s right though, you can learn more subsequently, I guess because your aural memory is driving the process, your fingers basically know what to play and you can examine aspects more acutely, dynamics, tempo and articulation when you are refreshing a piece. Perhaps listening is easier 2nd or 3rd time around.
