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Harps are allocated a longer session so play at your most comfortable and a musical tempo. Choose to play in the the order you prefer. The examiner is free to stop you if s/he’s heard enough, but unlikely. I think the Guridi is much easier to read & memorise but has more points to trip over in an exam when you play from a cold start. I’ve never mastered the Prelude even though I made a good start on it at a similar age to you, gone back to it a few times, but it never really sank in and the high stuff and left hand tricky to decipher. Suddenly I spotted the Guridi, bought it and have cracked it in 2 weeks. Work out which you prefer musically, what’s secure and reliable and how your hands cope from one piece to the next, as the styles and modes of the pieces change like a triathlon, that’s something I find particularly hard to adjust to.
I once had a harp part which opened with say, 4 or more flats in the first bar then many sharps in the second bar or vice versa and I knew that the composer had simply composed different harmonies but then I thought why even think a harp can play any combination at any moment…! It was easy enough to change the first bar and get into the 2nd bar and the composer was about so I let him know it wasn’t very practical.
Try to avoid the Pakinstani kit harps unless you have an accomplished wood worker in your circle of friends to look at it first.
It seems to me that learning to read music and elementary music theory should make use of both instruments to support learning, concepts and introduce flexibility, so that the child isn’t fixed on one instrument and can progress and reuse the principles on
Try Geraldine at http://www.affairsoftheharp.com too. and Pilgrims (the nearest to Dover)
I’ll translate: he needs his own harp and he’s got to Grade 7.
Well I guess he should find a friendly harpist, school or conservatoire who will give him regular time and access. But as we have all been in the same boat, it’s hard to give instruments away, unless bequeathing them.There is a lot to do in both parts and important to understand when the harps are together and when they are on alternate beats !
