Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
That’s really nice Kreig. I hope you have a lot of fun with the instrument. Maybe you should try renting a pedal harp for a while to see if it’s something that you really want to do.
That’s really nice Kreig. I hope you have a lot of fun with the instrument. Maybe you should try renting a pedal harp for a while to see if it’s something that you really want to do.
That’s really nice Kreig. I hope you have a lot of fun with the instrument. Maybe you should try renting a pedal harp for a while to see if it’s something that you really want to do.
Kathy- That’s an intriguing question. The answer is: I don’t know what it will sound like. It certainly won’t hurt the instrument. Give it a shot and let us know what you find. If you don’t like the results you can just change back to standard gauge. My guess is that the instrument will sound better.
Elinor- I think the ideal teacher would take a student through a whole set of etudes at a given technical level(the Bochsa op. 318 as an example) and do all of the etudes in that collection, one at a time. The result will be a well rounded technique at that level, without gaping holes in the technique. Each student is going to find that some of the etudes are easier than others, depending on the particular skills of the student. So the teacher will probably find that one etude may take only a week to perfect, while another will take 3 weeks, all of this depending on the particular student. I don’t think it’s a good idea for any teacher to cherry-pick etudes from a collection, assuming that the student doesn’t need the others. I certainly wouldn’t do that. Let me give you an example.
About 12 years ago a professional harpist that I know well asked me to overhaul her technique. Mind you, she had been playing professionally, doing lots of orchestra work, for about 20 years at that time. I asked her why she wanted to do this. “I feel like I’m always on the edge of catastrophe every time I play. That I’m barely in control.”
To make a long story short(and I’m leaving out a lot here) she started lessons with me, I made huge changes in her basic hand position and finger motion, and on the advice of a harp teacher I respect enormously, took this woman through the Bochsa Op. 318, the 40 easy etudes. She could sight read them up to tempo. But of course that was not the point. It was to use the fingers, hands and arms in a correct way that would work at an advanced level.
We started on the first etude and then progressed one or two weeks at a time through each of the etudes, in the order that they are printed. When we got to etude number 7, I looked at it for a moment and decided to skip it. It’s all 8 note chords in half notes, and it’s slow. I just didn’t think there was anything there that she needed. She asked me what I was thinking and I told her. Then I asked her to play a little of it. As soon as she started I almost shouted “That’s not how you play it!” We spent 3 weeks on that etude and she learned an enormous amount about placing in sequence and placing at the moment that you pluck the string and not a moment before. So I learned never to skip an etude in a collection. If it’s not really necessary for a particular student, then they will learn it really fast and then you move on to the next one.
Elinor- I think the ideal teacher would take a student through a whole set of etudes at a given technical level(the Bochsa op. 318 as an example) and do all of the etudes in that collection, one at a time. The result will be a well rounded technique at that level, without gaping holes in the technique. Each student is going to find that some of the etudes are easier than others, depending on the particular skills of the student. So the teacher will probably find that one etude may take only a week to perfect, while another will take 3 weeks, all of this depending on the particular student. I don’t think it’s a good idea for any teacher to cherry-pick etudes from a collection, assuming that the student doesn’t need the others. I certainly wouldn’t do that. Let me give you an example.
About 12 years ago a professional harpist that I know well asked me to overhaul her technique. Mind you, she had been playing professionally, doing lots of orchestra work, for about 20 years at that time. I asked her why she wanted to do this. “I feel like I’m always on the edge of catastrophe every time I play. That I’m barely in control.”
To make a long story short(and I’m leaving out a lot here) she started lessons with me, I made huge changes in her basic hand position and finger motion, and on the advice of a harp teacher I respect enormously, took this woman through the Bochsa Op. 318, the 40 easy etudes. She could sight read them up to tempo. But of course that was not the point. It was to use the fingers, hands and arms in a correct way that would work at an advanced level.
We started on the first etude and then progressed one or two weeks at a time through each of the etudes, in the order that they are printed. When we got to etude number 7, I looked at it for a moment and decided to skip it. It’s all 8 note chords in half notes, and it’s slow. I just didn’t think there was anything there that she needed. She asked me what I was thinking and I told her. Then I asked her to play a little of it. As soon as she started I almost shouted “That’s not how you play it!” We spent 3 weeks on that etude and she learned an enormous amount about placing in sequence and placing at the moment that you pluck the string and not a moment before. So I learned never to skip an etude in a collection. If it’s not really necessary for a particular student, then they will learn it really fast and then you move on to the next one.
Elinor- I think the ideal teacher would take a student through a whole set of etudes at a given technical level(the Bochsa op. 318 as an example) and do all of the etudes in that collection, one at a time. The result will be a well rounded technique at that level, without gaping holes in the technique. Each student is going to find that some of the etudes are easier than others, depending on the particular skills of the student. So the teacher will probably find that one etude may take only a week to perfect, while another will take 3 weeks, all of this depending on the particular student. I don’t think it’s a good idea for any teacher to cherry-pick etudes from a collection, assuming that the student doesn’t need the others. I certainly wouldn’t do that. Let me give you an example.
About 12 years ago a professional harpist that I know well asked me to overhaul her technique. Mind you, she had been playing professionally, doing lots of orchestra work, for about 20 years at that time. I asked her why she wanted to do this. “I feel like I’m always on the edge of catastrophe every time I play. That I’m barely in control.”
To make a long story short(and I’m leaving out a lot here) she started lessons with me, I made huge changes in her basic hand position and finger motion, and on the advice of a harp teacher I respect enormously, took this woman through the Bochsa Op. 318, the 40 easy etudes. She could sight read them up to tempo. But of course that was not the point. It was to use the fingers, hands and arms in a correct way that would work at an advanced level.
We started on the first etude and then progressed one or two weeks at a time through each of the etudes, in the order that they are printed. When we got to etude number 7, I looked at it for a moment and decided to skip it. It’s all 8 note chords in half notes, and it’s slow. I just didn’t think there was anything there that she needed. She asked me what I was thinking and I told her. Then I asked her to play a little of it. As soon as she started I almost shouted “That’s not how you play it!” We spent 3 weeks on that etude and she learned an enormous amount about placing in sequence and placing at the moment that you pluck the string and not a moment before. So I learned never to skip an etude in a collection. If it’s not really necessary for a particular student, then they will learn it really fast and then you move on to the next one.
Dorothy Remsen was one of the three great Hollywood studio harpists, the others being Catherine Gotthofer and Ann Stockton. Dorothy can be heard on countless movie soundtracks.
Elizabeth- The only recording I know is one by Alice Giles. I’ve listened to it a few times. But that sonata is just not as good as Tournier’s First Sonatine. I’ll have to listen to it again(the second sonatine).
Sandra- I’d have to see it to give an accurate opinion as to what’s going on. How old is the harp? And is there any way of finding out what kind of finish is on the cracked area now? Is it an epoxy finish? Salvi used that kind of finish for a while, but it tended to fracture and was absolutely unrepairable so they changed to something else.
Regardless of the temperature or humidity, if you were sitting in bright sun, then maybe that side of the harp really heated up, causing the problem.
I guess it depends on the size of the room as to which setting you put it on. Try medium with the humidifier near the harp and see how that works out.
What kind of humidifier is it? Does it put out a visible vapor or steam? If the air coming out of it is completely invisible, then you can and should put it as close to the harp as is convenient. That kind of humidifier will not cause any damage. But if there is a visible vapor, that should be further away.
Thanks Phoebe. Maybe some of us can contact our harp chapters and have them send out an email to members. I’m going to try that today for the Boston Chapter.
