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Dave, which track on the Coraline CD has the harp solo? I haven’t yet seen the film but would like to hear the part you’re talking about.
I believe David Ice said he saw the arrangement (and was surprised to find it very vague and sketchy) but was unable to get it. I have the original piano sheet music (with photo of Cary Grant on the cover) but it’s not in the same key as in the movie. I’ve thought of transcribing it myself but other duties (and pieces) are more pressing. Sometimes what is actually played and what we think we hear are amazingly different, so transcriptions aren’t always exactly accurate, regardless of how careful we try to be.
I recently had a request from a bride to do the same thing: play along with a DJ’s recording. She thought the harp wouldn’t be enough on its own. To my knowledge there are no CDs made for this type thing (other than those you play along with to learn to improvise in jazz) and it would be a major hassle. You need to be able to edit a processional as you play it so the music can be adjusted to fit the time it takes the bride (or whoever) to cover the distance from point A to point B. This is never exactly the same no matter how many times it’s done. Tying yourself to a recording defeats the purpose of having a live musician (the flexibility of timing). You need to explain to her (nicely!) that this is unnecessary and impractical. I’m sure when she hears you play the Canon, she will realize you sound wonderful and complete with no accompaniment.
You can purchase two themes in one folder from Harry Potter movies by John Williams from Lyon & Healy at http://www.harp.com. Here’s a link to the music:
http://us.harp.com/info/products/pact_show/id_19397555/
It’s for pedal only and I found them somewhat difficult. One is “Fluffy’s Harp,” the music played by the enchanted harp in the first movie. The other piece is “Hedwig’s Theme.”
Squeaks come from something rubbing against something else. The legs may be loose or the adjustment mechanism may need lubricating. Try tightening the screws or bolts that hold the legs to the seat, if possible.
Many of the upholstered cushions come off if you remove their fastening screws (which may also be loose and squeaking) so that you can recover the cushion with fabric or synthetic “leatherette” or “naugahyde” in the color of your choice.
With the X-shaped keyboard benches, all you can do is try tightening any screws or bolts except the one where the legs cross. You can also try some grease at that point, but you don’t want to get that on your clothes or hands when you’re moving it, and there’s only so much you can do when it’s metal on metal causing the noise.Vince, how do you do that (fit the bench on the harp cart with the harp)? Congratulations on your new harp. Love that Salzedo styling!
This is the orchestration which shows how many of which instruments are needed to perform the piece. The number in parentheses after the title is the duration of the work. For example, the Bizet is 18 minutes long if played at the composer’s indicated tempo, and the movements are 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 4 minutes and 5 minutes in order.
The numbers underneath are the instrumentation. Winds are first. For the Mussorgsky, you have 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets and 3 bassoons.
Next are the brass: 4 (french) horns, 2 trumpets + 2 auxiliary, 3 trombones and 1 tuba.
You have the standard timpani plus 4 extra instruments (check the score to see what those are; could be triangle, gong, bass drum, etc.).
You have harp and the usual strings (violin, viola, cello and bass). At the end it has “percussion to be determined.”
I’m with Briggsie, you certainly can do them all in one day if you have time. I usually change the wires first because they’re the least fun (for me) although they do hold their pitch sooner than other strings. When changing wires, be sure you give each wire at least an octave (preferably an octave and a half) of slack because they don’t stretch like other kinds of strings do. Otherwise you won’t have enough length to get enough windings around the tuning pin and when you try to bring it up to pitch, it’ll break.
As for the rest, it doesn’t matter whether you start at top or bottom. As you change each string, tune it up to pitch and retune every other new string, too, just as Briggsie suggested.
String changing time is a good time to gently dust each lever with a soft little brush before installing the new string.
New strings in the 1st and 2nd octave often come with enough length for two or three uses. For the longer 3rd, 4th and 5th octaves, consider saving the old string if it isn’t too worn, along with its anchoring string tie. Put each one in the packet that held the new string and keep them in a box marked “used,” so you’ll have an emergency backup for temporary use. (I don’t recommend saving old wires; they sound really dull and they’re generally too short to re-use after you take them off, although I know some who have done it.) It is ideal to keep a complete set of new strings on hand if you can afford it. (If not, ask for them for Christmas or your birthday!) Keep them safe from temperature and humidity extremes, just as you do your harp.
I could be wrong on this (often am) but I don’t think any of Harpo’s arrangements have been published with the exception of a piece he wrote titled “Guardian Angel.” Carrol McLaughlin has recorded some of Harpo’s arrangements in cooperation with Bill Marx; she may be the only person authorized to do so.
You may be surprised to know that the company that rents the scripts and music to produce “Animal Crackers” (it was a stage show before it was a movie) will not rent the harp music for Harpo’s solo in the show. They will rent a recording of it so a harpist or someone pretending to play the harp can mime along to the music.
If you want to play as Harpo did, your best bet may be to find a written arrangement of the piece and put your own embellishments into it. Improvisation can be a great learning experience.
