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This decision depends on several factors: amount of money you have to spend, amount of time you have to practice, the type of music you love, and the amount of space you have in your home. Pedal harps are the largest and most expensive to buy and maintain, but they are the only choice if you want to play all the classic repertoire written for that instrument. Large lever harps can accomodate some of that repertoire, with modifications, and are considerably less expensive. There are all sorts of sizes and shapes of lever harps, and many excellent makers out there. This type is probably the most commonly found and taught. The disadvantage is that you have to flip the levers with your left hand. This makes some pieces impossible to play, if there are too many accidentals. The triple- and double-strung harps are ideally suited to early music and folk music, but they require a completely different technique than the single-strung harps. Their advantage is that you can play in any key without lever changes, and the sound is way cool!! I find it hard to focus on all those strings, but that’s just me. Wire-strung harps are played with the fingernails, so therefore require yet a different technique.
I have experienced this myself, and you’re right. If you’ve got a copy, then the lesson isn’t thrown out the window. But be careful they don’t scoop up your copy by mistake and take it home!
When you’re playing chamber music, you have to be able to play it at the correct tempo, so
it’s always good to check with the other musicians to make sure that you are all in
agreement about the tempi of each movement. If you cannot play it up to speed, then they
all have to agree to play more slowly, or choose an easier piece.
One thing my mother always told me: never wear white to a wedding unless you’re the
bride. I only wear formal pants with a fancy blouse if it’s an afternoon or (shudder)
morning concert. Otherwise, I choose dresses or skirts. I have discovered that certain cuts
of skirts do not work at all for pedal harps. When purchasing a skirt, always sit down in the
dressing room and see if the skirt falls all over your feet. Tiered skirts, which are so
fashionable right now, are great for staying out of the way of the pedals when you sit
down. I also hate to wear black because I have to wear it all the time at orchestra.Good point, Carl, and excellent suggestion! I always keep my harps in tune, to set a good
example. (Besides, if I didn’t, the intonation would drive me mad.) The really young
students often expect their parents to tune the harp, so I make sure all new students buy
an electronic tuner, and I teach the parents and the students how to read it. If they’re still
having trouble tuning, I will either make a house call if the harp is unwieldly to transport,
or have them bring the harp to the lesson. I find that, if they tune the harp regularly, most
people’s ears get used to hearing the harp in tune, and then they don’t need to rely on the
elctronic gizmo so much.
I agree with Saul to put the ornaments ahead of the beat, as written. As for the octave
stretch going into bars 6, 7 and 8, have her try the third finger instead of the second on
the last eighth note. That would make less of a stretch. The sliding ornament in bar 12 can
be made easier by taking that E in the left hand, and does not have to be slid. It could be
done as 3,1,2. The ornaments on bars 18 and 19 can be made easier by placing fingers 2
and 3 on E and G at the same time as you place the A before them. The slide works well
there, but if the student really doesn’t feel comfortable with it, she could come off on the
2nd finger instead, then hop to the thumb and third finger on the next chord.You could
also use an E# enharmonic for the second F in that figure, but it means changing the pedal
back and forth. An E# can be used to make a shorter stretch in the bar with the fermata on
the bottom line of the same page.
Make sure you don’t overload the student with too much information all at once. Write
down every important point in a workbook that they must bring to the lesson every week.
Make sure they READ the workbook (they can sign it, or you can ask them questions from
it, etc.). Teach technique and practical theory at each lesson, along with some pretty
pieces as a reward. If the pieces are too dull or ugly, the student is not going to be
inspired. Make sure they buy some good harp CD’s and go to good concerts so that they
get a sense of what they are working towards. Teach them how to practice effectively.
Make sure their hands are always relaxed and they don’t stop breathing when they play.
Give them performing opportunities when they are ready, but teach them how to prepare
for a performance, so that their pieces are reliable even under stress. Keep a binder for
your teaching. In it, keep track of what each student is working on, who you’ve loaned
your music to, what parts they are playing in ensembles, if they have paid in advance, etc.
Always be tactful. Don’t be a doormat, but don’t browbeat or terrify students. Music is
supposed to be joyous. Have fun teaching! You’ll find you learn from them as much as
they learn from you.If you do come to Vancouver, BC, give me a call if you want to work particularly on
orchestral repertoire. I also have some great fingerings for Ravel’s Introduction et Allegro
and Debussy’s Danses Sacr?e et Profane. I have also just finished work on the Fran?aix
Quintet #2, which is a wonderful piece; very chromatic in places, but, once edited
enharmonically, quite enjoyable. I am from the “Salzedo” school, but I also do not try to
change someone’s technique unless it is getting in their way. In fact, I have adapted my
own since I stopped studying, so there are elements of both schools in it.I had a student with the same problem. Sometimes we just had to do a little editing, but
most times she just had to place what she could and then put the last finger on as soon as
she played the first finger. For solid chords, sometimes we took out one of the middle
notes, or re-voiced the chord. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than getting an injury. This
student became a superb harpist and musician, and nobody ever knew or cared how she
overcame the tiny hands.
I agree with all of the above. It only matters if they make enough of an effort to show some
improvement at each lesson. And it’s not about the number of minutes they put in! It’s the
focus they bring to those minutes, and the ability to reach their goals. Most students are
not going to become professionals. Music is a very tough and demanding calling,
requiring total dedication. I have met too many musicians who feel like chipmunks on a
wheel, because they were pressured into choosing music as a career. I do feel a little
disappointment when a very talented student decides to go into a different profession, but
they will always be able to play for relaxation, or perform for their friends, or even go pro
a few years later.
Judy Loman taught me this: relax your hands completely in between each note or chord, at
a very slow tempo. Develop this habit of relaxing between every note, and, as you speed
up gradually, your muscles will remember how this feels. Do not tighten up as your speed
increases. Breathe deeply as you play, and be careful not to clench your jaw. Also, never
practice for more than an hour at a time, to avoid injury.Get in touch with the Boston Symphony harpist, Ann Hobson-Pilot. She must have lots of
students who are looking for this kind of work. And, even if the wedding itself is only an
hour, the harpist has to get there early enough to unload the harp, chair and music stand,
park the car, get the harp, into position, and then tune it. Count on a minimum of two
hours of her/his time, plus cartage fees. The harpist may also need assistance moving all
the equipment.
It’s definitely fraud. It’s good you got suspicious! I have been getting several of these every
week for months. Nobody pays for weeks in advance, and nobody wants that many hours
of lessons per week for a beginner. Usually the grammar in these letters is atrocious, but
not always. Don’t respond. If it’s a real student, they would want to come for one lesson
first, to see how you were as a teacher.
I just bought a book called “The Practice Revolution” by Philip Johnston. It is available at
http://www.practicespot.com. It was suggested by Rosalind Beck in a different thread on this web
site. It is EXCELLENT and will help students and teachers alike.
I love students who are enthusiastic about learning. They are the ones who really take your
instructions to heart and show steady progress. When you give them a suggestion, their
eyes light up and they put it into practice with gusto. Of course, it’s always fun to teach
the talented ones who are natural musicians. But I enjoy a challenge if the student doesn’t
hit the ground running. Sometimes the ones who have to work the hardest end up as the
biggest successes. What they must have are: intelligence, self-discipline, passion, at least
SOME talent, respect for the teacher, and it’s nice if they have a sense of humour.
