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I played the flute, percussion and piano for several years before I switched to
the harp at age 17. I played the harp in orchestra after one week. Granted, I
just covered the top line, but, with all my previous experience, I knew how to
count bars, stay in rhythm and stay in tune, so basically I didn’t cause a train
wreck. As soon as you can get through a part without too much trouble, get in
there! I was a regular harpist in community orchestras after one year, a soloist
after three years, and a professional orchestra harpist after five years. You
can do it.
Actually, I am a harp teacher, and my students range from nine years old to
60. My name is Elizabeth Volp?. I always throw in theory as part of the lesson,
because it is so important for harpists to understand what harmonies they are
playing. Without an understanding of keys and modulations and modes, it is
nearly impossible to make musical sense of your pieces, and it is also much
harder to memorize. There are excellent theory books by Mark Sarnecki.There is a lovely Sonata in E flat major by JS Bach for flute and piano
(harpsichord?) accompaniment. The middle movement works perfectly for
harp, and the rest of the piece works well with some little adaptations.I started the harp at 17, and got jobs almost immediately. I have had a job with
a professional symphony orchestra for 21 years now and they haven’t fired
me yet! Sure, it’s a struggle at first, but practise intelligently and efficiently and
you’ll get there. Word of warning: don’t be tempted to practise for hours
without stopping. Take lots of breaks or you WILL get tendinitis.I played at two very traditional Catholic weddings this summer. I thought that
the Communion was over when the last person went back to his seat, so I
stopped playing the Bach Ave Maria, then I realized the priest was still wiping
off the cup and doing his own communion! It took a few more minutes and I
was really embarrassed.
The other one was even more traditional, and the priest was very concerned
that the music be appropriate. I hadn’t been told what was okay or what
wasn’t, so I played lots of Bach and Mozart and other obscure classical
composers, and they seemed happy. Of course, Bach was Protestant and
Mozart was a Freemason, and the other composers were probably
outrageous reprobates, but the music was lovely.I would like to recommend a book that every orchestral harpist and composer
should read. It is by Beatrice Schroeder Rose, and it has all kinds of great
advice and excellent solutions to problems in the repertoire. It is called “The
Harp in the Orchestra”. I have seen other excerpt books, and they do not
compare with this one.
I think it would be very hard on the back to keep the feet on the pedals at all
times. Think of the strain in a three-hour opera! I have found, over the years,
that dragging your feet around the pedals with your heels on the floor results
in a lot of noise. Playing pedally sections in a pianissimo or in a recording
session requires any creative solution you can come up with to avoid pedal
noise. I “tip-toe”, or just remove my shoes entirely. The size of your feet makes
a difference, too. As far as I know, this rule of keeping the heels on the floor
originated with Salzedo, a man, playing in flat, quiet shoes.
My name is Elizabeth Volp?, and I have been teaching harp for about thirty
years. I have been Principal Harpist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
since 1982, and I studied with Judy Loman, Alice Chalifoux and Edna Phillips.
I emphasize relaxed hands and creative problem-solving techniques,
particularly with regard to fingerings in awkward orchestral parts.
