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Hey Reyesarpa,
Interesting topic.What video do you use? How much emphasis does it put on fingers as opposed to the rest of the body?
I personally do not warm up although I will flex my fingers and wrists a few times. However, I typically do not do hour-long practice sessions but will sit at the harp for 5 to 20mn depending on my practice (but I will practice multiple times a day so that adds ups, without me getting bored). Adding time for warmup would take time away from playing.
Then again, I am being mindful of posture, and tension in fingers, arms and back, while playing ; I think most people would, and it helps detect problems and injuries before they occur.Would you warm up differently in playing on pedal harp or on celtic? Since the string tension is different, one might need more stretching beforehand.
And professionals would develop natural tensions the same way I get natural neck tensions by being on the computer all day! Always good to do some sports.At the bottom of the page, you should be able to create a new topic, kind of like a new answer on this page (there’s “topic title”, then a box for your post).
Indeed, a more mobile harp will be a good idea if you want to move it a lot to play with friends!
(Harp teachers generally make you play with their own harp in their classroom although you should be able to bring your harp if you prefer).The only choice that matters is your own. If I had listened to general advice I would not be playing on a double-strung!
Simply be aware that you might be so in love with the harp that you might want to buy a second one in a few years 😉 and that’s a good thing!
@ Sarva : well, it’s true that the standard recommendation is to have a 34-strings harp. All of the scores, and recommandations, etc, are made with these harps in mind.
As for what I meant with “minor adaptations” : the first few songs I learned could be played as such on the Bardic, they were “complete” with 27 strings. No need to change the score in any way.
This keeping in mind that my teacher, being used to adult students, gives us rather advanced scores from the get-go : no “happy birthday” or “twinkle twinkle little star” for me, songs that would enchant a 5-10 year old (and their parents!)… I played songs I could adapt and sing with. And the Bardic was fine for that, notably because it goes down to the octave-below-middle-C.After that, I had scores that sounder better with a 34 string harp that my teacher rented : especially one with a lot of arpeggios, that sounds “tinkly” when played on a smaller harp, but that resonated deep with the bass strings of the 34-strings Camac Mélusine.
Now, are these arpeggios Celtic? Arguably**, no.
I think this is the point you are trying to make, Biagio.Some songs for beginners one will have to adapt to the Bardic : for example, I very often find that beginner score have only 1-5-8’s (or chord) on the left hand. And these are meant for two octaves below middle C.
On the Bardic, just moving up one octave will solve that. But some conservative teachers might not like that, and some books might not be written with this in mind.
(Having a double-strung harp solved all of the “compatibility” problems, such as needing to play the same note with the left and the right hand.)The bigger question is not “is a 27-string harp a lesser harp than a 34-string one?”, because that is not the case. But the question is rather “for a beginner, will the expectations of teaching resources be that you are playing a bigger harp? And, because of this, will the first few years of learning the harp be more difficult?” : and the answer is that people will expect a student to start on a 34-string. But in the end (and this is my opinion) I don’t think having a smaller harp is going to be a big of a deal!
And that is what matters for Salva.———
Another question concerns the report of humans with deeper sounds. Middle-C is close to the female voice, one octave below closer to the male voice, two octave below allow for accompaniment that don’t overwhelm the ear…
Many celtic harpists I know tell me they are in love with those deep bass strings and would not consider playing on a smaller harp because of that. With the double-strung, I found I did not miss it at all.
But that is yet another question! Im mentioning it here in order to open up the debate, not to juge people’s preferences.———
** As for arpeggios question and what is “truly celtic”, I’m also using this post to open up a friendly discussion 🙂The song I learned with arpeggios is the Kantik Ar Baradoz (or Canticle for Paradise, in Breton language), composed and interpreted by Dominig Bouchaud. He’s a Breton harpist that contributed and still contributes to the Breton and Celtic harp revival, alongside Alan Stivell and others.
This song is a funeral song, and he chose to compose song with 3 variations on the same theme. The last variation (starting at 1mn 43) uses arpeggios. I don’t think that this composer can be accused of not being celtic enough, seing as he represents the Celtic Revival… What do you think?
———
Lots of questions here! Salva, definitely keep us informed of your questions and evolutions. My final recommendation is that before buying the harp, you go play it (and a few others) in the shop, to get the feel of it.
Hello Sarva!
I actually started on the bardic, so I can perhaps answer these questions.
First, depending on where you are in Spain, you can be rather close to France ; and we in France definitely have a big second-hand market for harps! 1500€ is enough to get a good Camac 34-string harp, if you really wanted one. On websites such as Le Bon Coin, where individuals resell things, I can already see 3 harps under 1000$ in the southern regions. Of course, you would have to practice due diligence and know what to look for in harps.
At the moment, there’s the Festival International de Harpe Celtique in Dinan (Brittany) going on ; this weekend, there will be a lot of harp-makers. (But if you’re 12h from Galicia, then you must be in the far south)As for the bardic I played, it was rented to me by my teacher. Like others have said, she didn’t want me staying too long with it for fear of a bad posture ; but it’s a wonderful little harp, with a beautiful sound.
You can also learn to play with only 27 strings ; most people tend to go with 34 or 36 after all (I chose a double-strung, so it’s a 2×26 = 42 strings for me!).I can’t say my posture is bad : the Bardic, of course, has feet which bring it up to the same size as any 34 strings harp would be. Now that I’ve gone on to the double-strung, I proactively ask for correction on my posture but my teacher can’t find any. So as long as one is mindful of this problem and sits at the small harp (rather than have it in a harness) I don’t think this is a big a problem as it seems. No one is playing these small harp by tipping them precariously on the edge of a seat… And they’re sturdy enough that they don’t wobble on the sides.
The quality of the instrument is good ; yes, most of the repertoire is made for larger harps but it’s possible to play for a few years on a 27 strings with minimal arrangements. For a first harp, I thing the Bardic is a safe choice ; for a first and last harp though, you might want to save a bit more.
Most people I know have developed their taste for different models after a few years of playing, and it is the ultimate “troubadour” harp so it’s a good investment.As for choosing a Camac Bardic over a small harp-maker’s one, I would say it depends on the trust that builds between the buyer and the maker.
Hello, RedHarpist!
I’m like you, I work in a rather intense setting. I’ve always loved listening to the harp and it definitely helps me focus during work.
My first full-time job gave me enough pocket money to invest in harp lessons, and later on, a harp!But I was extremely clear from the start : this is a hobby in the full sense of the word. Much as I would love to be instantly a great musician, I cannot afford having yet another part of my life that might bring me stress. Instead, it should always be pleasurable. I love the phrase “My harp is my happy place”! 🙂
Now, I insisted on this point a few times with my harp teacher, who’s fully on board. I’m always worried that I’ll come across as insensitive : after all, she’s dedicated her life to the instrument, both by playing it and teaching it, through the fun and the dreary. But she knows the kind of stress that can come with the type of work I do and we’ve agreed to have a very flexible arrangement for setting up classes and regarding my practice.
The “flexibility” part is enhanced by the fact that I can be away from home 80% of the time, and on average I won’t be sleeping in my bed maybe 40% to 50% of the time in the past few years. So I actually really don’t have the 9-5 life and the opportunity to practice the harp for X minutes every day. Investing in a small double-strung harp has enabled me to take it with sometimes, which I would never have done with a 34 strings harp (or bigger).
I realise that most people on this forum would be horrified at such a casual/cavalier approach to harp-playing, but it works for me. Most people don’t understand me not being home either, so this is a case of “whatever works best”.
This actually has an impact on the repertoire as well : my teacher will set pieces that are harder than my level, which I’ll practice little by little whenever I can. And I’ll fool around and compose on my own as well ; so my playing level will seem a bit random, which I love.
To be precise, I came to the harp wanting to play celtic and medieval music, not classical : again, I believe that my cavalier way of practicing would not be suited to learning long pieces of “art music”. (In French, we contrast musique savante, “learned/academic music” with musique populaire or folksy, popular music. Much as I like listening to the former, I’d much rather play the later).I’m always fascinated to read testimonies of freelance harpists btw… Maybe we have something in common after all
Thank you for sharing infos about this book as well!
Looking forward to see you on your journey to the double-strung, and sharing experiences
Hello Wil-Weten! I’ve bought Sylvia Wood’s book (PDF version, great stuff), and going though it little by little. I guess I haven’t reached that passage yet! I was thinking of going through it a little more before giving a review. Thank you so much for the the reference…
Concerning Bruner’s book, I’m very interested in it as well. The only trouble is, I can’t find it in PDF (online version) like Sylvia Wood’s. Shipping costs to France are almost double that of the book… And it’s not available on the website Book Depository, I could have used these free shipping fees 🙂
So I was thinking of finishing Wood’s book first, then checking out means of getting that book.Thank you for your explanation anyhow, makes things much clearer!
Folk tunes depend heavily on I-IV-V harmony, with the occasional II, III, and VI chords. Once you get into it, or have someone show you how, even from a book, you should be OK.
Me again!
I’ve heard about these arrangements, but I still don’t understand what one means by “II ou VI chords”. Is it a third? (ej C and E)? Any teacher here that would be willing to give a quick explanation of what this implies and how to compose?Hello Anna Grace,
I saw in another post that you were looking at getting a double-strung.
What I can say about the books I do own : Laurie Riley and Beth Kollé’s books, Double-Strung harp for Beginners & The double-strung harp :Double-Strung harp for Beginners :
The Beginner’s book assumes that you’re a beginner at the harp, but know a little about reading music. Full book is 130p (PDF version).After introductions, there are about 50 pages dedicated to exercices : arpeggios, unison, rolled chords, and other double-strung exercices.
The rest of the books has tunes, that are sometimes divided in different versions themselves. for example :
The chanter’s tune
– hands in unison, traditional
– creative echoing
– syncopated left handThe double-strung harp (= “middle” version, I haven’t bought the advanced book yet).
After 10 or so pages introducing the double-strung and the style, the rest is entirely dedicated to tunes, sometimes with 2 version in C major and E major.
My opinion on these books:
They are fine books, clearly written ; and the fact that these are adaptations specifically for the double-strung is really nice.
What slows me down a little is simply the fact that it is a book and I work better by ear :for the more traditional tunes, I can check YouTube for versions of what it’s supposed to sound like, and then understand. But a few of the songs are compositions by Laurie and Beth, and I haven’t taken a jab at those yet because of that.
This, however, is not the fault of the books. It just reflects my learning style. Even when my teacher gives me a score to look at, I prefer to film her and work with the video while using the score as support. (Furthermore, at the moment, I’m focusing more on learning how to adapt simple tunes to the harp, than learning songs).At the time of the writing of these books, not all of their songs had been put into CDs ; and there doesn’t seem to be a CD that would cover all of the tunes (one would have to buy various ones to find each tunes).
I’ll add that I’ve contacted Laurie Riley herself about other works of hers and she was lovely, answering me straight away and seeing what she could do to help me. I’m sure she would be very helpful to anyone who had questions about the books.
Don’t hesitate if you have any questions!
How about billing the composer for the transcription on the harp? If you frame it as reselling him his music so that he can give it to any other harpist, the composer might be interested.
Provided, of course, that it doesn’t come from a place where you say “this harp part is ****, it’s insane” but more of a “it’s great that you’re writing something for the harp but it cannot be played as it is. I’m willing to work [X] hours on it and the piece will be reusable”.
I’m neither a classical harpist nor a composer, but it seems to me that by simplifying things (even when not telling the composer), you’re already working for him and not being valued.
