Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I played for a friend’s daughter’s full mass Catholic wedding that included unity candles. I was totally intimidated at first but l simply called the music director, introduced myself and asked to meet to go over the wedding music. The director graciously walked me through the 25 steps and I wrote them down one by one. I asked the length of time needed for each piece, found what I thought was appropriate and had her approve what I played. I always work with the church music director to avoid any surprises and to be respectful.
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly, arr. Becky and Ernie Brock.
Also, arr. by Kim Robertson and available for immediate download via Harp Column Music http://www.harpcolumnmusic.com.
Christmas Carols Vol. 4, Daniel Burton.
David, you always have entertaining anecdotes. Speaking of which – were you ever asked to play again in the megachurch Christmas extravaganza, the one with the tiger and music director from h——.
I would contact the composer directly via his website and explain your predicament. I am willing to bet he will get the harp part to you.
I would not add any more music. Take what you have learned and really polish the music until you own it. Play the notes smoothly and evenly. Make sure you do not buzz or make nail noise. Think about your phrasing and musicality. Play with confidence and keep going no matter what if you make a mistake.
I would consider printing up a cute holiday program. Leave one piece out to use as an encore. Or, cut and paste from your music to make a medley as an encore. You may want to give a little history about what you are playing and why you like it to stretch out your performance. Happy harp holiday!
Amazing to see how quickly Davy’s fine motor skills and coordination have matured. And, he is getting so tall! Nicely played.
Are you teaching yourself to use the pedals. If so, I would strongly recommend you have a harp teacher or harpist show you the correct way to use the pedals. If that is not possible, watch a lot of tutorials on YouTube. Josh Layne and Hannah White have excellent teaching clips. It is very important to learn to move your petals quietly and without banging the base or letting the pedals fly up. You may want to build your repertoire simply by using your existing lever harp music. Then you can focus on quiet, smooth pedal changes in places you would normally flip a lever.
I have two Christmas pieces to add:
Conté de Noel, Alphonse Hasselmans
Nutcracker Ballet Selections, Eleanor Fell (This is almost sightreadable for advanced harpists but still sounds full.)
I started the thread “showy Christmas solos” last year. Type that into the search box. When my post comes up, click on the thread name. All the posts will come up. I hope others will add to this list.
Do your harp students have any musical background when they start harp? Looking back, I think it was helpful I had seven years of piano before l started harp. There is enough multitasking with technique that l don’t know as a child that I could also process learning to read music etc., too. I do not teach, but l would only take a student who had a few years of piano first. You really, really, desperately want to learn harp to stick with the initial learning phase IMHO.
Harp playing is about flexibility and supple hands. The shoulders do most of the work. You are not grasping a bow or pressing fingers on the strings the way you do with a viola. One of the most important points l learned early on in harp lessons, is that if you have any pain or tension in your fingers, hands or forearms, it is due to technique that needs to be corrected immediately. What strings or harp you play won’t matter if you do not first learn to play correctly.
What is the difference in the old and new versions? I would presume the revised or new version is the one used?
When I decide to re-pursue my harp playing seriously, I traded in my harp for a new one and set about on a five year plan. So, at least make sure you have new strings on your harp and that it is regulated.
Secondly, the three most effective methods I found to get my hands in shape were: Music with downward arpeggios (The Little Fountain is great. So is Ambiance by Frank Voltz), Salzedo conditioning exercises, and doing Finger Fitness exercises on YouTube.
Thirdly, yoga will help immensely with overall conditioning.
Fourth, make sure your bench is high. Hips should be slightly above your knees.
Lastly, and most important to me in your situation is that technique seems to be the root of your hand problem. I would check out Anne Sullivan’s Harp Mastery courses and perhaps have some online coaching with her. If your hands are the main issue, l would first start with some private Skype lessons with Alice Giles about sitting and hand position. Both of these harpists are superb instructors.
I am willing to bet your hand pain is caused by tension. Do you raise your arms and relax after you pluck a string? Do you play with your elbows up and relaxed in your shoulders? l would not try to self-teach until you know the same problem that stopped your playing will not reoccur – which means get some coaching first.
I presented the question to guild tech Joe Urban about putting new strings on prior to regulation. Here is his reply:
“Strings don’t need to be changed before regulation unless they’re worn/frayed or false. However, nylons in the first octave should be changed 2-3 times a year, based on use. It’s a good idea to change them a couple weeks prior to regulation. Just run a fingernail where the disc pin touches them. If you feel a groove, it’s time.”
“Wires should be changed regularly every year or two, depending on use. This not only makes the entire range of the harp sound better, but also prolongs the life of the soundboard, as old wires need more tension to stay on pitch.”
Ok, there you have it. But, this does not address the initial question about who would pay for the strings and regulation on a rental harp.
