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Elizabeth,
I am not a professional but I went through the same harp torture as you last year. I decided I wanted to part company with my 35 year old harp. I discovered in looking at used harps that if you have a problem – soundboard, neck, reriveting etc. that you are talking $3k and up plus shipping for a repair. I know I am meticulous about maintaining my harp and keeping it climate controlled, but you can’t be sure if someone else is. Is there any way a harp tech can inspect the harp? If you know the name of the tech who has taken care of the harp, he/she can give you a report on its condition. I know one person called the harp tech to find out about the condition of the harp I sold.
I ended up buying a new Salvi Apollo which I love (and are on sale right now). I am glad I went new. But if I were playing outdoor weddings or situations that would beat up the harp, I would buy used. And I would consider used if the harp was priced right to account for possible repairs.
After the Patron X incident in which an Iphone alarm kept ringing during a Wagner performance by the NY Philharmonic Orchestra at the Lincoln Center, I keep my cell phone in the car whenever I go to any performance. I just played at an Easter cantata and one of the chorus member’s cell phone rang during the performance…fortunately during a loud section. Hmmm, don’t know if it was a man or woman.
Carlin,
If you have one string that doesn’t produce harmonics and the others are all right, it is safe to assume you should change that string. My harp is less than a year old and I had one “bad” string which I changed.
I would presume you can play good harmonics on your teacher’s harp because you have learned to do so during your lessons. I think if you slow down and work on your harmonics on your harp that in time you will play them well. As you practice and your harp breaks in, I think you will notice a big change for the better. When I practice a piece with harmonics, I play all the harmonics separately (including any pedal changes). It will make learning the rest of the piece easier in the long run.
Carlin,
I saw in your other post that you own a Salvi Daphne and Iris. I cannot imagine not getting good harmonics out of either harp. When did you last change your strings? Are you using gut or nylon on the strings that don’t produce good harmonics? Maybe Carl Swason or others who work on harps could answer whether having a harp regulation makes a difference.
You may want to experiment with your touch. On my Salvi, I find I need to press harder in the upper registers and much more lightly – barely touching – when I do a harmonic with my left hand. I would suggest going slowly string by string and figure out how to produce a clear harmonic. Once you have the sound, practice it over and over until the harmonic becomes automatic.
I appreciate the comments, too. I have been playing with a guitarist and he wants to post on youtube. I hope others will continue this thread.
Please keep everyone posted about your student’s progress. It will be interesting to see what works and what you need to tweak for your student to learn to read music.
Put 8 fingers on the harp where the chord is played (except the top note in the right hand). Play the rolled chord very quickly. Practice a few times. Use the metronome to get the beat. Then when you master that, take the left hand and quickly play the top note of the right hand chord. It will work with some practice. The way the piece is written appears to call for a slower left hand and then speed up the right hand chord. But the technique is the same. You play the left hand, then right, then cross over.
Otherwise, play a more simple chord.
Shameless advertising or not, thank you for sharing your new composition. I loved hearing it, and to follow the music is an added bonus. I may have never heard it if you hadn’t taken the time to post on Harp Column.
You may want to contact some of the harp music vendors to carry your music. Vanderbilt Music (www.vanderbiltmusic.com), and Lyra Music are two businesses that specialize in publishing harp music. Melody Folk Harp (www.folkharp.com) and Lyon-Healy (www.harp.com) are other businesses that sell harp music.
I have recently discovered a website for self-publishing called Score Exchange (www.scoreexhange.com)
I have not seen this specific piece. However, when you see a chord written this way, you play the first 4 notes with left hand, the next four with the right and then cross over with the left to play the top note with the left index finger.
Do you sit on a hard surface? I use a memory foam pillow (one that has very dense foam) on my bench. I put it in a black pillow case to match the bench. My bench is padded but the pillow really makes it much more comfortable to practice.
You may also want to try raising the height of your bench. I tend to twist and turn if it’s too low.
I think when you see yourself filmed as Alison suggested, you will figure out what you are doing to cause your problem.
Laura, you might want to reconsider the topic of your research paper. Personally, I would write how harp technique has evolved along with harps. Clearly, the two methods, Salzedo and Grandjany (correct me if this should be called “French”) methods would not have been developed nor stayed around to be taught for 100 years if they didn’t work for harpists. Both methods are based on ergonomics. I would have to say I prefer the Salzedo method – but that is not based in fact. It’s just the way I was taught. I think most people stick with what they learn and know and feel comfortable.
Lyn,
Re-read what I wrote. I did not start playing harp until I was 19 so I did start playing later. Even so, who was I to know about different teaching methods? Particularly when this was pre-internet days. Like you, I was lucky to find an instructor at all.
I doubt beginning harpists ask themselves if they should learn Salzedo technique or Grandjany. I would be willing to bet their mothers found a harp teacher and that is why the harpist uses a certain technique. The instructor I had when I started to play in college taught the Salzedo method. I had no idea there was any other way – of course, this was pre-internet, etc. Anyhow, it worked for me. If you go through earlier Harp Column posts or do a keyword search on the internet, you will find this is a much-discussed topic.
One other thought in regards to Sylvia’s first post about tailoring her music to the audience. I test my pieces (or different versions of a selection) on my husband and a couple friends before I really work on them. Sometimes, I think I am in love with a piece, and it gets a thumbs down:( Ask your friends, family etc. for suggestions, too. Love Sylvia’s analogy about seeing yourself in the mirror vs. what someone tells you.
Also, check out Frank Voltz’s celestial collection pieces. They are not difficult, are playable on lever/pedal harp, and sound great for any occaison. He has sound clips, sheet music, and a CD available at http://www.frankvoltz.com.
Have fun getting your repetoire together. It will really improve your harp playing and enjoyment.
There are endless background songs. What to play depends on your level of playing and what you think your audience will like. I find going to youtube very helpful. I type in song names followed by “harp” and listen to various arrangements. Many harpists give the information about the music so you can then purchase it. I find http://www.folkharp.com and http://www.harpconnection.com very useful because these sites show a sample page of the music.
I think the most important thing is to have a few pieces you can play well and then one by one, add a new piece. Your music does not need to be complicated to sound good. It needs to be played well. What I have noticed watching youtube is how choppy and uneven the playing is on so many videos. I find myself being much more aware of that in my playing. I am constantly asking my husband if I played a piece evenly.
IHMO, the BEST harpist for pop/jazz/standards is Jan Jennings. Her recordings are masterful and worth getting. You would learn a lot from hearing her play. Her website is http://www.harpbiz.com. BTW, in a recent Harp Column article, Jan listed her top 10 requests.
