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Hi Kay
During the first year and a half of learning, I was told more than once to stop trying to perform during my practise. I was just playing through the whole thing every time, always pushing forward. Which is why although I was quick, I lacked the detailed technique. It took my father to sit with me and insist that I care about the detail and play every note really slowly, never going past a few bars in any one session. Since then, I do practise very slowly, thinking about the finger placement, the pressure on the string, the pull and the tone. I play a part over and over and over again and force myself not to move on until it’s at least 70% there. I just didn’t think I needed to do this before, now I realise just how important it is, if you really want to play well. I learn to play a lot quicker now and with better technique. I had better do anyway, as I have just been given the whole Handel concerto in B flat to play in front of a paying audience at the end of Oct. Gulp!
Niina
Well, I like bits of the new site and other bits I’m not sure about. I like the more modern design. I don’t understand the Musicstand tag, which just shows that Hester is following so and so. As for the pieces tag, I,m not sure of the purpose of that yet. I would have liked a section where we can can see the uploads of member’s playing some tunes, like a Youtube just for Harpists. At least you wouldn’t get filthy, nasty comments on there as you often do on Youtube. And Harpists could share tips or just visually. I like the people section, or will when it’s a bit fuller. The forum section is pretty much the same as on here, and I get the blog section; for those who want to say a little more than just comment on a forum. I do though hope that other Harpists from around the World join the new site, and that stories, events and ‘featured news’ can be about Harping and Harpist from around the World. I think the most annoying thing at the moment are the many broken links. I’ve had to sign off several times and then back on to get rid of those pesky (American word) error pages, which once they come, they come in floods. But I’m sure this is just teething problems. All in all, it’s okay, but perhaps drop the pieces section in favour of something we can all join in. I don’t see this gathering many fans.
Hi Sherri
The tension on a Paraguayan Arpa on the upper notes is about 15-20% less than on a Clarsach or 30% less than a Concert Harp (that’s my guess). The lower you go down the ‘floppier’ they get because as you say the player needs the resonating bass notes. Then the strings are less than half the tension of a Clarsach or Concert Harp. There are several reasons why Mika’s Arpa sounds brighter; because she’s in a studio setting and uses really good quality pick ups, and she often plays higher up on the strings to give a slightly more guitar sounding to the Arpa.
There can be quite a difference in one persons Arpa that is for example tuned in F major and another persons. This is because on a concert Harp the slightest turn can make a difference to the tuning, whereas on an Arpa, you can turn the strings 2,3 or four times and the needle on the tuner hardly moves at all. So one persons B flat might have a different tension to another’s. For a person who is used to a Concert or Clarsach, tuning a Paraguayan Arpa can be very confusing at first, since the red is an F and the B flat is where a C should be and the blue is a C etc etc lol. Paraguayan Arpa players read their music in a different way to us (those that do read music, most don’t), it’s almost like learning another language. For me, the worst thing is always having to put on and take off my false nails to play it then switch to the concert harp which I must play every day. My nails are in a terrible state.
The great thing about Arpas is that you can play modern pop music, easy listening and traditional music on them. I took 6 lessons 2 years ago in Japan but couldn’t get any more because there are ZERO teachers over here in the UK, so I’ve had to do it myself. Here is a tune I arranged by a modern pop singer I recently uploaded.
http://www.youtube.com/user/lizlops007?feature=mheeHi Aaron
I bought one from Gustavo at Paraguayan Harps.com (along with 3 Arpas, and one from Mika Agematsu’s father. There are plenty online but only a few on English sites. Here is a video of Mika using two at once.
Niina
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqcMfCFVY6gThat’s what I call thinking ahead!! I have my auditions this Dec and have only this week (July 5th) decided which pieces I am going to play: Naderman’s Sonatina No. 6, Hasselmans’ La Source and Godefroid’s Etude de Concert.
I had better get cracking.The first thing I would do is see how many harps are in the Harp dept at Guildhall. Then find out at what time does the dept /College close. The RCM now close at midnight to allow Harpists to practise longer.
If Guildhall close early, and you need a harp at your lodgings to practise I think Geraldine McMahon at Affairs of the Harp might be the best bet for renting, as Holywell don’t rent Concert Harps and Morley are very expensive. You should be able to get one via Affairs of the Harp for about £100-120 per month although most might not be new or in tip top condition. Bringing yours over from France would be an option, but unless you have two harps; one to keep at home on holidays, you would have to make the trip about 8 times a year. And that could be much more than hiring one here.
Good luck
Niina
This is how I do it. We have an estate car (5 door) where the back door opens upwards.
Open the car’s back door. Always keeping one hand on the Harp in case of strong winds. Place the Harp about 1.5 meters away from the car, allowing room not to hit the back door above you when dropping the harp down. Make sure there are plenty of blankets and cushions in the car for support and padding. Get 3 or 4 cardboard rollers (the type you get in the centre of a roll of material, not too big. About 5-6cm diameter) and place them inside on the floor of the car, near the back edge. Lower the top end of the harp so that it rests about 30-40cm inside on the the rollers. Go around to the back of the Harp and lift up the base and push it in as it rolls on the rollers. Then pad and pack to your hearts content.If you have another passenger in the back, keep one back seat up for them, lowering the other two, and then lift the column edge of the Harp to a 45 degree angle and rest it on the side of the single seat with a cushion under it at the point of contact. Then pack all around. Your passenger can then put one hand on it for extra support.
Thanks Georgina.
You’re spot on with all your observations. I will ask my teacher to nail this down for me as soon as I get back to school. Sometimes I have so many pieces to play, I’m not clear what or when I’m playing.Niina
To be honest Saul, the pieces that I am supposed to be playing seem to change each week (not by my choice). So I’m not entirely clear what I’m playing, except for Nadermann Sonatine op 6 (first movement), that one is a requirement.
And I only have 6 months!! Bearing in mind I have only been playing for just over 3 years, it will be quite tough for me.
Niina
I’m going to audition with Trinity Laban with Gabriella Dall’Olio, the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. But now I’ve been told that I have to do Nadermann Sonatine op 6 (first movement) (Leduc Edition) not his no.7, so I had better get practising. Plus there is a 45-minute musicianship test. The auditions are in October and December.
I am doing auditions this Sept, and am probably playing Naderman: Prelude and Sonatina no. 7, Glinka: Variations on a Theme of Mozart, with Nocturne (which I started practicing last month) and then something else which I haven’t decided on yet. Maybe Firedance if it’s allowed.
Good luck with yours whatever you decide.Niina
I tend to get blisters quite often and how ever much I practice, they just seem to keep coming back! Im more vulnerable to blisters when my hands are cold or sweaty. The skin on my fingers feel thinner and more tender in these conditions so I always keep a flannel next to me while I play to keep my hands dry.
As others have said, I think its different for everyone as to how long it takes to harden your fingers. It took me just over a week when my fingers hardened for the first time after practising the harp, but that was because I wanted calluses to prove to my teacher that I practiced hard haha!Personally, I prefer the sound I make when I have calluses. I can play with more power and strength without hurting myself and that means I can practice for a longer period of time. When I feel a blister coming up, I usually just fight through it to get a good layer of hard skin afterwards, otherwise the blister will just go down and leave my skin soft again. I keep my calluses under control by using hand cream occasionally and massage them to stop ridges forming. If your hands are generally quite dry, then maybe keeping your hands blister-free is a good option but if you have sweaty hands like mine, having calluses might help the tone of your playing.
Niina
