Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Bach often does not sound good on the harp because his textures are so thick. A four or five-voice fugue is almost certain to be unplayable or unlistenable. There’s a reason there are very few fugues in the harp’s repertoire. Just Salzedo’s Fugue in his Variations took over a year for me to learn.
While some of the preludes are playable, few, if any, of the fugues are, and even if someone could do it, it would sound awful. If the experts did not already transcribe such familiar music, there is probably a good reason they did not. I think the Goldberg Variations sound awful on the harp, even if you slow it down to half-speed, no matter who plays it and how well. It’s not harp music.
You raise an interesting point. Harp music and piano music were at one time, basically the same thing, and Beethoven even complained that piano music wasn’t more idiomatic to the keyboard. But the harp had its own set of favorite patterns, even in the classical period.
There are many examples of pieces written for piano that are essentially harp pieces, sometimes titled so, but published for piano out of convenience, commercial interests, or laziness.
The harp was more popular until pianos became cheaply manufactured. The upstart piano has taken over the world, but it remains a poor substitute for a harp. It’s so much easier to play the piano, of course. At least you can put a vase of flowers on top of one, and store things underneath it. It makes good furniture.When buying a microphone for a harp, you need to consider the frequency range of the instrument and the mic, so that they match. Many mics will not pick up the bass, especially condenser mics. Vocal mics will capture a good sound, but not all of it. Directional or cardioid mics are better, I believe, as you do not want to pick up extraneous sounds. Recording the harp is different from any other instrument.
He should be with a teacher who will teach him good technique now. It is time for him to learn to play well. He is very musical and should have a strong foundation, and a small pedal harp. He is picking at the strings. Why have him need to unlearn his habits when he is older? A child should not make up their own way to play. If that is how his teacher plays, yikes.
I’m guessing a carbon-fiber harp could melt, and don’t let a wooden harp get too close or it could scorch or dry out and crack. It’s probably a bad idea. Someone might not like what you are playing and throw it in the fire or accidentally knock it in, or be tempted to put marshmallows between the strings. Definitely do not play after eating s’mores.
A 46-string harp is far superior to 44-string, if you can find the right size and price. I would not go with the 44 if you are not a child.
Flamenco shoes are a great suggestion, as they have “Cuban” height heels, and strong shanks which give you great leverage. You don’t want a suede sole on the pedals, regular leather, not fiberglass. Menkes makes beautiful suede-topped shoes, but make sure you don’t get fiberglass soles. You might want a higher heel, in which case, look at ballroom dance shoes, but ones with leather soles, not suede, if you can find them. Suede soles put the pressure on your toes when you pedal because they are so soft and flexible. You can really feel each pedal, but it’s harder to push and your foot has to be squarely centered on the pedal, no moving it with just the edge of your foot or toe. Cobblers can mess up shoes. I had a pair of loafers with the original stacked leather heel, and the cobbler ruined they when he removed the entire heel, rather than just replace the rubber sole. I think Flamenco shoes have a 1 1/2-inch heel, where a Cuban ballroom heel is two inches.
These harps have a pretty big sound, and by this age, it should be full-bodied in all registers. You would want to keep the sounding board, if you have it rebuilt at all. The string spacing may be a bit different.
It may be heavier, but it is also lighter than many other harps, and has usually got a big sound to compensate. If it was made in 1983, it is probably of good quality, though possibly not as good as more-recent harps. If it belongs to Jennifer Hoult, then it is a fine harp. That is about when they resumed making them, and there was quite a bit of variation in sound from one to another. The two I knew in that year were quite different from each other. It is possible it might need a new neck or re-riveting, but it is likely well put together, otherwise. It is well worth up to $16,000, considering possible repairs. If it is much less, it may be a bargain. But buying a harp from a photo is fairly risky unless it has been inspected.
I was just going to mention Lois Colin, but I know both of them. Alyssa was the first harpist (and only) to welcome me to New York.
It’s useful to have lever harps, but I do find them annoying to play, not as much because of the levers, but because they constantly rock and move about as I play.
The best books for exercises are LaRiviere and Salzedo/Lawrence Method, in my opinion, plus Salzedo’s Conditioning Exercises, which are truly comprehensive. I find the Italian etudes by Pozzoli useful for learning to play Italian music only. They do not develop strength in both hands, and emphasize Italianate melodic playing. The etudes are attractive and usable for background music.
I recommend writing out your music by hand and photocopying it, or using a professional copyist. Computer software is not as good and each brand has its liabilities. The old ways are the best.
I have a Brother multifunction printer which can do duplex (back-to-back) printing and large-format work. Unfortunately, in turns out that inkjet ink is far more expensive than paper, so it would have been better to stick with a laser-printer. However, I don’t know if there are any reasonable laser printers that have an 11×17 bed and duplexing.
I too am still using sibelius 5.25 and sticking with it as long as possible. I think the founders of it are scum. It looks better than finale, but it is still far from professional quality. Unfortunately, composing is not the same as copying. Professional publishers used Score, but I don’t know if they still do or not. Composing at the computer is not such a good idea. Better to use the harp or a piano.A hand-illustrated break-up card is just that, and does not make up for the loss of income. Treating the teacher as a freelancer to be easily discarded is, at the very least, rude, if not nasty. If you want to be considerate, have one more lesson, informing the teacher prior to it that it will be the last one. You have created an expectation of being able to come, which means having time set aside. A teacher does not deserve to be fired without notice. Would you like that as an illustrator?
My students pay in advance, that way my time is reserved and paid for.
