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I think we are misunderstanding each other then.
If you teacher was using music written on a regular staff with the tab under it, and improvising then the guitar tab is irrelevant. She was playing the same way one would play from a lead sheet.
Tab refers to the grid. That it is often published with the regular notation as well is great, but it isn’t always. I have quite a collection of tab gathered from various sources that have no standard notation included.
The original poster referred to a guitar chord chart, which is specifically the grid used to display the various ways to form a particular chord in its various forms (as a guitar player yourself you certainly know that most chords have numerous voicing with different fingerings that can be chosen from based on either the arrangers or the players preference).
I don’t mean to be argumentative so forgive me if I seem that way. I just want to clarify what I am referring to and why I stated that the original posters suggestion that we practice from guitar chord charts is useless to us.
Chords are chords, but guitar chords are written out on a matrix in a way that shows you how and where to place your fingers on the fretboard. Chord tab would be harder to translate than regular tab. It uses barres for guitar many chords are movable. There is no equivalent on the harp since they are to show you how to form your fingers on the guitar to play the chords and the guitar works in a completely different fashion
As for playing harp off guitar tab, if your teacher could play a melody by sight on harp off of guitar tab then she is a savant of some kind. Of course she also must have been familiar with the piece since guitar tab does not give any rhythm information. All it shows you is what strings to sound and at what fret to press the string on the guitar.
That is why many guitarists don’t even use them. If you don’t already know
Um… You do realize that this is a harp forum and that guitar chords and guitar tab are pretty much useless to harpists? The concepts don’t translate at all. Harpists can make good use of keyboard chord books, but not guitar. The matrix like interface of guitar is not very applicable to harp.
I think getting different perspectives from different books is always a good thing. I am very fond of the Sylvia Woods book. I think it is excellently written and the exercises in it are great.
I also recommend Sam Milligan’s Fun From the First Vol I and II. These were the books my teacher started me on when I first began studying the harp. Good photos of hand positions and nicely arranged music at a beginner level.
I think you need to differentiate between Veneer and Laminate.
Laminate is when you take several thin sheets of wood and glue them together under pressure and then make a soundboard out of that.
Veneer is when you make a soundboard out of one piece of wood and then cover it with a thin layer of another wood.
One is for strength the other is for appearance. Most pedal harps have a veneer. Look at the grain on the front vs. the back. Inside the grain runs horizontal, but on most pedal harps on the outside the grain runs vertical because the outside is a veneer.
As mentioned veneers can be used to hide the cracks that develop over time, or they can also be used to make the grain look nice. Considering
If I recall I was 19 when I started many years ago. I did feel a little apprehensive about letting people know at first, but what I found was that as soon as someone found out I played the harp their immediate reaction was, “cool!”
I have never received any negative attention because I was a male playing the harp. So definitely go for it and don’t let such things get in the way. I have had the privilege and honor to meet so many incredible male harpists over the years, and honestly I would have to say that among my favorite
I don’t know about degrees in Folk Music, but you can get a degree in Ethnomusicology, which is the study of the social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts. This typically includes the study of specific cultural styles of music include folk music (as well as things like Jazz).
I do think some schools have Folk Music degrees, Newcastle University in the UK I think had the first such program.
I grew up with folk music and play several instruments that fall under folk, including guitar, folk harp, bodhrán, various flutes, fife, tin whistle and recorder. The winds I learned in school. We learned a lot of local folk music in elementary school. Guitar and harp I took lessons, and although I didn’t specifically study folk on either I learned to easily use what I learned in the folk context. Bodhrán I am self taught.
Well, if it works for you then it works for you. Far be it from me to tell you not to.
I will say that I have never seen a trained harpist do it, and I can’t really imagine trying to do it that way. I find it not difficult at all to read and play with the music on the left, and if you position your music stand in the right spot and have proper positioning at the harp you don’t need to do any real dramatic twisting of the neck to look back and forth. Besides, eventually with enough practice you don’t need to look at the strings nearly as often as when you are just starting out.
Turning the pages is one of the reasons the stand is on the left. Also for many people looking through vibrating strings to try to read the notes is distracting to say the least.
If you are playing for your own enjoyment then do what ever works for you. I think you should be aware of when you are departing from the tried and true methods, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t depart. Just understand that you are.
Also remember that if you ever decide to take lessons in the future your teacher most likely will insist that
Keeping it near a window in cold weather is almost a sure fire way to break strings. Strings contract in the cold and unless you have super insulated double pain windows with inert gases between then almost certainly it will be colder near the window than away from it.
And as others point out, a cover doesn’t keep it warm. Also if you turn the heat down when not playing but up when you are then the constant temperature change will take its toll on the strings over time.
String age is definitely a factor but weather is most likely the main culprit.
I haven’t but I have been really wanting to check it out. I really like Kondonassis’ book. The exercises and warm ups are great and all the photos of hand position are excellent references.
When I read through the table of contents of this new book I found it very impressive. I am glad to hear that the reality of it is as good as the T.O.C. makes it look.
For the record I would be thrilled if Saul put out a book as well. The more references and options the better and from my experiences with Saul here I have no doubt any book he put out would be worth checking out.
Lovely harp. I went to a lecture on triple harp a few years ago by Cheryl Ann Fulton. She let me try her harp and I have to admit I could not play it. At least with my eyes open. Even playing a simple diatonic tune (I think I played Greensleeves) all those strings at different distances vibrating made me dizzy, literally. When I got up I almost fell down because it made my head spin.
My hat is off to anyone who can play one of these things. They are not for the faint of heart.
Education and learning isn’t always about getting a job or using it to make money. Learning is about appreciating the world we live in and finding satisfaction in our existence.
No learning is ever a waste.
I know people who have taken up the study of music in their 70’s. They certainly aren’t planning to start a new career, but they are seeking to enrich their lives through learning music. What better goal could we have to learn something other than to enrich our lives?
“Have you ever had to sleep in the afternoon so that you can go to your job at night?”
Yes. I used to work midnight to 8am and accepted that I was living on a schedule opposite of most people and that I couldn’t expect the rest of the world to change to accommodate me.
Did it wake me when my neighbor vacuumed at noon while I was trying to sleep? Sure. But I certainly didn’t expect her to vacuum at midnight when I went to work but everyone else was trying to sleep.
90% of the world sleeps at night and works or are at least awake during the day. When you live the opposite then you have to accept that when everyone else around you is awake they will be making more noise and you can’t expect people to tip toe around just because you are in bed during the day.
“trust me, if you like rap, you Will Not like classical or folk harp music.”
That is very prejudicial. Certainly no matter what kind of music there is someone who doesn’t like it. But the idea that someone who likes rap automatically doesn’t like classical is just wrong. My nephew likes rap and he PLAYS classical in his school band and loves it. I grew up listening to Heavy Metal AND Classical and have always enjoyed them both.
Liking one type of music does not automatically mean not liking another type. People are individuals and many people are very eclectic taste in music.
But that is besides the point. I don’t have a right to tell my neighbor they can’t play music during the day just because I don’t like the kind of music they do. If they are not violating the noise ordinance than they have every right to listen to what they want.
I do think that people should try to accommodate each other when possible. If a neighbor particularly needed quiet at some time during the day and asked politely if I would not play during that period I would do that if it were possible
Have you listened to the Kondonassis CD yet? I saw it advertised and checked Amazon. They have it but they don’t have clips up yet or any reviews.
