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In my research I have found photographs of Salzedo’s pupils from the 1920s. It is interesting to see that at that time they were literally playing with their arms parallel to the floor, in other words, elbows definitely up. I think over time, with increased strength, they were able to let them down some. I think it is perhaps quite valid to teach this positioning, as long as the shoulders don’t creep upward, and their is no tension involved.
Thanks, yes I think simplifying the bass is a good idea, as chords ring on so long. I also try to play a quieter left hand, but as I also play Paraguayan harp and music, it’s hard to restrain the left hand. I wish I could play the same repertoire on electric as I can on the Melusine, pieces by Bernard Andre for example, but it’s not proving easy and I’m more inclined to gig with the M. I’ll look up these damping ideas, and have already worked out a few. Yes, I agree, the stereo split is too abrupt without some kind of panning facility to blend them, so I’ll stay mono for live stuff with the Pro EQ. I realise that the basic problem is the mass of the large low strings compared with the high ones, and that the solid frame responds appropriately, i.e. the big mass goes on vibrating much longer (and create a bigger signal for the pick-up than the little strings), and with a harp acoustic soundboard the sounds of all strings are transmitted thru it and at the bass end, where it’s wide, it flexes more and absorbs the vibrations faster. I think the ideal electric harp might be a semi-acoustic, with a thinline soundboard that is damped so there can be no feedback, but able to absorb vibrations especially at the low end. Anybody ever seen such a thing?
Can you be more specific about very advanced? What was the last repertoire studied? There is a vast amount of music possible.
Dear Alice,
There’s also a harp scene in a lesser-known Fred Astaire movie called “Yolanda and the Thief” (1945). Astaire plays a con man who poses as an angel to bilk the beautiful and wealthy Lucille Bremer out of her family fortune. She’s so naive that she believes him (and then begins to feel guilty about falling in love with him).
It’s just as implausible as it sounds and the movie was/is considered a flop, but I’m obsessed enough with Astaire to enjoy it. It’s really colorfully directed by Vincente Minnelli, and has some great dancing, including a number that may be the very first of the “story ballets” for which MGM became famous.
The harp number impresses me particularly because Fred Astaire obviously went to some trouble to look as if he really was playing. And I get to watch the graceful movement of those beautiful hands (sigh). The song isn’t great, but he sings it so tenderly. It doesn’t make a bit of sense for Johnny to make Yolanda fall in love with him at that moment–he’s pretty much gotten what he came for by that point–but how any woman could resist that performance is beyond me.
I think Cary Grant also does a convincing job in his angelic turn in “The Bishop’s Wife” a couple of years later. But I am not a harpist, so let me know if I am wrong about these two debonair harpist imposters!
Chris
Jessica, I second Catherine whole heartedly about the harp brands, but just to let you know, a Lyon and Healy 15 is a semi grand.
Hola soy ivan
que bien que mas gente, esta agregando mensajes, asi ya vemos que no estamos tan solos como aveces pensamos, les doy la vienvenida a walter, a ignacio a regino, jose luis y amanda. que bueno que tocan arpa y otros estan empesando, enserio pienso que no hay edad para empesar el arpa, e visto que hay terapias de relajacion con musica de arpa y cosas asi, espero que sigan dejando mas mensajes, y que sean mas los arpistas que se conectan, un amigo me mando un email el se llama luis y toca arpa paraguaya la verdad esque nose mucho de ese tipo de arpa, pero e visto que varios de aki tokan ese tipo de arpa y otros estan empesando, tal ves pueden dejar mensajes de como tokarla y como funciona , kreo ke despues el deja un mensaje haciendo sus preguntas
les mando saludos a todos desde el pueblito de white house en tennessee, y ke tengan felises fiestas de naviad y anio nuevo
atte ivanI have had nothing but good experiences with L&H and have no experience with Venus harps. We have had several posts on this board that Venus are of excellent quality and durability, and I’ll rely on that statement. If a company has a good background, appears to be successful, and has such stories, then the company must make good harps. Why else would people tell those stories?
Regardless, it is my understanding that because every harp (and for that matter, every harpist) is different, the quality of the sound, projection, the size and how comfortable it feels is more because of of the specific harp than of the maker. Each harpist will have a preference for the sound, the tension, the spacing of pedals and strings. I guess what I’m trying to say is NO TWO HARPS ARE THE SAME. Therefore, you just have to try them.
A great example is that I had been renting a L&H Troubador III and learning on it. The strings were very tight, and had a very bright, bell-like voice. I then made the descicion to buy one of my own for various reasons. I bought an identical Troubador III. Same color, everything. But this harp sounded different. The strings were not as tight but produced the same note as the tighter strings on my other harp. The sound was different. I don’t have a word to describe how it was different, but it was. It was darker, and yet had a very… soothing, I guess, quality to the tone. The difference was so great that I really had to take some time to adjust to it, and after a while, found that I liked it much more.
I hope this helps to answer your question somewhat,
. Good luck in finding the right harp for you, and have a happy holidays.Pssh… you’re never two old to start the harp. Also, unlike the violin(well, and most other instruments for that matter) harp sounds good whether you’ve played for 10 minutes or 10 years. With you’re experience on the piano you shouldn’t have any problem at all. My teacher says that they aren’t too dissimilar.
Hola a todos! Me llamo Amanda. tengo 60 a?os y hace dos a?os que comenc? el aprendizaje de arpa india o paraguaya. Soy de Argentina, de una provincia del Norte, Chaco que, en parte, limita con Paraguay. Vivo en Resistencia, capital de esa provincia. En esta ciudad asisto a una escuela de folclore: “Huellas Argentinas” donde la comunidad escolar es muy variada en cuanto a edad, `por ejemplo, yo tengo una compa?erita de tan solo 5 a?os, que asiste porque al escuchar por primera vez a un arpista, le dijo a su padre que ella queria aprender a ejecutar ese instrumento, le pregunt? por qu? ese y no otro, y me respondi? que su sonido es muy bello; ella est? ejecutando los primeros ejercicios, y ya se nota su habilidad: pulsa muy bien las cuerdas y adem?s saca un sonido fuert?simo limpio y muy agradable, pese a sus peque?os dedos. Yo creo ser la persona de m?s edad dentro de la comunidad escolar, y decid? asistir a clases de arpa porque padezco del mal de parkinson y de esta manera me ayudo a movilizar los dedos que se ponen r?gidos`por causa de la enfermedad adem?s de ser una excelente terapia, y sobre todo porque su sonido es encantador y potente.
Este sitio es muy interesante, ya que podemos transmitir a travez de ?l nuestras vivencias con ese instrumento. Yo tambi?n deseo que aumenten los mensajes de nuevos arpistas.
Les deseo a todos un FELIZ A?O 2005, Y QUE DIOS LOS BENDIGA!
Mi correo es amanbrass19@yahoo.esMarta Amanda Araya Brassiolo
