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Take a look at the Debussy Danses. There are sections with fast repeated notes in the second movement, and he uses enharmonics, harmonics, and octaves very creatively. I think they might be written differently in different editions, but the Durand edition (which I believe was edited by Henriette Renié). If you can’t find a copy, I could scan pages and e-mail them to you. As a composer myself, I would love to help you out!
It’s kind of similar to the design of the computer/typewriter keyboard, I think, with the QWERTY system. The idea with the computer keyboard is to keep frequently-used keys such as e, s, a, and…well, other letters we use a lot in English apart from each other to facilitate typing faster. The circle-of-fifths makes sense, too, and the fact the E and A are on the same side is a matter of an odd number of pedals divided between two sides of the harp. I think if they were in scale order it would actually be more confusing.At least for me it would be.
On a related note, when executing several pedal changes during rests, I find that I usually start on the inside with B/E, then move outward in pairs (with A by itself, obviously), even when I’m not moving every pedal. I like starting in and working my way out so I can check all the pedals and distinguish them from each other, which I have a hard time doing when I only check the pedals I’m moving. And when you have a good amount of time to move several pedals (say, from the key of D-flat major to C major), would you move the pedals concurrently in pairs, or individually? I think everyone probably has their own idiosyncracies when the music doesn’t dictate the pedal changes. If I have six measures to execute the aforementioned key change, I would do this: B natural, E natural, check C, check F, D natural, G natural, A natural, not moving them in pairs. Does this make sense at all?
Sorry for the very long post…I was just curious. Maybe I should hire a pedal assistant for when I play harder repertoire? haha 🙂
Let’s focus on what is important here.
Of course lesson material is of utmost importance. And dress for lessons is one thing, but recital dress is VERY important and should be discussed at least briefly. I don’t think women have to wear dresses to play harp, even though my teacher does. I think this thread was more about what to do with students who don’t understand appropriate formal attire, or even appropriate day-to-day clothing (we’ve all seen young ladies wearing clothes that are too revealing).
And I wear jeans every day, and I don’t understand why that would be a problem with the finish of the harp. My knees don’t touch the harp, and I don’t see how that could be an issue, at least with pedal harp. I think that dressing for the occasion is also important; if I was playing at home for my family, I would just look nice, but not formal. For a solo recital, I would want to look very formal. And of course, kids should dress like kids, but that means they should not be showing too much, especially for girls. Most of the time attire is a non-issue, unless there is a particular student who doesn’t know the general rules of good taste…so it’s probably not an issue for most teachers. Just my two cents worth.
I have to admit, though, I’m dissapointed that I can’t wear my tux with French cuffs when I play harp, so I have to reserve that for non-harp performances. And I wear cufflinks on both shirts I have, so I have to be a little careful not to let them touch the harp.
Calista, I think your rules are very specific and clear, which is really helpful. My teacher doesn’t allow females to wear pants for performances, or open-toed heels. She has us remove all jewelry and watches to not scratch the harp, and she doesn’t allow colored fingernail polish. I see no reason not to specify these things, if a performer is sitting behind a gold harp, they should try to look decent in comparison!
By the way, does anyone know where I could find pictures of Salzedo or Grandjany (or any other 20th century male harpists) in recital attire? I’m interested to see what they wore for performances. I wouldn’t want to wear a tuxedo for anything other than an orchestra concert or wedding. Girls get to wear brightly colored, flowy gorgeous dresses (and not concert black) for recitals, so I’m definitely not going to wear a tux, but I want to know what other men have done.
I just watched a clip of the Drew Carey show where his boss moves in with him and brings a gold LH 23, in. It’s hilarious!
What an interesting thread…
I play with my arms totally horizontal, but I make sure to carry the weight of my arms with my shoulder muscles, so my arms
Oh, and I also use clarinet fingerings when I’m trying to solfege something or hear it in my head or anytime I’m singing. That’s really funny…in fact, my clarinet teacher suggests doing that to improve clarinet playing. I didn’t know anyone else actually did it, though!
I think solfege is very helpful, especially in that it helps to internalize the written music, rather than just reading the note and playing the corresponding string and not already knowing what it will sound like. I think it is more useful for wind and string players (and of course, vocalists), since they (we) have to adjust pitches to other voices or against the scale or tonality in which we are playing. But it’s good for any musician to be able to look at a piece of music and, without an instrument, be able to have an idea of what it should sound like.
And that is an interesting point about tuning – I have noticed the same thing. When I tune the harp at A440 with a tuner and check all the octaves and fifths, I still find that I want the thirds of major chords lower. Maybe that comes from being a wind player and being accustomed to adjusting that way.
Anyway, I wish I knew solfege better, as I only began to learn it in college and I only had to take four semesters of aural skills. I don’t know it well enough to apply it to my playing (only singing). And I did learn movable do (and the chromatic syllables – do-di-re-ri-mi-fa-fi-sol-si-la-li-ti-do-ti-te-la-le-sol-se-fa-mi-me-re-ra-do).
I understand. I know that can become very complicated, and I have been fortunate not to have experienced that situation.
You clearly misunderstood me. I don’t expect any teacher to delve into my personal life, but the best teachers I have had (and have now) have a genuine interest in my well-being and that of all their students. Music is not a field like chemistry or engineering where a teacher can teach you all you need to know and never remember your name. Music is a highly personal art and if a student is aspiring to be a professional, their teacher must teach them on a personal level. Obviously when it comes to non-musical advice, the teacher should exercise discretion when offering it without being asked. I have spent time at my clarinet teacher’s home and have gotten to know him well, and he knows as much as he needs to about me without prying in any way – and this helps him understand me and how I learn. He also offers me personal advice when he feels it could help me, and that has never been a problem. I don’t know everything about his personal life, nor do I want to (and vice versa). When he was in the hospital this summer for surgery, I visited him and he really appreciated it. That is personal, but not inappropriate. I want to know a teacher’s personality so I know that they will treat me like a human being. I can deal with a hard teacher, but I expect them to treat me with respect, as I treat them with respect.
The internet is the only way for me to know about things in the harp world that my teacher doesn’t tell me about. In fact, most of what I know about the harp and the harp world comes from online sources. It is the only way for me to know who is where, and doing what in the harp world. It is the only reason I know who you are, for example. When it comes to recordings, it is necessitated now because there is no Salzedo School, there are less public concerts, and honestly people in my generation expect to be able to easily access recordings, and being able to hear how a teacher plays is important. Lucile Lawrence was exceptional (as are some current teachers and performers) in her reputation and abilities, so I doubt she worried much about recruiting students. Her reputation superceded the need for potential students to hear her. Now, there is still word of mouth, but it’s not ubiquitous enough to eliminate the need to be able to hear how a potential teacher plays.
When it comes to repertoire, I know that every teacher has their progression of pieces for each student that helps them advance at appropriate levels. I agree with this. But a student should have some say in what they play, within reason. Honestly, there are very few harp pieces I don’t like or wouldn’t want to learn anyway. I want to be able to trust a teacher, and I will, if they trust me.
And I must remind you that your question was not how to be a good teacher, but how to recruit students. Those suggestions I made are only in response to your question about recruiting. I am working to understand the complexities of teaching myself. I am a music education major, after all. I don’t have unrealistic expectations, since I have teachers that fit my ‘criteria’ and in fact, exceed my expectations of a what a teacher can be. They have years of experience, a passion for teaching, and a personal commitment to their students. They also have very high expectations for their students and high musical standards. I am lucky to be at a school with many teachers like I just described. They are definitely the best models for the kind of teacher I would like to be, and they really make me strive to be a better musician, which is really the ultimate goal. Teaching music, or anything, is not a business transaction, but a commitment and a service to society. If I didn’t believe that, I would be a business major and get a job where I only have to worry about my own success and not the success of countless students. High expectations, yes, but not unrealistic.
As a student, the things that draw me to a possible teacher are 1)personality – I want to know a teacher will respect me and be enjoyable to work with, while still being firm in their expectations of me; 2) flexibility – I want to have a choice of repertoire and be able to make some of my own decisions, with the help of a teacher. I don’t want a teacher who will dictate everything I do, but guide me as to what’s in my best interest; 3) ability – a teacher who clearly has a good background and performs at a high level (or has obviously done so at one point, if they no longer perform); 4) a personal connection – I think a teacher should have a good personal rapport with their student, especially at the advanced level, and be somewhat of a ‘life coach’ in addition to just teaching music. Not that they are obligated to fix their students’ problems or anything, but I think a teacher should have a vested interest in their student’s success as an individual.
I think most people would look for similar things from a teacher. The thing is, they need to be able to find out all those things about a teacher. The internet is the most accessible and far-reaching medium for this. In fact, this might be the only way someone has to find a teacher, especially as a beginner.
I love this thread. It is so great for me, as a student, to read what a group of experienced teachers have to say about teaching their students. Hopefully I can work more toward the ‘good student’ description. I usually make good progress, though at times I don’t, and I definitely respect my teacher, but I think I could do better when it comes to practicing the way my teacher tells me to. Interesting insights. I feel like I’m eavesdropping on a faculty meeting or something! 🙂
Becky,
From what I have learned, different players do it differently. I know some close their fingers in all the way after every note, regardless of speed or dynamic. Some close their fingers in by bringing the finger tip toward the finger, rather than into the palm. It depends on how you are taught, but the basic idea is that you want to counterbalance the action of plucking a string, kind of like a follow-through in golf or tennis. And like someone else mentioned, it keeps the hand relaxed, especially in a longer piece with a lot of notes. It also gives you more leverage so you can get a fuller sound.I’m glad you have been introduced to the harp. It’s a wonderful instrument, and I think those of us that play it are a special breed of people : )
