What are the differences between the lever harp and the pedal harp?

For many teachers, the lever harp is a stepping stone to the pedal harp as students grow tall enough and strong enough to support the larger instrument. But that’s not the only way a lever harp should be looked at. Any folk harp, with or without levers, has a rich history in Celtic music, not to mention Paraguayan, Argentinian, and other cultural connections.

There are several mechanical differences between the two harps. A lever harp can only raise the pitch of each individual string with its levers, so is more limited in the keys it can play in, often requiring re-tuning to adapt. A pedal harp has pedals that can raise or lower the pitch of several strings at once, giving it more options. Lever harps have fewer strings (the most is usually 36-38, but can be as low as 20), pedal harps have 40-47 depending on the size, and will have a bigger sound. Lever harps have a more relaxed standard-middle C isn’t always in the same place on each harp, and there is a larger variety in brands, sizes, and uses. Lever harps can be anything from nylon strung, double strung (two sets of strings), triple (three sets of strings), lap harp (small, less than 26 strings), wire harp (wire strung), and the list goes on. Pedal harps, on the other hand, are mainly used for concert playing, orchestras, solo professional work, and advanced solos.

What harp is right for you depends a lot more on your goals than on traditional harp expectations. It may be standard in many studios to always switch to pedal harp at a certain age and level. Professional harpists, interpreted as orchestra or opera pit harpists, soloists, college professors, most freelancers- will mainly use the pedal harp. Folk harpists, harpists who learn primarily by ear, beginner-intermediate harpists, and Celtic harpists will all find more use with a lever harp.

Why is this important to know? Out in the harp world, there are a lot of lever harpists who have a chip on their shoulders because either they couldn’t make it as pedal harpists or because they see pedal harpists as snooty. And there are a lot of pedal harpists who look down on lever harpists as amateurs, beginners, and one-dimensional. In reality, they aren't always separated by level as much as by style and interests. It doesn’t mean you’re not as good a harpist if you play the lever harp and it doesn't mean you’re a snob if you play pedal.

 It’s an amazing thing that we have all of these choices available to us!

My harp New Year's Resolutions

When we come to a new year, without fail we all make lists of resolutions. I'm going to stop eating french fries, learn to bake, and start knitting. Around March, we've usually already broken all of our resolutions. What you need instead of resolutions are not just the goals themselves, but an idea of how you're going to get there.

If you decide you're going to practice one hour a day, the first step is to get to practicing every day. Then you can work yourself up to a full hour. Just sitting down and practicing an hour a day cold turkey is going to fail after the first week. Resolutions and changes are about building habits, and practicing is one habit that can only stay consistent if you work up to it.

Let's say your resolution is to have finished your current harp piece by March. What's your plan to get there? Take a look at your piece, and put a star (in pencil of course!) by every section that trips you up or slows you down. Then practice those sections separately. Once you've mastered them, look at what else needs to be polished. Are you remembering all of your dynamics? Is your tempo steady throughout? Is your teacher going to constantly yell at you for low elbows in lesson? Break it down and fix one thing at a time, then put the whole piece together and figure out what the next section is that needs work.

Resolutions are great ideas, and it's good to reevaluate your goals every year. Just make sure you have a plan to meet your goals, not just a decision and willpower. Achieving a new resolution is a daily process, not a one-time accomplishment, make it a habit and you'll achieve all of your goals this year!

It's OK to make mistakes

Hey students, if you're reading this, you're probably rolling your eyes because of how many times I've said it this month. But let me say it again: It's OK to make mistakes.

Harp lessons are a place to learn, develop, train, form bonds, be inspired, show emotion, be creative, and have fun. There are no test in harp lessons (at least not in mine!), there aren't finals or grades. You won't get fired or sent to your room. So relax. I teach you because I like you. I like spending time with you, I like helping you learn. I get excited when you reach a big goal and I'm happy to help you over bumpy times. I'm not going to yell at you every time something goes wrong.

You come to lessons so that I can teach you to play the harp, not to be perfect. I expect you to make mistakes while learning, and I expect you to be nervous at a recital and make a few there. I still make mistakes all the time, whether in practice, in concert, or while showing you something in lesson (and most of you happily point them out to me).

So stop worrying so much about being perfect. That stuff comes later, when you go to college, when you audition for an orchestra. For now, let's all agree to two requirements for your lessons: let's get ready to learn, and let's have some fun!

What's the point of metronomes?

I've met very few musicians in my life who actually enjoy working with a metronome, and if you're one of my students, you've probably complained about having to use one as well. The fact is, it's not much fun practicing with a small electronic device that constantly beeps at you and lets you know you're playing incorrectly.

Why do we need to use one?

For one thing, the ending goal of most professional musicians is in an orchestra. To play with the orchestra, you must have an internal beat and be able to keep a steady tempo. It's easy to play the simple parts fast and the hard parts slow, as well as skip over all the whole notes. Playing with a metronome will make it much less of a shock when you join the orchestra in rehearsal and realize that you have to follow the conductor.

Speaking of  following the conductor, you may have noticed that they don't make noises to keep you on beat. The metronome will get you used to how much time to wait, what tempos to play, and what rhythms to do before you have to rely on your eyes only in rehearsal.

Finally, it's hard to control your tempo all on your own. The metronome is more like a coach than a disciplinarian. It's there to help you out, not to punish you. Let the metronome be your teacher and guide, and take some of the weight off your own shoulders. You have plenty of other things to think about!

Why should you attend other harp concerts?

Music concerts aren't always the most interesting. You have to sit so stiffly and be absolutely silent, sometimes the pieces are ridiculously long, and sometimes you don't really understand why anyone would decide we needed a 3 movement concerto for some obscure instrument. But harp concerts are important for reasons other than just listening to the music. This is where you can learn about the kind of harpist you want to be.

It took me a long time to realize that I shouldn't be listening to harp CDs or recitals so that I could imitate them. I finally realized, that I could pick and choose, like photoshopping my own musical style together from 6 different musicians. I don't like how some harpists play their dynamics, and I do like how other harpists stretch and push their music. One of the best lessons I ever learned was that it's OK to dislike how another harpist plays. Especially when you're either young or new to harp, it's hard to cut off the part of your mind that assumes that all adults always know what they're doing and are always right. And disliking a musician's playing style doesn't mean what they're doing is wrong. It's like if you dislike the color purple, and it's my favorite color.

Try going to harp concerts and listening to CDs. See how it shapes how you would like to sound. And of course, don't limit yourself to only harpists. I think I learned the most about putting emotion in my music from Itzhak Perlman's recording of the famous Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. See what's out there, and you'll be surprised by how much you learn about yourself. Happy listening!

Cut your nails for next lesson. Cut your nails for next lesson. Cut your nails for next lesson.

You've all heard me say it in lesson, and most of you have seen me write it down for you to accomplish at home. Why do we need to cut our nails to play the harp?

First of all, it makes your sound so much cleaner. You aren't constantly hitting other strings accidentally, or buzzing because your fingers are longer than they should be.

Secondly, it helps your speed. We play on our fingertips right? Well if you always have to readjust your hand to reach your fingertips on the strings, you're going to lose the rhythm and tempo you should be maintaining.

Thirdly, glissandos. A good glissando has movement, momentum, and a strong tone. Whispy glissandos sound nice in the studio by yourself, but with an orchestra, on a stage, or in a piece that is triple forte, you need strong glissandos (glissandi?) to make it work, as Tim Gunn would say. To make a strong gliss, you have to hook your finger, right? How can you hook and drag your fingertip without breaking your nails?

Some harpists leave their pinky nails long, and only cut the nails on the fingers they use. I don't do this, because it inevitably drives me crazy to only have one nail. So keep those nails short, and your harping will sound much better. And on the plus side, if someone wants you to open their pop or untie a knot, you can always say, "can't! I have no nails!"

Twitter article: a harpist who plays in grocery stores

I found an article a while back about a harpist who plays in grocery stores! I think it's interesting that the stores were so open to the idea, it seems like a lot of negotiations would be involved. What if someone hits your harp with a cart? Who's responsible, the harpist, the cart pusher, or the store? Does the harpist get paid by the store, or rely on tips? Where do you think the harp loads in, through the automatic doors or the back? What about the temperature, grocery stores are not always room temperature. Are you considered an employee of the store? So many different angles to think about, I wish the article had addressed the uniqueness of this situation a little more, rather than stating facts about the harp that are easy to find elsewhere. Still, when you start out a career in harp, people suggest you play in schools, libraries, conventions, restaurants, but I've never heard grocery store! What would you think if you were looking for carrots and saw a harp instead?