Post-Pennsic Harping Notes
I brought my harp to Pennsic this year, vitalized by the fact that were several A & S courses dedicated to harp playing.
There was a 3-part technique course that I missed the first part of for various reasons, but I joined in on the second session and went to the final session a few days later. I learned much...
My main motive for the technique course was to pick up good habits before I had to unlearn them. And it was a great course for that. The teacher was this enthusiastic, well-spoken, intelligent woman, and she had a good reason for every position of the fingers, wrists, forearms and elbows.
I didn't bring my harp for the first class I attended, and so got to play part-time with the instructor's. I made the excuse that I was worried about my harp getting wet in the rain, but the real reason was that I knew that my harp was from a crappy overseas manufacturer, and I was a bit embarrassed to bring it into the class where there were beautiful hand-made harps. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised the day I did bring it to the technique course and the instructor said two very cool things: 1) That I had "lucked out" and gotten about 1 out of every 25 harps from that manufacturer that were built correctly, and 2) that I was getting decent sound from her. Those were very good things to hear, and made me a little less conscious of the fact that I was learning on a sub-standard harp.
Another thing that came out of the technique course was that I really really need to practice note-counting and rhythm. I just got lost on anything that wasn't a steady repetition of half or quarter notes. Now gonna practice clapping exercises....and practice...and practice. Maybe I'll see if there is some computer software out there that will help with my note-reading, rhythm counting, etc.
I've been considering what to name my harp. I'm leaning towards "Primrose", which means "first rose", considering that she is my first harp.
Now back to practicing regularly...
There was a 3-part technique course that I missed the first part of for various reasons, but I joined in on the second session and went to the final session a few days later. I learned much...
My main motive for the technique course was to pick up good habits before I had to unlearn them. And it was a great course for that. The teacher was this enthusiastic, well-spoken, intelligent woman, and she had a good reason for every position of the fingers, wrists, forearms and elbows.
I didn't bring my harp for the first class I attended, and so got to play part-time with the instructor's. I made the excuse that I was worried about my harp getting wet in the rain, but the real reason was that I knew that my harp was from a crappy overseas manufacturer, and I was a bit embarrassed to bring it into the class where there were beautiful hand-made harps. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised the day I did bring it to the technique course and the instructor said two very cool things: 1) That I had "lucked out" and gotten about 1 out of every 25 harps from that manufacturer that were built correctly, and 2) that I was getting decent sound from her. Those were very good things to hear, and made me a little less conscious of the fact that I was learning on a sub-standard harp.
Another thing that came out of the technique course was that I really really need to practice note-counting and rhythm. I just got lost on anything that wasn't a steady repetition of half or quarter notes. Now gonna practice clapping exercises....and practice...and practice. Maybe I'll see if there is some computer software out there that will help with my note-reading, rhythm counting, etc.
I've been considering what to name my harp. I'm leaning towards "Primrose", which means "first rose", considering that she is my first harp.
Now back to practicing regularly...