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Post by Misty on Apr 16, 2023 13:09:02 GMT
I have asked this question on the other forum, but there are different folk on here, so please excuse me for asking it again. What key do you tune your lever harp to? I tune to Ab major, which gives me a range of keys up to four flats and three sharps, and also allows me to play my favourite harp tune, Caren's Farewell, in Ab major. And why do you tune to the key that you do?
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Post by Zi on Apr 17, 2023 15:10:53 GMT
I tune in C. I don't think I've ever actually got to the point where I use the levers either. Haven't played the harp for a couple of weeks I'm afraid and now I've squashed my left index finger between a heavy chef's pan and a frying pan... It is not happy and currently sticks out like a sore thumb!  I do like the fact that you can tune in different keys though - it saves having zillions of them. |
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Post by Misty on Apr 17, 2023 19:01:14 GMT
Ouch! Sorry to hear that, Zi. I suppose it could be useful having three thumbs, but probably not an the expense of an index finger! Hope it's harp playable soon. I've been practising rolled chords tonight, and reached the bit in the book (Basic Harp for Beginners) where I need levers. Having done some harp before, it wasn't a problem to revise it, and then I moved on to simple ornaments. Tomorrow I'm going to start the section entitled "More tunes to learn" (p57). The question is, where do I go after this book? There doesn't seem to be a book 2, but I did find a book entitled Harpo (book 2) online, which described itself as being for "not quite" beginners, so I might try that. Do you happen to have anything in your collection that you might recommend as a good follow-up?
Basic Harp actually annoyed me tonight, because it asked me to use a string I haven't got, being off the lower end of my harp. Grrrrr. So I needed to adapt and just play the higher note of the chord. That's not a problem I recall having come across before.
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Post by Zi on Apr 18, 2023 7:08:42 GMT
We've been a bit distracted here because of the garden. So the index finger is annoying when I have so much transplanting to do. Harp and clarinet haven't got a look in for a few weeks and the recorder has suffered but things will now flatten out hopefully. Index finger is usable today but it can't type. What are rolled chords? You are a long way ahead of me and it's very interesting and enthusing to think about where I might go eventually! I'm glad it's coming along well. I've heard of the Harpo book but I don't have it and I really don't know enough of the journey ahead to suggest anything - I'm using the Play The Harp Beautifully series and I quite like it because it goes very slowly. Have you asked dorfmouse? I bet she'd suggest something. I know she suggested some beginner music collections for me and I loved them because they started with little tunes on three notes! I'm not sure I'll ever get beyond that!  |
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Post by Misty on Apr 18, 2023 9:35:30 GMT
A rolled chord is just one in which the notes are played in quick succession, from the bottom upwards, represented by the squiggly line that follows it. There's probably another name for it in piano music, but I can't remember it just now.
Unfortunately, I haven't been practising very conscientiously, but my harp is in my study/music room where I check my emails, and it has this habit of creaking as the strings stretch, which is always a sign that it needs tuning before another string snaps. The last few days it's been creaking, so I tuned it yesterday and was pleased to note I hadn't really lost much ground.
I was wondering yesterday if strings have an actual life; I'm sure they do, because violin strings do. Most of the strings on my harp have been there practically forever since I bought it 20-odd years ago (might be 30-odd!) and are probably not sounding their best. But I don't fancy a mass replacement of the lower strings as it would be far too expensive.
What a good idea to ask dorfmouse re repertoire - thanks for that suggestion. Perhaps she might know about string life too.
Wishing you a quick continued recovery of the index finger. We have some boxes to plant up today as everything died in them over the winter.
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Post by Zi on Apr 19, 2023 7:53:20 GMT
I'll travel hopefully over the rolled chords. I sometimes think that my harp is effectively a therapy harp - I turn to it for calm and peace - it always gives me joy. I probably told you that I bought it when I was diagnosed with cancer as I'd always wanted to have a go on a harp and owning one seemed the only way. At that point the expense for a few moments of delight seemed totally irrelevant! I'm so glad it was. It was nearly 8 years ago now and I'm not really any further on with it! But I don't regret it. I like tuning it and I like plucking at it. I can even sometimes pluck a little tune (by ear) but mostly it's two steps forward and three back!
A string life makes sense to me so I hope it's true! Maybe they can stand only so much being plucked under tension.
Index finger much better today thanks! I played the recorder a little yesterday and it was well enough to strim but objected a bit at being used for transplanting seedlings. It was a strange winter here. Yours will have been more severe I'm sure but perhaps it was equally strange. We had so much rain that a lot of the field is now mud and I'm sure the ratio between grass and 'weeds' is now more in favour of the 'weeds'. I hope the box planting goes well! Gardens do take time but they do bring a great deal of joy.
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Post by Misty on Apr 21, 2023 10:05:13 GMT
What a lovely idea to have a therapy instrument! It's so nice that you get so much joy from it. It's probably a much healthier mindset than mine, where I always want to get to the next level, or master the next technique, and then beat myself up when it takes longer than I expect, or I go backwards (usually through not practising).
Actually, the "not practising" thing isn't always my fault. The last two days have been written off by migraine. I've only just worked out that it was probably self-inflicted (so my fault after all!) because I bought a large bar of mini-eggs chocolate in Tesco, reduced after Easter. Well, you can't ignore a bargain, can you? The "eggs" in them are like Smarties which, sadly, always result in migraine. Bargain migraines!  
Boxes all planted up now and looking very spring-like! |
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Post by Zi on Apr 22, 2023 8:22:06 GMT
I'm a reframer. I've probably bored you with how my husband trained as a clinical hypnotherapist. Anyway, one of the things they work with is reframing so he was amused to find that I do it automatically, without even thinking. It's useful.
I still haven't touched harp or clarinet - recorder is getting an occasional look in but the greenhouse is pretty full and I've started planting out. Things should get easier once we've hit the second part of May... I hope! I'm glad your boxes have turned out well - greenery is good for lifting the spirits!
Re migraines - Maybe there is only so much avoidance one can do and I don't think you should apportion blame on you. You do the best you can under whatever circumstance and sometimes things go awry.
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Post by pavane on Apr 22, 2023 8:46:21 GMT
I always want to get to the next level, or master the next technique, and then beat myself up when it takes longer than I expect, or I go backwards (usually through not practising). Been there, done that, got the t-shirt! Been there too - Mrs P says my middle name is Reduced (sometimes it's OnOffer) and it's shocking how much rubbish I've eaten over the years simply because it seemed like a bargain when I bought it. |
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Post by Zi on Apr 22, 2023 10:19:39 GMT
Best not go to that place - the next level, castigation place. It just makes for sadness. I spent my life aiming for targets of one kind or another and I'm not doing it in retirement. A bit  as an example but we started growing crops last year in two very large raised beds and some pots. We liked it so much we've now got a fair sized vegetable garden. However, crop-wise it was not a resounding success from a quantity point of view - the cabbage whites ate the Brussels (we got none!) They also ate the kale (we got it in its early stages). The turnips failed. However, we got beetroot and celeriac and a few more potatoes than we put in and some other stuff I'd never tasted before. And loadsa salad. We think it was all wonderful and we're doing it again. Some of it is already shaping up to be another 'quantity' disaster but we don't care! It's keeping us active doing it and we're so pleased with what we do get. That's my attitude to playing an instrument. If it gives me grief I won't do it. I've had plenty of things in the past to do the grief thing and I'm determined that the rest of my life will be spent happily even if technically it's a happy 'failure'. I'm not judging me and my carrots or me and my recorder. It just is. If it makes me happy then that's all that matters. The London Philharmonic don't need or want another recorder player and luckily I don't want to play for them either...  edit Don't even ask about the clarinet and harp! |
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Post by pavane on Apr 22, 2023 10:40:20 GMT
Of course, you're absolutely right, and I am less goal-obessessed with the instruments than I used to be. I've just been outside doing some mowing, and pondering the meaning of life, as you do, and I realised that the recorder has become a happy place for me. Struggle might not be the right word exactly because I do enjoy it, but the clarinet is something that I feel that I need to work to improve on, whereas I play the recorder purely for pleasure. I haven't learned anything new on it for a while, and until quite recently was intending to put more effort into doing so - I dug out some Handel that I'd made a bit of a start on a while ago, but I've mostly ended up playing things I know and relaxing while I do it. I prefer my kale with a silent K |
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Post by Zi on Apr 24, 2023 6:59:13 GMT
I hate mowing. Mr Z 'mows' the 'field' with a sit-on. It's probably fun until he has to empty the thing and then his weight training comes into play. I 'mow' what should be a lawn but it's very undulating and rough and has loadsamoss. I hate every bit of mowing it. My favourite part is taking the mower back and putting it away. However, when it's done I'm deliriously happy and I think a lot of things are like that. There are bits of the doing that aren't fun and making them fun requires effort so sometimes it's better to focus on the goal. For the rest, it's better to find a happy place in the doing. I've done a lot of reading about the recorder now and what has come across over the centuries is how easy it is to play. It is likely one of the very easiest instruments to get an acceptable sound out of. However, playing it very well is quite another thing. The harp, on the other hand, is horrendously difficult (for me at least). However, whatever I do sounds wonderful because I just like the noise it makes. I think the clarinet requires a lot of effort to make it sound even acceptable but maybe once it gets to 'acceptable' it zooms along in a way that the recorder doesn't... Re ale - we made cider last autumn. We don't drink very much at all so we probably have enough for a year... I haven't got round to growing hops!  |
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Post by pavane on Apr 24, 2023 8:04:28 GMT
I also used to hate mowing, and the area I cut is quite large (maybe ¾ acre), but I find it strangely ok. I thought it justified a ride-on mower but Mrs P didn't want one lurking around the place so I just use a self-propelled one. It takes several hours to do all of it and I trudge along behind and sometimes it's quite calming. At least it's exercise and I find it easier to be trudging along with a purpose rather than for the sake of the exercise. The ground is quite tussocky and uneven and the mower is heavy and has to be prevented from falling into the drainage ditches around the edges so it's all good for strengthening my back too, and there's the deleriously happy bit when it's finished. What could be better???
Back to (sort of - not much to do with lever harps) on topic: I sometimes envy people who play instruments that do at least sound nice of their own accord. Even my cheap lyre has a good sound to it, far better than any woodwind during the beginner stages. I've begun to find recently that the clarinet is sounding better without so much struggle, so I suppose it's just a question of bashing away at it and getting there in the end. Harps can indeed sound fantastic, though as it happens I was watching a couple being played on Saturday evening (just as part of a streamed concert) and thinking "I could never do that".
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Post by Zi on Apr 27, 2023 20:24:45 GMT
I expect they thought: 'I could never do that!' as well at some stage. It's odd how some instruments sound fine no matter what and some sound absolutely dire until you've developed quite a bit... It's a bit unfair really and it must be the cause of putting some people off because it sounds dire. I wonder if some people never get far with the nice sounding ones because it sounds nice whatever? |
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Post by pavane on Apr 28, 2023 9:25:58 GMT
I expect they thought: 'I could never do that!' as well at some stage.
I suppose they probably did. There are a few instruments that seem particularly difficult to me, mostly because of having your hands in the right place without much to help them to get there. I find woodwind quite natural in the way that there is, for the most part, one hole per finger and your fingers are more-or-less automatically in the right place. Presumably there are sort of "home strings" on a harp, a bit like on a typing keyboard (nearly revealed my age by saying "typewriter" there - oops)? Still, it looks like there is a lot of hovering and being able to pluck the correct string from a substantial choice. I view the xylophone etc in much the same way - how on earth to people manage to wallop the right thingy?
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as an example but we started growing crops last year in two very large raised beds and some pots. We liked it so much we've now got a fair sized vegetable garden. However, crop-wise it was not a resounding success from a quantity point of view - the cabbage whites ate the Brussels (we got none!) They also ate the kale (we got it in its early stages). The turnips failed. However, we got beetroot and celeriac and a few more potatoes than we put in and some other stuff I'd never tasted before. And loadsa salad. We think it was all wonderful and we're doing it again. Some of it is already shaping up to be another 'quantity' disaster but we don't care! It's keeping us active doing it and we're so pleased with what we do get. That's my attitude to playing an instrument. If it gives me grief I won't do it. I've had plenty of things in the past to do the grief thing and I'm determined that the rest of my life will be spent happily even if technically it's a happy 'failure'. I'm not judging me and my carrots or me and my recorder. It just is. If it makes me happy then that's all that matters. The London Philharmonic don't need or want another recorder player and luckily I don't want to play for them either... 
