Jenius Creations

Author: Jen

Stringing along…
This week two different people asked me pretty much the same question. That usually tells me that something “everyone knows” is actually not something everyone knows!

The questions were about replacing strings. Not how to replace them, but tips and tricks for replacing them more easily. Broken strings are a fact of life for harpers. And needing to change out dead or “thuddy” strings is also something every harper has experienced (or will) – necessitating changing strings or completely restringing the harp.

Like any activity that is essential if not fun, it helps to be prepared. I have restrung my harp (that could be a whole other post!), but I am mostly prepared for having to replace a broken string at a performance. I have a handy-dandy kit just for that! I made it for my harp case pocket, but when I’m home in my studio, I have it on the shelf. I’m pleased with my set-up and I think from the reactions I’ve gotten from other people at workshops, competitions, and schools, many others think my set-up is pretty cool.

So, this week I’m going to share it with you. As with so many things, this is my way. It is, by no means, the only way or even necessarily the best way. But it has worked for me for a long time. It also makes me smile when i see it. Silly, yes, but so what?! This set up not only keeps all the things I need close to hand, it also keeps everything organized, clean, and unbroken. Is everything you might ever need for a broken string at a gig in there? No, but there’s enough to get out of trouble.

This all started because I would toss my tuner into my harp case pocket and then worry that it would turn on and run the battery down, or get broken, or just come apart. So I started looking for a way to protect it. Then I realized that I also wanted to carry the pickup which is also somewhat delicate. That’s where the box came in. But that was a lot of room, so the other stuff slowly joined in!

Note that these are all items from my set up – this is not an endorsement of any product or brand. Use what you have and stock your kit with what you like.

Let’s get started on our tour.

First, the outside. I use a sandwich box. There’s nothing special about it. It’s just inexpensive – grocery store bought sandwich box. I like it because it fits everything I want to have without taking up a lot of volume in the pocket. What’s really important is that the lid fits and stays closed and that it has enough room for what you want to carry. This assures that the tuner ON button doesn’t get accidentally pushed which is really my biggest concern!

Next, let’s take a look inside! Under the lid, you can see that it takes a little bit of finagling and tessellation to get everything in – but it works! I do capitalize on the flexibility of some of the items to overcome the limitations of the inflexibility of the others.

So, let’s unpack so you can see what’s in there. Remember too that this is a gig bag item, so it has to serve both tuning and string replacement.

First I have a pickup. I know this is likely not strictly necessary, but my sound board is beautiful and responds to just about everything. I think using a pickup helps me tune faster and better – so I use it. I keep it in the box because it is somewhat delicate and the wires can be broken and I don’t want to have to be buying another one every time I turn around!
Next is the tuner itself. In all honesty, I have another tuner but this is my favorite…and you can see that it’s small and flat and fits into the box really well (I keep the other tuner in a different box – mostly because although I like it but it wouldn’t fit in this box!). Additional bonus? Not having to fish around in the case pocket trying to find this tuner – the sandwich box is big enough to easily grab from the pocket.

Now we get to the accoutrements! These are things I have added over time because they came in handy! They all either are essential to replacing a string, or just make it easier. Because remember – this is in my harp case, so I’m not at home, and I may be under time pressure to get the string changed before I have to perform! So I have:
- String ends. String ends are used in a harp knot to give it a little more structure against pulling through the sound board. I have two types of string ends. The first are the traditional ones – bits of an old string cut into 1 inch pieces. These work and if you don’t have any, you can make some from a thicker nylon (or gut) string (preferably one that has broken) or you can buy them from reputable string sellers (some string vendors will send them gratis if you buy a lot of strings). But I also have a leather shoelace – the kind sold for boat shoes. They can be cut to the same one inch length as the bits of old string. The benefits of the shoelace are that they are a little easier to hold onto while tying the knot and they are soft and flexible which means that you don’t get buzzing which sometimes happens with the harder string ends. I keep the whole lace, but it would be more space efficient to make some cuts and keep them in the box.
- Candle Sticky Stuff. I got this tip a long time ago. Putting just a little bit of candle adhesive onto the knot after you tie it makes it so much easier to seat the knot and get on with winding the string. This small tin holds wax. Just work up a small ball (like a pearl) – just enough to give you just enough tackiness to hold the knot together while you feed it through the soundboard (especially on the very thin strings at the top). It does save you a great deal of frustration and swearing! You can find this online or in hardware and craft stores and there are multiple brands available.
- Major nail care. I don’t know about you, but there’s something about having a gig that seems to make my fingernails grow! They can be fine when I leave but when I get ready to play, they have magically gotten too long! So I have this little cheap nail kit – I wouldn’t want to use it for day-to-day nail maintenance, but in a pinch, I can be sure that I feel confident that I’ve gotten my nails short enough. Bonus – I use the nail clippers to cut the string after I’ve gotten it wound on. I got this at a drugstore or a large square footage discount department store.
- Minor nail care. I found this little “matchbook” set of nail files and they have been in this box ever since. I prefer emery boards over metal nail files but have also used them to smooth chapped fingers as well. I got this at a drugstore or a large square footage discount department store. A single emory board would also work, but I thought these were cute.
Thanks for taking a tour of the box! I hope it helps you plan something similar for your harp case. Do you have a similar box? What do you have in yours? What’s really worked for you? Let me know in the comments!
August 17, 2020
Practice Gratitude
I hear that we should all be practicing gratitude. Especially now. The sentiment seems to be everywhere.

But I’ve heard it so much that my mind started bending it a little – shifting the emphasis. I can’t hear it the way everyone means anymore because in my head it’s:

PRACTICE gratitude

As in, be grateful for your practice time.

Hmm.

Why would we be grateful for practice time? I can think of a few reasons:
- It’s time we spend on ourselves to grow in an area we find important
- It creates a little oasis of time in our otherwise busy days
- It provides an element of normality when things around us are unpredictable or uncertain
- It is a moment of self-development (and not a self-indulgence)
So, we can pretty much dispense with the any puerile comments on how we “have” to practice “again”. Instead – we “get” to practice again!

Practice is clearly not only good for us, but something we want to do, no matter how it might not feel like it in the moment. How might we do that? Here are 15 ways we can practice and enjoy the time and be grateful for our practice time:
1. Enjoy the ritual of tuning. Rather than seeing it as a chore, take the time to slow down and reconnect with your instrument.
2. Don’t waste your time doing garbage practice. When you’re practicing, focus.
3. Don’t accept anything less than your best effort.
4. When something is not coming, reframe that frustration as gratitude for the opportunity to learn.
5. Enjoy the little things – each time you practice, remind yourself of at least one thing you enjoy about playing.
6. Take note – identify the progress you’re making and notice the improvement day on day.
7. While you’re practicing – breathe!
8. While you’re practicing – smile at least once.
9. While you’re practicing – feel it. Enjoy the touch of the strings, the sound of the music, the feel of the harp as it vibrates on your shoulder.
10. Practice with an aim to being able to share – this can be with your cohabitants, your neighbors, or the world at large – but keep it in mind.
11. After you have worked on something particularly tough, whether you’ve gotten it or if it still needs some time – provide honest praise for the work. Yes, I mean tell yourself you did a good job!
12. No matter how little time you have, end each practice with a tune you know and love and like to play.
13. Take a moment in each practice session to tell yourself something you enjoyed or are grateful you can do.
14. Take a moment at the end of your time to jot down what you’re grateful for in your practice journal.
15. Find time to play every day.
I’m sure there are a zillion other ways we can be grateful for our practice time and express that gratitude. What do you do to Practice Gratitude? If you haven’t been having Practicing Gratitude, which of these will you start to get you on your way? Let me know in the comments below!
August 10, 2020
Take it in smaller bites

My good friend and I were chatting the other day and she asked, “What’s the tune of the week?” To which I replied, “ummmmmm” (because I’m a clever conversationalist like that). And because I had started working on five tunes all at once, I couldn’t answer the question because I wasn’t really learning them very well. Ok, really I hadn’t learned any of them (up to and including not being able to remember any of the titles!).

That got me to thinking – when you’re trying to learn new music, do you often have that sinking feeling that you are never going to get it? Does it seem like every tune you learn is longer than you thought (or maybe the harder you try to learn it, the more the number of phrases telescopes!). Do you laugh inside your head and blame increased age? Do you secretly think maybe it’s just going to be too hard to get into your head? Does it seem like everyone around you is always learning about 50 tunes really quickly while you struggle to get just one?

Asking for a friend.

So, how can we make the whole process of learning a tune a little more palatable? Take smaller bites! You’ll enjoy it more. And it’s better for you.

There are so many ways to get the music into your head but you can be sure that the “all at once” approach is one of the most frustrating. Let’s think about this. Ok, I really mean, let’s extend my eating metaphor. For your next tune, try taking “smaller bites” and like fine dining, arrange your learning into “courses”.

First, we’ll have the Appetizers – Study the music. No matter if you are ingesting the tune from printed music or learning by ear, take time to actually study the music. Analyze it. What is the structure? Where is it? What type of tune is it? What are the small motifs? Are there larger patterns or “story arcs” (if it were a TV show would you know who did it at the end of the episode or the end of the season?). Do not skip this course – it may feel like all you’re doing is killing time, but it is actually the start of learning. This is also when you might start listening and beginning to try to sing along.

Then we’ll have the Entree – Bring out the knives! We know that music is a collection of patterns. But also keep in mind that it is a bunch of small patterns that banded together to make bigger patterns and those bigger patterns banded together to make up the tune. The smaller patterns might be phrases and the larger patterns might be the parts. And of course, the biggest pattern is the overarching tune. While the smaller patterns maybe be easy to find, these larger patterns may be difficult to discern (or to remember) as patterns. So if necessary, break those larger patterns into smaller bites. And just like the entree, you need to be sure not to eat one thing at a time on your plate before going on to the next – DO NOT spend all this time playing from the first measure – break it up and work on the parts that need work. Start at the end and work backward, or pick a measure in the middle and start there. This is, of course, where the bulk of what feels like work will occur. Do not be fooled…the other courses are also work – value that time!

Like any fine meal, no matter how tasty or satisfying the Entree is, one simply does not leave out the finale.

Dessert!! – How sweet it is. If you have taken the time to do the work of the previous courses, you will find that the music has become easier to learn and that you learn it more quickly – what could be sweeter than being able to play the music you like so well! However, this is just as much a part of the meal as the other courses – the sweet stuff is when you are polishing, finishing, and finalizing your music. Be sure to include the dynamics and expression, develop your accompaniments, and put your touches (or interpretation) on the tune. Really enjoy – no, revel – in the dessert!

Once you’ve tried this bite sized approach a few times, just like meals, you’ll find you have favorites – those approaches that you enjoy and get the most from. That’s a great idea – these are the “macaroni and cheese” of your practice, but be sure not to stick just to the comfortable dishes – be sure to have a balanced diet of techniques, analysis, and thinking about the music as you continue to grow.

Of course, like a full course meal, you want to take your time, savor the delicacies, and really enjoy the process. Unlike a fine meal, when you are practicing, you don’t have to worry about which fork to use!

August 3, 2020
From Me to You –

It’s Summer – when we know we should practice but probably want to do anything else. Lay in front of the air conditioner. Drink iced tea. Dream of cooler days. None of that is very motivating. Is your practice motivation suffering?

This week – from me to you, a free printable to add some structure to your day so you can focus your practice each day and feel like you have accomplished something. And you’ll still have time for fun.

Click on the button (above – get it? button) to download your free printable. Post it near your harp so each day you’ll have something to look forward to!

July 27, 2020
Half the way there!
It’s mid-July and you know what that means? Yup, we are just a little more than half the way through this year.

And, yes, it has been an epic year so far…I won’t enumerate – you’re living it with me, so you already know. And I mean epic in the classical sense – a (typically long and possibly unending) story of the deeds and adventures of heroic people!

And yes, we’re only half the way through it. Ugh.

But being halfway through is a good time to stop, pick our collective heads up, take a deep breath, and look around. How are we doing?

But think back…in January, we didn’t know any of this was coming and we knew the year was full of promise. And we talked about the 2020 vision we’d have this year. You might remember that we talked about this here.I suggested you take a smarter path that started with examining your life (your whole life!) and finding the balance for your harp within that.

And of course, I exhorted you to practice. And then I gave you a long list of things to practice. I also pointed out that you would do exactly as much work as you fit in and encouraged you to form goals that would be do-able.

So, half the year has gone by. Do you remember your goals (because I am confident you wrote them down as I suggested)? How are you coming?

Did you, at any time throughout the current upheaval we are all experiencing, modify those goals? Did you look at your world and how the world outside you is impacting your world, and modify what you expected to accomplish as a harper this year?

Gosh, I sure hope so! Because this has been a doozy of a year! We certainly didn’t see it coming. And all of us have been impacted in one way or another (or by a number of ways, in quick succession, in a seemingly coordinated attack!). And we have all had varying levels of success with coping, adapting, and overcoming everything.

I’d like to encourage you to revisit the things you set out to do for yourself. Then do the following:
1. Bring out a big marker (or eraser) and (at least mentally) cross off those things that just are not going to serve you in the six months or so we have remaining in 2020.
2. Sift through your goals and keep the ones that still make sense…and are do-able.
3. Capture, but hold for later, those that are still important to you but are not currently realistic – especially since we don’t know when things will revert to what we were expecting. And
4. Boldly, ceremoniously and with a great deal of fanfare, toss the ones that just are not serving you! (yes, you can do that!).
There’s one more thing you need to do and that is to note all the things you have done so far this year. Especially the ones you never even imaged! Things that come to mind:
- Learning to play to your computer
- Learning to not play for other people (!)
- Learning where to look so you look like you’re looking at the other person (and dealing with not being able to see them so that you look like you can).
- Figuring out new software to have lessons or harp circles or play dates
- Learning that you really do have to wait for the other person to finish – and wait your turn.
- Learning to deal with the fatigue which seems to be unique to spending all day on your computer, even if previously you thought you spent all day on your computer!
- Coping in the face of unending uncertainty (and helping others do the same)
So, on balance, you’re probably having a good and productive year. Let’s make sure your goals match and that you’re taking credit for what you have accomplished so far. I’m sure there are even more things you have learned – both related and unrelated to playing the harp – share them in the comments.
July 20, 2020
Spruce up your practice space – 8 ways
We’ve been inside a lot already with winter, the spring that tried hard to not come and then the virus running roughshod over the earth. And now it’s the height of summer and many of us are doing our best to stay in the air conditioning!

All that being inside may lead to ennui. And that ennui may lead to your practice space needing a little sprucing. Do you find that you’re not drawn to your practice space? Are you just not sitting down to practice as much as you’d like?

You might need to spruce up your practice space! Why might you want to do this? Well, here are four reasons – I’m sure there are more, but ones that come to mind are:
- It’s your space so it should reflect you!
- You’re a creative and being creative in various ways boosts all your creativity.
- You want to want to spend time your space so it should be attractive!
- You want your space to meet your needs so you can actually use it.
How might you go about this sprucing? Well, you can go all out and paint, get new flooring, and completely redecorate. But that’s a big project! You might need a little less than that – how about contenting yourself with a little reorganizing? What might that include? Here are eight things you might try:
1. Rearrange the furniture. You might be surprised how much simply moving your harp (even just turning it around) could change how you use your space. Yes, it could be that simple!
2. Does your sheet music storage make it easy to use? I have come up with a way to organize individual tunes – I have them in dividers, alphabetical by the title I think of the tune by. And yes, that means that some tunes are filed by their title in English and others are sorted by their Gaelic title…but it doesn’t matter….as long as I can find what I’m looking for. There is no “optimal” organization – only a system that will work for you. My books are a hopeless mess – I haven’t figured that one out yet!
3. Do you have enough lighting? I added a lamp which surprisingly made a huge difference in my already-brightly-lit room.
4. Is your space neat enough? That is, neat enough for you – it only has to work for you. But make sure it actually is neat enough for you…or develop a way to keep it to the level that allows you to be comfortable (or you’ll avoid the space and not play as much as you’d like). If you have to, re-home tchotchkes, get organizational stuff (boxes? files? bins? baskets? Whatever you will use), add (or remove) furniture) so that you have a level of neat you can live with.
5. Are your tools close to hand? You know there are things you need frequently – tuning wrench, tuner, pencils, etc. – are they were you can easily reach them, or do you need a place to put them?
6. Does your space serve your learning process? Do you have a place to put things you’re going to learn, are learning, have learned, are polishing, are refreshing? One that helps you keep those sorted and in work? I’ve suggested a couple of options – from file folders to recipe cards – just something that helps you “move” tunes through their development and into your repertoire.
7. You want to spend time there so make sure you like it – do you have art you like to look at? A comfy chair if you have room? (hey, you need to listen to music too!). Do you have a plant? Make sure you are enjoying the aesthetic you set!
8. Does your space serve more than one function? Do you have the luxury of a harp room or do you have a harp corner? Either way, make sure you organize in a way that not only assures you have a place to play but also protects the harp when you’re not playing. For instance, if your guest bedroom is also your harp room, what do you do with your harp when you have company?
Remember, your space has to work for you – in your life and your practice. There is no “right” answer – only the answer that allows you to practice and to enjoy your harp. And don’t shy away from making changes if you find that you “just don’t feel like being there” or you find that you go into your space, but you don’t stay long. That just lets you know you might need make some changes!

Spruce up your practice space so you actually practice! What will you do for your space?
July 13, 2020
Now go outside and play – No excuses
OSAS is finished – but boy oh boy was it a blast! We had a great group of harpers who were wonderful. They learned so much, including loads of harp music and how to zoom for hours on end. And we met new people and saw old friends. We had students from all over including Ohio and Maine and Oregon and Virginia and Maryland and Washington and Michigan and Italy!! We expended loads of energy together and I can’t wait until the next time! We have to wait a whole year.

And after a week of sitting on my bench, in an artificially lighted, air conditioned studio (to make our zoom meetings work), I almost forgot that it’s summer.

But it is definitely summer. So why not go outside and play?

While we all continue to limit going out and we all keep working on our social distancing, we could have an opportunity to bring a little of the enjoyment of being with other people into our lives.

Go outside and play!

Play for your neighbors and just connect in that way music does. But also – remember that you play the harp and you will make more than music – you’ll be making HARP music. And your neighbors will come out to be connected and to hear your beautiful music.

I hear some of you – you already have excuses. Just stop.
- You don’t have a huge repertoire yet? That’s ok, you don’t have to play long sets.
- You don’t have time? That’s ok, you don’t have to play every day.
- You don’t have any neighbors? That’s ok, you can go to a park or your local library or your grocery store.
- You’re not good enough? That’s ok, please be convinced that people will be grateful for your gift, no matter how polished or rough. (And I really wish you’d believe me that most audience members are in awe of you! They can’t do what you’re doing…and they know it).
I have been playing for my neighbors once a week (almost every week – I’ve missed a couple) since the lockdown began. I made it easy for everyone – I only play for about 30 minutes, so it’s not a long commitment for them (as listeners) or me (as a performer). I mostly play what I know – whatever comes to mind. Sometimes I add in something I’m working on (bonus – I get a low stress environment to find if it’s ready).

And I’ve been delighted by a couple of things. First – they came! I really wondered if anyone would be bothered to come out at all (remember there’s a plague upon the earth?). Second – they’ve kept coming! Not all of them every time, but there has been a consistent audience and I’m happy to have them. Third – I have gotten some incredible and gracious emails from my neighbors which is flattering, but more importantly, it’s gratifying.

So, go outside and play. Lift your bushel basket and stop hiding under it. Share your gift. Be like the summer flowers – out there where everyone can enjoy. But don’t delay – summer doesn’t last that long! What will you do with your summer? Let me know in the chat!
July 6, 2020
OSAS is here! OSAS is here!

This has been a year of upheaval and I know many of us are feeling it keenly! But we’ve all mustered on, doing what we can – for ourselves and for others – trying to live in what is laughingly called the “new normal” rather than being dragged down by “what might have been”.

I LOVE the Ohio Scottish Arts School! It has been pivotal in my life as a musician and as a person – some of my dearest friendships have grown from this one week in the summer. In addition, I probably wouldn’t be playing the harp at all if I hadn’t found OSAS. I am not exaggerating – as much as I love orchestral music (and the harp for that matter), I am confident I would not have endured playing solely from that repertoire. OSAS helped point me in the right direction and I haven’t looked back!

And I LOVE teaching at OSAS, so I was excited to be doing so again this summer! But when the pall spread across the earth, I was sad that we would all miss out on it. The fun. The friends. The great students. The great tunes. Sigh.

Enter the Virtual Ohio Scottish Arts School! When the decision was made to go virtual, I was delighted and excited! (but you knew that from my earlier post). Virtual OSAS – a new twist for slightly twisted times!

We had meetings to figure out how we were going to do this.

And we kept saying, “It’ll be great. It’ll be easy. It’ll be fine”, and Debbie Doty – our beloved director, leader, Mom would agree, while making this face:

But we kept planning and we kept preparing and we worried (a little) that people wouldn’t come. But we pushed on, learning how to Zoom, polishing up our tunes to share, working together to figure out how everything would work together. You know, being the OSAS family!

OSAS Alumnae who are known for their hi-jinks and wicked senses of humor made thoughtful, heartfelt testimonials to encourage previous students to return and potential students to come along. And come along they did. Being virtual means that people who previously couldn’t get to Ohio can be a part of the week! And many students from previous years are also coming! So exciting! Even more exciting? The Harp Class filled before the registration deadline hit!

HARPHARPHARPHARP!

This week, OSAS will go on. We’ll be TogetherApart – playing our harps, sharing great tunes, learning, and laughing – social distancing by entire continents or oceans!

And looking forward to having a whole set of new tunes to play together when we can be together.

We’ll still be having our Tea –

And enjoying many of the traditions that help make OSAS the event we love!

I am confident that, as usual, I’ll be busy being there and won’t take nearly enough pictures (screenshots?) to share here – but we’ll see what comes of it. If you’re going to be there – yea! Can’t wait to see you and catch up. And if you’ve missed out, it’s not too early to start planning for 2021… OSAS is always the last week of June running up to the 4^th July holiday (in 2021, that will be 26 June – 2 July….go put it on your calendar now, because you don’t want to miss out twice in a row, do you?).

* All photos ripped from the OSAS website

June 29, 2020
How will I know (what to practice)?
There’s SO much stuff to practice! You need to always be watching your technique…and that’s complicated. And you have to keep your tunes in your fingers…and that gets harder as you learn more tunes than you can remember you know. And you have to learn new stuff…which is easy to let slide while you’re busy watching your posture and remembering what you already know. And there’s theory. And there’s history and beyond your repertoire stretches, and…and…and…

…we get it, there’s a lot to practice…

…and there’s only 24 hours in a day…and all those Hallmark movies to watch, and laundry, and exercise, and meals, and work, and…sleep

So how are you going to get all your practice in? That’s not the question. The real question is – how do you decide what to practice?

You might need to use a time budget – but we’ve talked about that before – chopping up your practice time and assigning it at the micro level (think, “of my 30 minutes, I will spend 10 minutes doing…”) and the more macro level (think, “by the end of this week, I’d like to have learned that tune…”) and the even bigger level (think, “by September, I will begin to slowly refresh my holiday repertoire…” before you summarily forget it’s already October, but I digress).

And it’s a great idea to have all those levels of thinking about your practice, but then you have to make the REAL decision – what should you be practicing right now? Well, that’s up to you. I mean, I can only know my goals, and those of my students and the people I coach. If you’re not one of them, I have no way to know (BTW – shameless plug – I’ve got coaching slots available*). So, then the real question is – how do I decide what I should be practicing?

Here is a process to determine what you should be spending your time on:
1. Actually define what you’d like to be able to do (yes, this means write down what you’d like to be able to do with all that practicing). It can be grand (I’d like to play the Ceremony of the Carols on my 21 string lever-less folk harp) or mundane (I’d like to be able to play my exercises as slowly and carefully as Jen asks me to at my lessons so that I can actually get through them without fumbling). But write it down…maybe in that practice journal you either haven’t gotten, haven’t started, or think is just stupid.
2. Do a “mind dump”. Mind dumping is really popular right now. And with good reason. Yes, this is more writing things down, but in a good way. You really are going to try to dump, from your brain and onto the paper, everything you know about where you are, where you want to go (see #1 above) and what you already know. Write down everything you can think of that relates to how you play now, what you’d like to be able to do, and anything you might already know about the path between the two. No, really, write it down. All of it.
3. Now let’s build a “mind map”. Maybe you’re not a writer and you’re pushing back on this. Then you might not mind this step so much – a mind map is just a visual map of the stuff you wrote down. Yup – a drawing! Sort through all the things you wrote in #2 and identify which ones are related to one another. You might find, as you’re making your map, some things are more related than you originally thought (technique? theory? fingering?). For example, Carolan is all the rage this year (don’t ask me, I have absolutely no idea why, but he is!). But to play a lot of Carolan’s tunes, you need to be able to flawlessly and quickly play a scale – part of a scale, all of a scale, most of a scale – he used them a lot. So, in your map you’ll start with what you want to work on (playing Carolan) and “map” it to all the things that might help you get there (smooth, seamless, rapid scales). And I’m sure you’ll have loads of things to work on – so put them all on the map…and show which ones are related to which others.
4. Give it a hard look. Be realistic. Do you have the time to do all of that? If yes, go to a. If no, go to b.
  1. Do the thing! Now you know what you need to work on and how they’re all linked, so you can put together an approach to your practice. Be sure to include steps for each day you practice, each week and each month. Be realistic. Assure that everything lines up in a reasonable way (for example, you’ll want to be able to play simple scales before you start doing scales that are compound rhythms or complex executions). If you’re not sure, ask your teacher. Remember to plan more than just each day – let the days build on one another.
  2. Do the thing! Now you know what you need to work on and how they’re all linked, so you can put together an approach to your practice. Be sure to include steps for each day you practice, each week and each month. Be realistic. Assure that everything lines up in a reasonable way (for example, you’ll want to be able to play simple scales before you start doing scales that are compound rhythms or complex executions). If you’re not sure, ask your teacher. You will need to leave yourself plenty of time (over the calendar) and take small… but consistent (daily)…steps. Remember that 15 minutes every day is better practice than 2 hours on a Saturday! If you only have 15 minutes, now you’ll know what to spend them on! Remember to plan more than just each day – let the days build on one another.
5. Keep track of what you do! This can be easy – write it down. Too lazy? Too busy to spend all that time (20 sec) writing it down? Use that fancy phone you have! Record your practice once a week – then you’ll be able to see what you’re doing right and what needs a little more attention.
6. Don’t forget the cookie! OK, it doesn’t have to be a cookie (but it can be!) – make sure you also have a reward for meeting your plan. Whether it’s buying yourself a goofy harp trinket (I’m not mocking them, I have them too!) for practicing every day or for learning a tune completely or for performing the tune well when you needed to, you set the reward…and be sure to deliver! You will deserve it.
Let me know how you know what to practice – in the comments below!

* If you’re interested in coaching (or lessons) – let me know!
June 22, 2020
The Secret Way to Learn a Tune

One of the benefits of longevity at the instrument is growing a large repertoire. To be fair, having a big repertoire comes from a long-time learning of tunes and working on them.

The longer you spend learning tunes, the more you learn about learning. Not only about learning in general but also about your specific way of learning. If you pay attention, you learn what is challenging for you to take in and what comes so effortlessly to you (by which I probably really mean painlessly!).

You also learn some tips and tricks along the way. The short cuts. The work arounds. With time, you begin to be able to identify little patterns in the music. And eventually you learn to identify (and remember) even bigger patterns. With enough practice and exposure, you might not even be aware that you are learning. This is equally true whether you are learning by ear, learning from the paper, or the combination of the two. If you know your music theory, you also know that there are “rules” of the game (which could be construed as a different type of pattern). And you know which rules are malleable and which are inviolable, and when those rules can be bent, broken, or ignored.

But there’s a secret way to learn a tune, inside and out, up one side and down the other, whether you know the rules or not.

Are you ready for the secret?

Like most secrets, you’re going to slap your forehead at its obviousness.

Drumroll…

Cue “building suspense” music…

The secret is to teach the tune.

Told you it was simple.

When you are learning a tune, you look at it like an oncoming train – a whole bunch of notes, headed straight for you (that’s why it is so much easier when you begin to hear the little patterns that make it up).

But when you teach a tune, you look at it completely differently. For one thing, the notes aren’t all ganging up and headed at you! Instead, you have lovingly collected them so you can spoon them out. You are looking at them from the other end! And it is funny, but when you look at this this way, the tune looks completely different.

I can’t tell you how many tunes I have changed fingering for – after I had played them for years – because when I taught them, I realized how dumb my original fingering was. My thought process at that moment goes something like, “I can’t teach that! It’s really difficult, not to mention stupid. Why am I doing it like that? I’m going to show it this other way instead!” And then I change the way I play it!

Sometimes I see whole phrases differently. Sometimes I find little bits that are seminal building blocks of the tune. And if I’d noticed those things earlier, I would have learned the tune faster.

Give it a try. Next time you’re with a group, play some fun tune you love (I promise, we’ll be together again soon!). Share it with others. Teach it to them – so you’ll have another tune to play together!

You might think, “everyone’s better than me, I won’t be able to teach them anything!” That may be, although I’m always surprised what tunes other people don’t know/haven’t heard before – so it’s always worth asking. And even if you have a small repertoire, as you learn, it will grow bigger. Eventually, you won’t be the newest harper in the room – so you should be prepared for it. You can also ask someone who is “harp-older” than you if you can teach them the tune – just as a means to “test” your knowledge…you’d be amazed how many people will play along (even if they already know the tune).

Still convinced you’ll never teach anything to anyone? Then pretend! Or teach the tune to your (very disinterested) cat*. Go through the exercise of figuring out – how would you teach it. Stumped? Then ask yourself, “How would Jen teach this?” (or your favorite teacher or your harp hero).

How would I teach the tune? I’d look for the repeating patterns. And I’d give them names (or numbers, or characteristics) – one of my favorites is a tune with a cookie in the middle – two patterns that make an Oreo (or Hydrox) – a bottom cookie (one pattern), the creamy middle (second pattern), and another cookie on top (first pattern again). No one forgets that part of the tune!

Pick a tune you know and decide who you’ll teach it to. Typically, summer workshops are a good opportunity because friends share tunes (and we will, just maybe not this summer!). Look for the patterns and how they fit together. Where do they go? How much is there to learn really? I love teaching tunes where the B part is the A part with one measure changed (not even different, just changed)! What will you teach? Let me know in the comments – and if I don’t know it, hope you’ll teach it to me!

*Someone recently asked me about my cat (since I’m always writing about playing for your cat). I don’t actually have a cat. I haven’t had a cat in a very very very long time. I borrow other people’s cats. But, I like cats so they come up in my thinking. If you’re a dog person, please do not take umbrage. I also don’t and haven’t had a dog in a very very very long time either. I like dogs too but I don’t seem to think of them as much. I also know from experience that dogs will sit there and listen because they are loyal and sweet…but cats will listen because they choose to.

June 15, 2020