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  • Brain work – Enharmonics

    No one likes to learn theory. No one even really likes to think about theory. But one of the important things about theory is that it helps you build a vocabulary that you can use to talk with other musicians…and actually understand what they’re talking about.

    And the words shouldn’t be the way we differentiate ourselves from one another, but often that is what happens – someone uses a word that sounds like you should know what it means but you have no idea what they are talking about! So, here’s the first of these – just so you can stay in the conversation!

    So what are Enharmonics? Enharmonic is the word used to describe two notes of the same pitch that have different names. This is easier if you look at a piano –

    Picture3For example – if you look at the right black key in the set of two – you can call this D# (if you are in the key of EMaj) but might also call it Eb (if you are in the key of B Maj). They are the same sound (this is not entirely true – if you’re interested we can address that later – but for our purposes, they are the same sound) but have two different names.

    If you have your harp tuned to Eb Maj, you can either leave the A lever down (to have an Ab) or you can lift the G lever (to have a G#). You’ll get the same note (assuming you have tuned correctly!). The challenge is to remember what string to play when!

    Enharmonics allow you to have both notes (either G or G# and or Ab and A#). Note that, unlike the piano, you can’t have both without flipping levers. And that’s ok – as long as you plan ahead!

    You’ll get better at using enharmonics to get more out of your harp if you practice reading the music and “translating” the notes in your head as you play.

  • 2015 Reading Challenge!

    We all know that we should be reading more. Reading takes practice. It is more challenging on the harp than on other instruments because the music isn’t propped up directly in front of us – we have to add turning our heads to all the other effort of reading.

    Some of us complain that we don’t read well, or fast enough, or accurately enough. And we have forgotten how hard we had to work to learn to read initially…it was so long ago that it escapes us how hard it was to master!

    There is a way to make reading easier – PRACTICE!!

    Picture2But practice is also easier if we have a goal – so we’re going to have a Summer Reading Challenge! The goal is to practice our reading so it becomes second nature (or at least is closer to second nature than it is now!).

    The Challenge will be on for six weeks. The plan is to read through as much music as possible in that time. You can select music that you are interested in. You can read melody lines or both hands – whichever will get you further along in reading the music you want to read more easily. The point is simply to practice your reading so it will get easier!

    My goal is to read a new tune every day! I’ll post a list at the end and we’ll see how I do – hope you’ll join me – start keeping a list in your practice journal and you can send them to me in August! Start reading – you have until 26 August!

  • I’m off to Oberlin!

    I’m not going to try to kid myself that I’ll get a post off this week – I’m at the Ohio Scottish Arts School – learning from amazing tutors including Wendy Stewart, Haley Hewitt, Ann Heymann, Charlie Heymann, Sue Richards, and from my fellow OSASers who are incredible harpers in various stages of development – why aren’t you here?!?

     

  • The Dr. Is In

    Dr. Seuss is quoted as saying,

    “It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.”

    What a great way to look at playing. We have to remember that even when we play our best, we can only play our best for this day…and tomorrow will be another, different day on which we may play very differently.

    Which means that each day, when we work at playing, we have the opportunity to play well, or to learn from our playing or both. We also can learn so much that may (or may not) be directly tied to our harp playing.

    Some days it feels like you aren’t getting anywhere. Other days, you make so much progress you wonder why you ever doubted. And, of course, you have a day each time you practice. So why is it that you only remember the days in which you had trouble? You only recall the “bad” days!Picture1To avoid falling down in the dumps about these bad days, keep a log. Each day write down what you did, what when right, what gave you some difficulty. You might want to develop a scheme for finding the good days (color the top corner green, fold the page over on the diagonal, keep good days at the front right side up and bad days at the back upside down) so you can remind yourself that you’re doing a great job and what you continue to struggle with.

    Because you know that there will always be some things that are a struggle…but they don’t define you! Just keep in mind what the good Dr. said.

  • Improvisation

    No, don’t think, “Oh bother, I’m not reading this!”.  Bear with me.  Up until not too long ago, I thought improvisation was something my teacher thought up to make my life hell, I thought she just didn’t like me (ok, not really). But, every time the word “improvisation” was uttered, I could see it, hanging in the air like a cloud of smoke over a frying pan – smelling slightly bad and not improving my disposition.

    I know now that my fear was unfounded but not baseless. I no longer quake in my boots at the thought of ripping out an improv…but that’s only because I have spent some time on some important fundamentals. Learn those fundamentals and you’ll be well on your way to comfortably filling the time between tunes, when you can’t think of anything to play, or just when your mind is blank.

    Start with riff. A riff is a short pattern or phrase (melodic, rhythmic, both) that is repeated. Remember that the “re” in repeated means over and over and over and over…..I suggest keeping it simple – especially when you’re just beginning. You can do this!!

    Picture1Here are four things to get you started:

    1. Start with a simple pattern – and I mean s-i-m-p-l-e! This is not the time to channel your inner JSBach! Three notes is all you need to start. Starting simple means that your brain doesn’t have to work hard just to keep the pattern going. You want something so easy you can do it without thinking – literally.
    2. Noodle around the pattern – this is the stone soup method of composing on the fly.  To your well established simple pattern, add stuff.  Try adding the root note, then try out the other notes in the triad, maybe give the 4th, the 6th, or the 7th a go and see what you like. Remember that tunes are made of the patterns, pitches, and SILENCES so you can add those too – use all the colors on your palette!
    3. Don’t forget your theory – it will help you make choices faster with less hunting and pecking. All that adding stuff is easier if you don’t have to muscle through it (you don’t have to have studied your theory but it helps to know ahead of time what sort of effect you’ll get with the 3rd as opposed to what happens when you use the 4th (for instance)).
    4. Practice – improv doesn’t just happen from the stage – all that nonchalance comes from hours of practice! The jazz greats (what most people think of when you say improv) know their music cold (like you will if you practice your 3 note riff) so they could select a pattern and build a riff on it. You have to practice doing improvisation! Don’t expect that sort of creativity to just jump into your head or into your hands – it takes work.

    Start doing a little gentle improve in the safety of your practice space – just spend 5 minutes of each practice session seeing what happens if you suspend disbelieve and give it a try. If I can do it, you can too!

  • Time to tune up

    In the summer, there are so many camps, workshops, programs and they all suggest that you start early to get your fingers toughened up because you’ll be playing more than you usually do.

    GREAT SUGGESTION!

    But what does that mean? How can you get ready for these events? Here are seven ways to tune up for a workshop so you can get as much out of the last session as the first: Picture1

    1. Make a schedule – you know you have a finite amount of time to prepare, so plan to use it – each day increase your time on the bench a little (add no more than 10% each week – just like running).  A small increase allows you to build up without adding too much at once, which will help you stay on track). Be sure in also increase the number of times each day that you sit at your harp – the workshop might be 8 hours a day but that won’t all be on your bench so you might want to practice sitting to your harp 3 times a day rather than one really long stretch!
    2. Work your plan – it’s all well and good to make a plan but then you have to actually use it! Be sure that you actually do the things you set up in your plan
    3. Be realistic – if you never have time to practice on Sundays (for example) – build that into your plan, don’t think that suddenly the time will appear. This is especially true if you are working around your current schedule – if you only have 30 minutes a day to practice, do not think that suddenly you will find 3 hours a day to practice.  However, if you are so strapped for time that you can only practice for 30 minutes a day – know that you will need to modify what you expect to get out of each day of the workshop.
    4. Remember your braces: when you had braces, you didn’t expect all the movement at once – it was gentle progress you were after – same thing here – gentle positive progress will not only allow you to feel better about your work but will result in a noticeable benefit.
    5. Warm up – this is not the time to skimp on the fundamentals – do plan to spend a little time warming up (and when you get to your workshop, don’t forget to do this!)
    6. Stretch – just as you know that a good warm up is essential to avoiding injury, a good stretch at the end of your time at your harp is also important while you are increasing your time on the bench. And when you are at your workshop, stretching will also be important – you will be working hard.  In addition, workshop participants are often a little stressed (concentrating, wanting to “do well” (whatever that means – everyone is learning!), trying to learn a lot in a little time with the tutor all add to your stress).
    7. Journal – keep a record of what you are doing and how it is going – while this is always a good idea, it’s especially important when you are trying to prepare.

    Summer workshops, camps, and other events are a great way to learn, meet new friends, catch up with old friends and really expand your harping – be sure you are ready to make the most of the event!

  • Harpa 2015 – We’re back!

    Well, Harpa 2015 Scotland is in the books and the general consensus is that it was a great trip!  We had a fantastic time.  All the wonderful Harpaniks made the trip so much fun.  And of course, David, our tour guide and Heather, our Roadie did a fantastic job – they really made the trip.

    If you haven’t already, check out our photos and commentary at Harpa 2015 on Facebook

    Photo by Jack Kolle
    Photo by Jack Kolle

    You’re probably kicking yourself at this point – yes, you should have joined us and been part of the fun.  But fear not, we have already started planning the next one.

    And of course, in 2016 we’ll be doing a Harp the Highlands and Islands Tour – so watch this space with details to come soon.

  • Excitement is building!

    I am very excited to be departing for Harpa 2015 – Scotland!  I will be in the impressive company of 14 other delightful people and I can’t wait to get on the road! I’m throwing the last few things into my luggage, nestling my harp into its travel case and preparing to depart.

    We’ll post some from the road – but remember we’re on vacation so we’ll post when we can and what we’ve got – and we’ll look forward to telling you about it when we get back!

  • Sometimes you just want to control the clock

    I never did get to post last week.  It was one of those weeks that was just too full. Something had to give.

    Last week, I chose to practice. Just like everyday, I specifically allotted time to spend at my harp.

    Because the week was busy, I had to chivvy time out of other places to get things accomplished.

    I chose to practice. Or more accurately, I protected the practice time and let other things slide.

    Picture1I chose to not let practice get shifted off the schedule.  I cut back on other things – sleep got short shrift too, and I didn’t write to you.

    I’m happy with my choice.  I’m equally happy that I consciously put practicing on the front burner.

    Hopefully the coming weeks will be calmer and more controlled! And I hope when presented with the options, you chose to practice too!

  • Southern Maryland Celtic Festival Harp Competition – this weekend!

    Come join us at the Southern Maryland Celtic Festival Saturday, 25th April. Rain or shine, we’ll be in the Breckenridge building (that’s right – no tent or lean-to for us – we’re in a real building with walls and ceilings!)

    Our judge this year is the fabulous Sharon Knowles, a Scottish Harp Society of America Distinguished Judge – we are so fortunate to have her! Sharon will also be teaching a workshop – so even if you’re not inclined to compete, bring your harp along anyway and learn a new tune. In addition, we’ll have a Harp Circle so please join us for that as well. And if you’ve got your harp there anyway, you could also stay for the Ceilidh at the end of the day!

    Picture1Remember if you are planning to compete, buy a Harp Competition ticket. You can get there either by going to the Harp page of the Celtic Society of Southern Maryland (CSSM) website  (http://www.cssm.org/events/festival/competitions/highland-harping/) or from the general ticket page (http://www.cssm.org/tickets/) and be certain to click on the Harp Competition button). If you have fans (friends, family) coming they can buy regular tickets

    And if you’re coming with your harp but not competing, buy a regular ticket (there is no price difference). If you’re not sure, buy a competition entry ticket and we’ll sort it out on the day.

    Arrival registration will start at 0930 and the competition will begin at 1000.

    Don’t forget you’ll need to download, complete, and bring the signed Hold Harmless as well. Once at the competition, we’ll assure that your SHSA membership is up to date (remember that it will be $18 for the calendar year, check payable to SHSA is a great idea!). Rules state that the first to register is last to play in each category, so get online and get registered!

    Weather is predicted to be fine and cool – if you have questions, you know how to get ahold of me – just ask! I’ll look forward to seeing you there!