Tag Archives: Musicianship

To err is human

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Are you a perfectionist?  When practicing, is your sole intention to “get it right”?  To make no errors?  Is your focus on defeating the old saying, “to err is human”?

Are you making yourself miserable chasing perfection in your playing?

To err is human

Now, don’t get me wrong, it is important to “get it right” – but let’s think about how we’ve defined “right”.  And no, it’s not a simple or easy question.   There can be multiple, varied definitions.  Here are some:

  1. The Copier Definition – the tune is right when it is played exactly, invariantly, as written, with no errors (sometimes known as the “if I don’t execute every element perfectly*, my teacher is going to think I didn’t practice” definition).
  2. The Plan Definition – the tune is right when absolutely nothing is missed, there is no deviation from the plan. There are no errors. Ever.
  3. The Communication Definition – the tune is right when your audience heard the story you were telling and felt the emotions you were trying to convey. There might have been some deviations in some notes, but they got the point.

You can probably guess which definition I prefer.  Is one of these definitions the “right” one (see what I did there?)?

No.

But some are more useful at times than others are.  When do you want to use which one?

The Copier definition is especially useful when you are learning a tune.  After all, if you don’t know the basic elements of the tune, do you know it and will you be able play it?  Pr’oly not.  This definition certainly gives you a solid foundation from which to play.  The focus on securing the notes, the rhythm, and phrasing will help cement the tune in your head.  But if you stop there, you have stunted your musical growth.  And then you will probably get stuck in the Plan. 

The Plan definition is to just stick to the plan.  Play what you practiced but do not make any changes.  This is a cold and unfeeling place from which to make sounds, but not really music. 

One thing the Copier or the Plan don’t include is sharing a message with someone else.  They can both result in emotionless, mechanical playing that leaves the listener feeling like they have heard a robot playing.  Technically correct yet not quite satisfying.

Because music is a form of communication.  And the purpose of communication is, well, to communicate!  To share an idea, to build a relationship (no matter how brief), to interact with other humans. 

The Copier and the Plan are all about you, not your audience (and remember, even the cat and the curtains enjoy your musical conversations – they want to hear from you).  This is about holding dominion over – and defeating – the music.    

So, the Communication Definition.  This is the only of these definitions that is outside you, that includes an audience.  The focus is on sharing.  Note production is important – but only in service to the message.  The tune is “right” when the recipient understands what you meant to convey.  The Communication definition is appropriate when you have learned the tune and are ready to actually play it (rather than beating it to death in practice). 

So, what is your definition of “right”?  And how do you move between them as you develop and practice your repertoire?  And what do you do with your mistakes?  Let’s get back to Alexander Pope and his thought, because we often forget the rest of it.  He wrote,

“To err is human, to forgive, divine.”

Now, do not take this as carte blanche to be sloppy.  You still need to have the tune so you can play it.  But you can be forgiving of your work, your attempts to learn, your progress as you move toward gaining the tune for your repertoire.  Being forgiving is not equivalent to being slack.

As you are practicing, as you move between the definitions during your tune development, remember that you will make errors and that they are not the end of the world.  Next week, we’ll talk about how they can be just the beginning!

What is your definition of “right”?  Has any of this changed your mind?  What kind of errors do you find the most unforgivable?  Let me know in the comments.

 

*perfectly – whatever that means

The Pandemic Slump

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It’s been two years of pandemic.  Two long, challenging, isolated, soul-smushing years.  One thing I have seen really grow over these two years is the Pandemic Slump*.  I am experiencing it myself.  And I know all too well that many of you are too. 

What is the Pandemic Slump I hear you ask? 

Well, it’s not a downturn in the economy.  It’s not the weird ennui we’ve been feeling and struggling to shake off, even as things begin to look up.

What is the Pandemic Slump? Check your zoom window, you might see it there.  Do you still have the lovely posture you worked so hard to develop while on the bench?

Pandemic_Slump

The Pandemic Slump is, in fact, actually likely the fault of (insert the name of your favorite online video interaction app here – zoom, skype, teams, facetime, messenger, or whatever app you’ve been using to soldier on with lessons and workshops).  As we try to make do with our phones or tablets or laptops with their fixed cameras and microphones, the slump has crept up on us.  After all, they said it would only be two weeks, and then only a few weeks more. And we’re not rich tech oligarchs, we’re musicians, so we can’t really be splashing dosh all over the place for a complete cinematographer’s set up.  We have been making do with what we have.  We’re staying connected and making progress.

And now we’re in a slump – literally.  That’s not good.  And I, as a teacher and as a CME (Certified Music Ergonomist), just cannot stand it anymore! 

Now, to be fair, the lockdowns have done more to impact our posture than just moving to online lessons.  We’re slugged out on the couch more, binging Downton’s Anatomy and Parks and Thrones.   And while it has been good fortune that so many have been able to work from home, very few had a well designed space.  It’s home after all – not focused on working for hours each day and so, many also have a poorly designed, badly set up space using laptops on beds, kitchen counters, floors, etc. because having an expensive (but supportive) ergonomic desk chair for home wasn’t really a priority. 

The slump is also bad because it changes your position at the harp. Your hands are at a different approach angle and your arms have to reach farther (because when you slump, your chest caves and your shoulders, going along for the ride and taking your arms with them.

In addition, to see the camera (which is in wide, landscape format), a lot of people have had to crouch down so that there was also enough harp in the picture to be helpful (and to move the lesson along).  And, a lesson or workshop is a social interaction, so we want to see each other which also requires getting your face in the frame, even if you have to contort your back to do so.  The lighting is bad and often becomes variable (due to digitization), so you may be squinting at the display. 

After two years of this, you might not even notice you’re doing it!  What can you do? Let’s work on fixing all that!

First, you can get out the same way you came in – use your computer camera!  You can do this in real time by starting a meeting in your app (just don’t invite anyone else) and watch yourself.  If you’re having trouble watching yourself and monitoring your posture while you play, then record and review later – use your app or the video on your computer.  I like doing this in real time because then I can fix it as soon as I see it and I can see when it starts (do you slouch when you’re working to learn or remember, or do you slouch all the time?).  But recording and reviewing later also frees you up to focus on playing and seeing more things while you’re focused on reviewing.

If you’re not a techie (or you just don’t want to do the above), use an egg timer and a mirror – diddle with the timer so it goes off randomly. When it dings, freeze, and look in the mirror – do you like what you see, or do you need to straighten up?

Second, when I start students, I often give them a “starting checklist” to run through before they start playing.  Playing the harp is challenging and remembering all that stuff (head up, back straight, “puppy paws”, “baby waves”, breathe, oh, and play) can be a lot to remember.  Hence the checklist – I suggest that you make the checklist you need and run through it before you start to play.  Just make sure that don’t slouch/back straight is prominently placed in the list!

Have you noticed that your posture has taken a hit lately – do you have the Pandemic Slump? Or have you had other problems crop up like overuse injuries developing, trouble with playing stamina, or reduced accuracy and speed?  Want to learn more?  I’ll be giving two workshops at the Somerset Folk Harp Festival – Ergonomics 101 (in person, Friday, 22 July 3 – 4:30pm) and Selecting the right harp for you (in person, Saturday, 23 July 10 – m 11:30am) – come learn with me!  And if I can help you, we can make that happen! **

Have you noticed the Pandemic Slump in your zoom window?  Let me know about it in the comments! 

 

* Why yes, I did just make up that name but it is also a real thing.

** Ok, this is a shameless commerce plug, but it is a real thing – don’t play in pain, work with me.

Have you got the Temperament?

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So, we’ve talked about the tools you might use to tune and a few approaches to assuring you tune all your strings to particular pitches.  But last week, Sara brought up a good point that I had been dancing around. 

Why?  Because it’s easy, but not simple.  What?!

So, let’s start with a caveat.  I’m not an expert in tuning or the mathematics and music theory behind tuning.  I’ll share what I know but please understand that this will be a skimming of the topic*.  Here goes.

The Social Component.  You might not have known there’s a social component to tuning, but there is.  We use A= 440Hz as we mentioned before.  But why?  Because this is the current convention.  Translation,

“We do it that way because that’s the way we do it.” 

In times past A = 432Hz, and who knows what it was before that (ok, someone probably knows, but I don’t).  This consensus on what “in tune” means is the social component of tuning – we’ve agreed,  we’ve come to consensus that we will use this standard (A = 440Hz) to tune our instruments. 

After all, why do we tune at all?  Because making music is social – and we want to enjoy playing together. 

Having said that, there are other elements of this social consensus.  More plainly, there is more than one “tuning system.”   These tuning systems “define” the scales you tune to.  There are loads of systems, and variants on them, and like every other human endeavor they have grown, developed, and changed (morphed?) over time.  Here are the two Temperaments you are most likely to bump into playing the harp.  I’m presenting them here as fait accompli but realize that they are all defined through and across music, philosophy, culture, and history.

Equal Temperament.  I’ve started here because this is the system you have likely always used (and unless you have changed a setting on your tuner, it’s what most electronic tuners use).  This system has the twelve tones that match the keys on the piano (C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B) and the pitches are distributed equally.  This is the tuning that makes it possible for the piano to be played in each major key**.  The upside is that everyone can play together.  The downside is that when you smush the pitches like that, they are no longer mathematically “correct” and when this was first used, it “sounded funny” (or more likely slightly off because when they did that, the notes all moved a little, sort of like kindergartners shifting around in line for cookies).  If you’re not sure, look at your tuner (or at the paperwork) –  it likely says it’s equal temperament.

Pythagorean Temperament.  You’ve heard of the Pythagorean Theorem?  Pythagoras thought that all beauty could be captured in mathematical ratios – the right triangle, the movements of the planets, and the arrangement of pitches.  This tuning is based on tuning “pure 5ths”.  This is the tuning you might use if you worked with a tuning fork.  This is the temperament that is easiest to tune by ear – you listen for the glorious pure 5th (remember – an in-tune 5th will “ring” and be audibly in tune.  You can’t miss it – and if you’re not hearing the ringing, you’re not in tune yet).  Each pitch will be near its cousin from equal temperament but only the octaves and 5ths will be exactly the same.    

There are other Temperament Systems including Meantone, all the variations of Equal Temperament (the 12 tone we’ve talked about above and including a lot of others counting up to 72 tone, Well Temperament (which Bach used to make a set of tunes for all 24 major and minor scales available on the keyboard at the time), Just Intonation (which I’ve never run into but is a thing), and many more.  Remember too that the temperament selected might have more to do with the music being played (renaissance had a different sense than modern) or the instrument being played (remember, it’s hard to retain theory that doesn’t apply to you!). 

Here’s a suggestion – play around with your tuning and see what you think.  If you’re typically using Equal Temperament, try Pythagorean and see what you think.  You might make lemon face because, it will be slightly different.  It probably will sound out of tune, but if you’re interested, give it a try.

Which type of tuning do you use and why?  “Because that’s what I was taught” is a perfectly good answer!  Did you try another approach?  What did you think?  Let me know in the comments.

 

*If you’re interested, there are many books on tuning, but one of my favorites is Lies My Music Teacher Told Me by Gerald Eskelin.  It’s a really fun book, and a short read, weighing in under 175 pages, but it is dense going – and having an interest in math will help.   Alternately, you can choose the path many do and stick with the theory you have learned by rote from teachers who have learned by rote.  Another way to say that is,

It has always been thus….

You will do fine if you want to keep it there, but read the book if you’ve always wondered.

 

** if the wording starts to be a little stilted, please note that is me attempting to be correct in an area that I don’t fully understand (nor do purport to), and is language that many musicians have bandied about but is actually quite technical – kind of like you call it a bruise but your physician calls it a hematoma – they’re both right, but one is more technically accurate than the other!

Tune it – Now What?

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Now that you know more about tuners that you ever wanted to, you might be wondering what you should be doing with the one you selected!  Because no matter how ritualized you make your tuning, in the end, you want to get to playing – so you might be wondering,

“I have a tuner…now what?”

Tuning your harpGood question.  Since tuning is pretty essential, people who’ve been at it a while might forget to initiate others into the mysteries of it all – like what you should do when you sit down to tune.

First, some ground rules:

  • There is no one way to tune. Just like there is no single way to play the harp, there are multiple ways to approach tuning. Play around with the suggestions here and find the approach that works for you.  Or hybridize them, or make up your own.
  • No matter how you go about the act of tuning, in the end, be focused on the goal – which is to have a harp that is in tune. Anything that pulls you away from that goal is not serving you as a musician.
  • It is a good idea to tune your harp with all the levers OFF – no matter to what scale you’re tuned. Tuning with the levers engaged doesn’t make a lot of sense – if the levers are doing their job, turning the pin to tighten or loosen the string will have to work against the lever which is designed to hold the string in place – tautly!  Just don’t. Take the levers off and then tune.

So here are some thoughts on the HOW of tuning:

  • The Linear Method* – Start at the bottom of your harp and tune each string, in order, until you get to the top. Yup, easy-peasy. There’s no getting lost or forgetting where you were.  And if you do get lost, as soon as you hear the string you think was next, you’ll have auditory proof that you’re right (or not).  You can also go from top to bottom – there’s no magic in starting at the bottom, so it’s up to you.
  • The Linear Octave Method – Start at the bottom of your harp (my bottom string is a C) and tune that string. Then tune each successive string of that note up your harp (e.g., C6 – C5 – C4 – C3 – C2 – C1). Once at the top of your harp, go back to the bottom and do the next string (e.g., D6 – D5 – etc.).  Iterate until you get to C5) and you’re done.  As with the Linear Method, you could also start at the top and work your way down.
  • The Circle of 5ths Simple Method – This approach is a little more complicated in that it assumes you know and are comfortable with the complete Circle of 5ths**. In addition, you have to pay attention so you don’t forget where you are! Start with your favorite pitch (I start with Ab) (If that doesn’t mean anything to you, and if your harp is not tuned to Bb or Eb, start with A)( If that doesn’t mean anything to you, and your harp is tuned to Bb or Eb, let me know and I’ll address it another time!).  Tune all of the strings of that pitch, then move to it’s 5th and tune all those, move to its 5th and tune all those, etc. until you get back where you started. 
  • The Circle of 5ths Less Simple Method – This method is a little more complicated. Here you really have to pay attention so you don’t get lost! Again, start with your favorite string (I start with Ab3) (If that doesn’t mean anything to you, it’s the Ab above middle C).  Then tune the octave below it (for me, Ab4).  Next tune the octave above it (for me, Ab2), back and forth until all of the strings of that pitch have been tuned.  Then move to its 5th and tune all those, again going below then above, etc. around the Circle until you get back where you started.  This really does require that you pay attention because you have to remember what you have tuned and where you’re going (both direction and 5ths).
  • The Random Walk – I don’t recommend this approach, but I have seen some beginners use no pattern. They just pick a string and tune it and then go on to some other string (and it appears random to me, with no discernable pattern). This really would take a great deal of concentration and it’s likely that you’ll miss a string (or 6).  But I’m not going to tell you not to do it this way – as long as when you’re finished your harp is actually in tune!

Since you might ask, my favorite way to tune is the Less Simple Circle of 5ths Method.  I like it best because everything about it helps me tune – tuning the strings against each other helps me hear them better, using the Circle makes harmonic sense, and for me, not going straight up an octave helps me focus more.  But to be honest, I use all these approaches at various times, depending on the circumstances.  The best method is the one you’ll actually use!  In addition, even the most complicated approach becomes easy if you practice doing it!

Additional Thoughts

Remember there’s more to tuning that slavishly adhering to the tool. Your tuner is not smart. And while it “listens” it doesn’t “hear”!  So, when I have “finished” tuning, I have an additional step to hear that my harp is in tune.  I use this step to correct tuning that might be off.  There are a couple of ways to do it:

  • Play octaves – play a 2 handed one octave scale of octaves from the bottom to the top of your harp. You know how to do this, you learned when you were first playing the harp – play the lowest octave in the left hand (e.g., C6 and C5) and the next higher octave in the right (e.g., C4 and C3) and play a scale straight up until you get to the top of your harp. Listen to what’s coming out of your harp and fix any notes that aren’t sweet. 
  • Play triads – just like above but with triads rather than scales. I like this method best because it really helps me hear when a note is not right. Sometimes, that note will have read right on the tuner and sounded good in the octaves, but played against its 5th (or sometimes its 3rd) then I can hear that it’s just not quite right.  The other advantage is that I can quickly tell exactly which string isn’t right (not just which note) so I don’t have to guess or redo them all (it’s not all the Bs, it’s just B3, for example).  And it’s typically not out by, much so I can correct it fairly easily.

Handy hint – harps are built to be resonant. I place my hand flat against the lowest strings when I’m tuning the middle (remember, I usually start in the middle) – this way the tuner (and my ear) hears the string I’m playing. Otherwise, those lower strings are resonating sympathetically and the tuner hears that, but since, at that point I haven’t tuned those lower strings yet, what the tuner hears might lead me astray.  Then my tuned string is not actually as well tuned as I think and I will have to go back and retune it after I’ve finished tuning – how pointless is that!?!

How do you go about tuning?  Do you have another approach?  Anything that just really doesn’t work?  Let me know in the comments!

 

* I’ve made up these names, they aren’t “official” but feel free to use them 😉

** Whether you use this method of tuning or not, you need to know and be comfortable and facile with the Circle of 5ths – it’s something we use a lot!

Color outside the lines?

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It’s all there in Black and White.

The treble lines, the bass lines.

Five lines of instructions (actually, 10 for us – plus ledger lines!). Play this note at this time…and all those other notes too, in order, as written.

So let it be written, so let it be done!

Except…wait a minute – last week we talked about the importance of asking questions…including my favorite – why? And a few weeks before that we talked about how sometimes meter and tempo get conflated and confused. So, this is sort of the same idea – We often make flawed assumptions about how we know what to play. And this week, we’ll talk about another flawed assumption that can make playing more difficult (and a way around it!)*.

Sometimes we mix up the register and the hand. This is especially easy to do because we are taught that way. And, to be honest, about 99.99999999999999999999999999999% of the time that is the right solution. But sometimes it’s just silly. Imagine if you were presented with this**:

Your experience, your practice and your efficiency all drive you to play all that mess in your left hand – even as the music tells your right hand to pack a bag and go on vacation! And you will likely tear yourself inside out trying to make it happen – possibly with the right hand sympathetically gripping the sound board tightly in terrorized support, hanging on like a terrified passenger on the back of a wobbly Harley.

Or what about this?

Same thing, only this time it’s the left-hand packing for a trip to the Bahamas!

Why do we do this? Well, because the ink said to, so we must.

It has always been thus.

But do we really? NO!!

Because while the ink tells you What and When –

it actually says n-o-t-h-i-n-g about How!

Read that again.

Of course, it’s easy to think like that –

Bass = Left hand and Treble = Right hand

And it’s easy to not think about what hand makes sense to be playing at that point.  After all,

Melody = right hand and harmony = left hand

Sic semper tyrannis

But does it even make sense to do it that way?***

After all, you have one harp and all the sounds come from it. Harmony and melody – all from one source – so really, which hand you use doesn’t really matter.

Now, I’m not advocating that you throw away all that practice and tradition. Instead, I’m suggesting that when you are struggling to make some fingering work, try to work smarter rather than harder.

I’ll remind you: the staff tells you What and When but

not How!

There’s another benefit of thinking about “breaking” the arrangements differently – and that is that the more ways you can look at the music (divergently), the more you will see new ways to play it. You’ll also “discover” patterns that were previously hidden from you that can then be leveraged, and the more you will think creatively (yea divergent thinking!).

Remember that the ink is a guide, but you must make the journey!

Do you ever color outside the lines?  What wonky passages have you struggled with and how did you overcome that?  Let me know in the comments!

* Special thanks to Rachelle Morgan who asked this question in Ask a Harp Pro on Facebook!

** Unceremoniously pinched from Rachelle’s question but slightly modified

***I need to credit Sue Richards for teaching me to think this way. Otherwise, I’d still be fighting to make stupid stuff work out and playing slowly, unable to catch up.

Admiring your handiwork

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Is there any more satisfying feeling than letting out a beautiful harmony?

Admiring your handiworkWhen you’re beginning it will be the satisfaction of actually playing the single note – the right note at the right time.  Even better if you used the finger you intended and the note that sounded wasn’t a complete surprise! *

As you become more experienced and more practiced, you add more notes to the harmony, but that joy of the sound doesn’t really dim.

And all of that would be great…if there was only one harmony note or chord required.  But inevitably, the arranger had other ideas and puts a long succession of harmony notes together.

And that’s when the hitch enters the git-along!

The more surprised and delighted you are by the notes hanging in the air, sparkling and glistening like a goldfish in Fairy Dust, the more likely you will be captivated.  And why shouldn’t you be?  After all – goldfish!  Fairy Dust!  Delight!  You did good – your handiwork is admirable.

But that pesky arranger…now you’re expected to do it again.  Probably in a different place on the harp.  With another finger.  And probably at the same time as some melody note!  And again. And again. And again.  Measure after measure.  And then…the repeat! 

Are they mad?!

Sadly, bringing the tune out means you have not really got time to admire your handiwork at the same time you are delivering one admirable handiwork after another.  So unfair!

One of the mysteries you get to unlock relatively early in your journey is this sublimation and accumulation of little joys for a big burst of delight at the end of the piece.

What?   Ok, here’s the translation, sans waxing lyrical –

When you are playing, once you have closed for that note (or chord) –

Move along! 

Get where you are going next!

There’s nothing to see here! **

Because there is a next chord and the one after that, etc. ad nauseum. 

This needs to be practiced – this moving from one beautifully executed thing to another. Because if you think about playing a tune like it is a puzzle to put together, or a problem to solved, or a recipe to follow – your brain needs to sequence through the information – left hand here, right hand place and play – now left hand, back to right hand, and on again.

As soon as you play the left hand, your brain drops thinking about that harmony and that left hand like a hot potato and rushes on to the next thing (probably a melody note or whatever comes next in the sequence).  And it doesn’t think about the left hand again until it must!

All in all, no big deal – you do this all the time.  It’s called serial processing.  But what’s happened?  Well, you played the left hand note (or chord).  You’ve closed beautifully (right?).  And you left it there hanging over the soundboard.    So now, it’s later and time to get to the left hand on again.  AND IT’S NOWHERE NEAR WHERE YOU NEED IT!!!  Because you left it there, hovering over the sound board, handiwork to be admired. 

So, how to fix this?  Well – you practice!  Practice moving while you have the time, and train your brain to process in a controlled serial fashion.

To start with, SLOW DOWN.  Serial processing means you’re dealing with one thing at a time.  You might think you’re a multitasker, but nope, it only looks like it.  For highly practiced activities you can switch rapidly between them but that’s not multitasking. If you’re not well practiced at moving, you will need additional time to think about it and then make it happen. 

LOOK AT THE INTERFACES.  This is how I think of the timing – it is the interface between the left hand playing, the right hand playing, the melody, the harmony, and time.  Getting all of these to line up is tricky, especially at first.  Start by finding where they all touch each other – this is a good place to start. 

LOOK FOR THE HOLES. This is where no notes are being played in either hand – this helps form a scaffolding for your thinking and makes a good movement time!

SLOW DOWN.  Don’t ask me how I know you’ve already sped up!

MAKE THE SHIFT.  As you begin to play, think ahead.  Play slowly enough that you can think.  Once you’ve placed, you don’t need to think about where your fingers are.  And if, as soon as you play, you move to the next place and get your fingers on to the next shape, then you don’t have think about it again until the next time!  This is one of the things that more experienced players are better at…. because they have more practice and they have learned to think ahead.

See what we did there?  We shifted moving and placing further forward in our thinking sequence rather than letting the notes come at us like a fusillade.  But you do need to practice thinking like that.  The sequence becomes play –> move –> place –> play –> etc.  Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

All of this is predicated on your already having learned the melody enough to being to add the harmony.  This is also equally applicable to either hand and to reading or playing by rote.  It does take practice.  And it is totally worth the time to avoid feeling rushed and unconfident.  And once you master this, you can focus on other things that will improve your musicality. 

Have you really learned how to move along rather than admiring your handiwork so you can get where you need to be next?  Do you have other strategies?  Let me know in the comments!

* Sometimes you tell me that you feel like I am speaking directly to you.  That’s because…I am!  No matter where you are on your journey, the difference between us is likely just time and focus.  I was a beginner at one point – an adult who struggled with making time to practice, showing up for lessons embarrassed that I hadn’t had enough practice because I was busy doing other things, but willing to take the lash (which, of course, never came, because I had wonderful, cherishing teachers who gently corrected my technique and repertoire and encouraged me to become the harp player I wanted to be).  I thought it would be easier.  I love playing my harp.  I was afraid of a lot of things – playing in public, music I hadn’t learned yet, embarrassing myself, not getting better, failing – the usual stuff.  And I remember it like it was yesterday – because it was (figuratively).  I share my thoughts here so that you can learn from my mistakes…and go on to make your own spectacular mistakes that I hope you’ll share with me!  We’re all learning – I’m just willing to talk about it! 😉

** We’re talking about the left hand/harmony but this is also applicable and just as important in the right hand/melody.

Don’t be Vanilla

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Don't be vanillaPeople often tell me that all Celtic music sounds the same – the Irish tunes, the Scottish tunes, the Welsh, the Galician, the Breton ones too.  When I started playing the harp, I agreed – I couldn’t tell them apart.  The only way I could be sure was that the tunes on Great Highland Bagpipe were Scottish (probably). 

Over time, and with the help of great teachers, I learned to listen.  And over time, by listening, the sounds and styles of the music become less opaque (even to me and I don’t listen very well).  Those sounds and stylistic elements that arise from the music reflect the different, but related, cultures. 

These idiomatic elements are really interesting (especially if you’re nerdy!).  I’m always curious about how people define themselves and the things they create to define their groups.  If you grow up inside a group, you may not even be able to detect the “fence” that defines that group, but you know where that fence is.  And if you are interested, you can not only begin to see the fence, you can even learn what it is made of.

The idiomatic elements are the fence and are everywhere throughout the music.  These elements help define the music.  So studying these (or at a minimum, observing them) can help level up your musicianship.  And if you think this only applies to Celtic music, think again.  Every genre of music reflects a set of idioms.  Whether it’s classical, Top 40, hip hop, Scandinavian, medieval, reggae, whatever – the idioms make the music identifiable (and classifiable). 

Now, while it is possible to make “vanilla” music, most of us would probably rather not.  We want our Irish tunes to sound Irish.  We want the Baroque tunes to sound like it’s the 17th century not the 19th.   Frankly, it can be a little embarrassing to play a tune like it came from somewhere (or somewhen) else – even when you know that to the listener it’s all just “pretty music” – because then it is vanilla!

Just now I’m working on three very distinct projects that definitely need to be presented in their own idioms.  One is really comfortable to me, but the other two are “stretch” projects.  Stretching is exciting and fun…and intimidating.  I don’t know these two stretch idioms so I’m listening to music I’m not used to – seeking to find those elements that are part of the idiomatic fence.  Those are the things I’ll need to incorporate into my music – not just to make the projects work but also to make the output more authentic.

Listening to new music is sort of like developing a crush.  You have to pay really close attention to everything – what is that drum line?  How is that loop built?  Is that a saxophone?  Like a new crush, you find reasons to spend time together with the music.  In that time, nothing is as lustrous or compelling.    And like a crush, the infatuation wanes (usually to the delight of those around you!).   All those things that were so fascinating become a bit ho-hum or tarnished.  Reason returns.  And with that, a new clarity – the idioms may not still be sparkly, but they are revealed and now useful and ready to be incorporated into working projects!  You have found the fence!

So, what are you listening for when you’re trying to get your head around a new idiom?  Here are some ideas:

  • Rhythm – how do they mark time?  Where is the beat? Where is the pulse? What happens in the rhythm – especially the bass and the drum lines?  Are there counters and if so, where, and how?  What’s the time signature or meter?
  • Harmonies – does the tune use a chord progression you expect?  Or does it surprise you? How does the harmony move? Is there a harmony?
  • Melody – How does the melody move? What kinds of intervals are used?  Is it “catchy”? Is it complex or simple?  What drew you to it in the first place?  What kept you coming back?
  • Setting and arrangement – what instruments captured your attention?  What about the arrangement is compelling?  What can you copy or replicate on the harp and what needs to be replaced (and how)?  Will the harp arrangement “scratch the itch” created by the original arrangement?

Once you’ve noticed these things, then you can compare and contrast with your usual music.  You will likely frame this as “difference” between what you know and what you’re learning.  All this will help you find the “fence”.   Then you can incorporate elements – and keep from being vanilla!

Just think what that can mean for your new music!  More – think about what this can all mean for your existing repertoire!   What can you do with this?  How will you stray from vanilla?  Let me know in the comments!

FEEL the beat!

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Last week we talked about the metronome actually being your friend.  In the excellent and lively discussion, the concept of innate rhythm arose – as in not having one!  As you might imagine, not having an innate sense of rhythm could hamper your ability to then use the metronome.

I’m not sure that it is possible to have absolutely no sense of rhythm.  After all, if that were the case, it would be difficult to live.  We all have a heartbeat.  That’s even called a sinus rhythm!  And it would be difficult to accomplish even simple tasks without some rhythm.  For instance – walking.  Walking has an embedded rhythm.  So does chewing.  And breathing.  Now, I’m not saying it’s impossible to have no rhythm.  But it kinda looks like it would be.

More likely, it is possible to have a very weak awareness of rhythm.  And possible to have a weak awareness of externally imposed rhythm.  (Think I’m making this up? Try to rapidly read through a strathspey with loads of flag/dots and dot/flags (not to mention the triplets!) – it’s really easy to build up a resistance to external rhythms when you’re internal ones go to war with them!).

Feel the beat!I hope you’ve been as lucky as I have been coming up as a musician.  I have had amazing teachers!*  Some of the best stuff I ever learned was to work on rhythm away from the harp.  That could be by clapping or snapping my fingers.  It could be slapping left knee for the down beat and right for the up.  Or it could be walking around in a circle, keeping the beat with my feet while clapping the melody rhythm in my hands.  Or slapping Boom Sticks together. Or banging on wood blocks.  Or coffee cans.  Lately, I’m enamored with vocables for rhythm elements (while walking in circles).**

I love this systemic way of getting to the rhythm.  Because rhythm is organically simple while being conceptually complex.    Sometimes, it’s hard to keep all the thinking and doing going in order to get the tune to come out.  Breaking the rhythm out and working on it separately is helpful.  But really feeling it in your body (not just in your brain) is a valuable additional way to bring it together. 

Because, after all, you don’t just send your brain and your fingers to the harp!  You have to bring all of you.  So you might as well get all of you into the act.  You can make it small and timid (like I’ve described above) or you can make it big and bold like Eurhythmics.  But, like so many things, you have to make it what you need it to be.   You have to FEEL it!  And you must practice it!

So, the next time you take on a rhythm, try getting off your bench.  Get out of your head.  Move your arms and legs to the beat and to the rhythm.  Feel it – in your bones (and muscles!).  Be free and enjoy it.  And you may be surprised by how you can now appreciate (and render) the rhythm differently, easier, more freely.  I also like that when you move, you can also build a mental image of you moving – so if all else fails, you have yet another way to remember how it goes.

All that movement also helps heighten your awareness of the rhythm.  If you have a weak sense of rhythm, try making big swinging arm movements for the rhythm or big stomps for the beat.  Or both.   When you’ve got it (and are in fits of giggles), then sit back to the harp and start putting the pieces together (putting the notes into the rhythm).  And don’t be afraid to get up and do it again – when you’re first learning something, it can be fleeting, and you might have to repeat to get it back again. 

Have you tried moving around to get the rhythm?  If so, how’d it go?  If not, would you try it now?  And if you wouldn’t but are intrigued – I give lessons on being silly!***

*If you ever have a lesson with me and you think I am rolling my eyes while you struggle, I am not!  I’m thinking, vexed with myself that I’m not making something clear.  I’m furiously working through my list, wondering, “what would (Mrs. Edberg or Marianna or Sue or Kris or a number of other teachers who have been so patient with me) say or do at this point?  How can I get a different perspective and share that!”.  I’m not rolling my eyes, I’m seeking inspiration!!

**Now some of you are rolling your eyes because you’ve had to do this stuff with me – but it worked, didn’t it?!

***OK, that’s dangerously close to selling, which I try very hard to not do here.  But it is true and if you’d like a one-off lesson to explore this or a coaching session, just let me know!

Apples or Oranges

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Do you want to be a better musician?  It’s a not unreasonable question.  But if I answer honestly, I would say, “Better than what?”

I DO want to be better. Better than I am today.  And even better than that on the day after.  At this point, I’d like to call your attention to two things about what I have said –

  • The inward focus – I’d like to be better I am
  • The forward look – Tomorrow, I’d like to be better I am today

Let’s start with the inward focus.  The question, “Better than what?” is really important.  I hope that you’re in a place in your harp life that your better-than-what is you.  Better than you yourself are right now, not focused on anyone else. 

This can be a hard thing to learn.  Especially if you spend any time on any kind of media – the information (and the temptation) is ever present.  Whether it’s your harp hero or someone you don’t even know on Facedegram who’s been playing for 15 minutes and has already uploaded 50 videos of their triumphant harpysteria*, it can be easy to develop an envy of someone else’s progress (and their unmitigated willingness to share it). 

But none of that matters.  What matters is you.  How YOU are coming along.  How YOU are developing.  How YOU are progressing to where it is YOU want to go.  How YOU have improved today.

This can be particularly vexing if you’re not at the beginning of your harp life.  When you’re harp-young, every day you can find something to notice that is a little better than it was.  Your tuning isn’t from some alien planet anymore.  You actually landed on the string you meant to on the first try.  You no longer confuse the sound box and the pillar.  You closed on the string rather than snapping back from it like it bit you.  Heck, you used more than one finger!  Every day has success potential.  When you’re harp-young there are so many things to improve and they’re so obvious, even to you – a newb.  Every day when you practice you can see some improvement. 

But after a while, as you progress, you begin to realize that while it was easy to not sound like an injured animal right off the line, the internet didn’t lie.  The harp is one of the most difficult instruments to learn to play well.  Your obvious improvements (the kind you can’t miss) seem to be farther and farther apart.  And it’s easy to forget the small advances after they happen**. 

This is also a time when many people begin to go out and meet other harpers (or in the time of plague, seek them out online).  You have an opportunity to see others play and you might begin to compare yourself to them.  I have a story to share on why this comparison is such a very bad idea.

In my harp youth, I was on the verge of quitting (again).  My incredibly wise teacher strongly suggested that I attend an adult beginners event and specifically suggested a workshop with the fabulous Sue Richards.  I was extremely nervous, and struck up a conversation with the person sitting next to me.  I shared that I had only been playing a few months and I thought she said she had too.  I held my own for the first tune and was extremely pleased with myself.  But when we got to the second tune, I was lost.  My brain was full.  My new friend, with whom I had kept pace in the first tune, sailed through the second, even playing the left hand harmony!  I was devastated, clearly in way over my head, never going to learn the play, I should just go home.

I learned later that I had misheard her – she wasn’t a beginner.  She was a professional.  And already knew that tune.  She was so encouraging to me throughout the workshop – but my confidence had gone.  I was comparing myself to her – and falling miserably short.  I thought I was never going to learn to play the harp.

I spent a while nursing that hurt and comparing myself to everyone else I met.  Except there was one thing even I couldn’t overlook.  When you meet other people – it becomes clear that you have NO IDEA what they are on the inside.  Playing a week?  Or 20 years?  Or 20 years, but really only 5, due to interruptions?  Practice 15 minutes every other day or 4 hours every day?  Health issues?  Complicated existence?  Love the harp?  Like it? Endure it?  YOU DO NOT KNOW.

And if you don’t know – you can never compare apples to apples.

If you can never compare apples to apples –

why bother to even look at your orange?

The only thing to do is look forward – where are you going?  Everyone else’s progress has no bearing on yours.  Nothing is as it seems (especially on facedegram) (and quit scrollcrastinating – go practice!).  You can only work on your goals, your dreams, your growth.  Your harp playing. 

When I finally got it, I practiced in my time. I learned at my pace.  I got bold in my tempo.  I kept meeting people – some more developed than me, some not yet as far along. 

Sometimes I see someone play and feel a twang of impatience at my own growth.  But then I remember that what they are doing is not what I was hoping to do.  It’s just cool…and I’m happy for them!  Sometimes I become aware of someone comparing themself to me…and try to encourage them focus on their goals rather than mine. 

This is the real reason I’m always suggesting you focus on your goals, your progress, and tracking that – so you’ll know you are making that progress and don’t fall victim to the comparison trap.  How about you?  How are your apples? Let me know!

* Why, yes, I did notice that I’ve already made up two words in one sentence.  Go with me, it’s one of my superpowers.  Facedegram is any social media cesspool brain drain and harpysteria is not a person who makes harps in a coffee shop, but rather is a portmanteau of harp and hysteria.    

** Those tools I’m always suggesting?  All ways to help keep focused on what you want rather than on what someone else might. 

Hear Hear!

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One of the most interesting things you might hear a musician say is that they can’t learn by ear.

Ok, when I say interesting, I really mean odd (and maybe a little horrifying).

Because it is kind of funny that people who enjoy making and sharing sound admit that they don’t think of themselves as being able to learn via that same sound!  And I’ve heard a lot of harpers say they are not able to learn by ear.  Typically, I hear this as I prepare to teach them … you guessed it, by ear.

Hear Hear - ear trainingBut learning by ear is an important skill.  It really is central to playing.  And like any skill, it can be learned and needs to be practiced – and the more you do it, the easier it will feel and the better you will get at it.

You might be one of those who resists learning by ear. You might wonder why you should bother.  After all, there’s loads of written music and it tells you everything you need to know.  Or you might not be interested in playing traditional tunes, focusing on classical or modern music – and that’s all written*.

But there are loads of reasons to learn to play by ear:

  • You will learn music faster.  After all, making music is an auditory activity, so listening is pretty much essential!
  • You will think about the music differently (than if you’re simply reading).  Of course, when you look at the music you see relationships of the notes and rhythm, but when you listen you perceive those relationships differently and detect other relationships.
  • You might just be more playful and creative with the music – without the tyranny of the dots telling you what you must do, you might just branch out and play what you feel rather than what’s written.
  • You may learn things about your instrument while you’re playing (and maybe about yourself?).
  • You will learn to hear.  Really hear, not just listen.
  • You will become a better musician (ear training is taught at conservatories!).
  • You will understand theory better – because you’ll be experiencing it in a new way.
  • You will gain confidence as you become more proficient…and you’ll not be held back by a lack of (sheet) music again!

All this for the low, low price of – listening.  

Just listen. 

Don’t be fooled – it isn’t easy at first.  The first tune I learned from a CD took me forever.  I had listened to it a lot, than then I started counting… I listened to the tune over 1000 times (after I started counting).  I’d get lost. I’d be listening and then realize I was enamored with the accompaniment and hadn’t been listening to the melody.  Or I couldn’t tell the parts apart (not realizing it was a four-part tune not a two parter).   Even now, when I listen to music, I hear it in layers (and the most important layers hide from me until last … maybe I should have been a drummer?).

You’ve probably been told,

“If you can sing (or hum) the tune, you can play it”

If so, you have been given the nugget to begin to understand how this works.  When you can sing the tune, you know the pitches, the relative lengths of those pitches, and the relationships of the pitches to one another (up or down to the next one? a small interval or a large one? a third or a sixth? (ok, that last one takes more practice)).  But think about it – if you “can’t learn by ear” and I challenged you to find Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – you could do it.  You know the tune and that’s a big part of the challenge.  When you know where it’s going, you are a long way down the road of playing the tune!

Now, to find Twinkle, you might have to do some picking at the harp.  After all, if learning by ear is new to you, you’re not practiced at finding the first note, nor are you adept at identifying intervals (yet).  But you can find the tune (even if by trial and error) … because you know how it goes. And that’s all you need to get started.

Let’s not put lipstick on a pig – it does take practice and it can be frustrating.  But stop comparing yourself to that person sitting next to you at a workshop – just keep at it.  Practice on your own.  Hear, hear.  Listen and Hear.  Start with something you can sing – and go from there. 

If you want to build up your ear, practice, just like everything else we do –

  • Start by finding a tune you already know – Twinkle?  Happy Birthday?  Frere Jacques?  Memory (from Cats)?  Back in Black (from AC/DC)?  What it is doesn’t matter as long as you actually know it and are patient enough to pick it out on your harp.  I’d suggest you start with simple children’s tunes – they are designed to be easy to learn!
  • Be patient – you’re trying to capture and recreate an entire conversation (or soliloquy) – give yourself permission to take your time.  And even if you’re a product person, try to enjoy the ride…because this ride will take you to many destinations!
  • Keep track of your progress.  Remember that learning by ear is more than just finding the tune on your harp – this is just a first step to playing new music.
  • Don’t be afraid to mess up – if you really know the tune (can sing it) then you’ll get back on track quickly.  And if you don’t – you’ll need to go back and practice listening to it more, but you also might find some cool stuff on your harp along the way.
  • Don’t forget to record it – use whatever mnemonic devices you need to keep what you’ve found available to you.
  • Like everything else we do, the more you do this, the easier it gets.  But if you avoid it, when you “have to” do it you will not only not have that practice under your belt, but that lack of practice will chivvy away at your confidence. 

Hear hear – work on learning by ear.  You CAN do this!  It might be a challenge, but you can do it.  Focus on the music rather than on the voice in your head telling you that you can’t. 

What are you learning by ear?  How’s it going? Let me know in the comments below!  Are you hopelessly lost or so frustrated you can’t speak?  Let me know and we can schedule a lesson – I’d love to help you!

*BTW – classical musicians also learn ear training.  Never mistake written music for instructions.  If you learn to think of it as a “cheat sheet” – a quick and easy memory aid – you’ll temper your love affair with the staves!  More on that another time.