Harp Tutorial - part 3: Sheet Music and Sounds

Part 3 - Sheet Music & Sounds

I am brave. Because these clips are of me playing with very little practice and less-than-ideal technique. But I am not brave enough to include my face! These were done on a day that I had refused to shower (heh heh hehhh)!

But that's okay. Because I'll prove even braver when I include a full, beautiful harp piece at the end of these Tutorials.

The modern harp has so many different sounds; it's not all flowery angel stuff. Here, I demonstrate some of the more popular special effects.

In each short video:

Title of effect

Explanation of execution

Appearance in sheet music

What it sounds and looks like on the harp

(Watch out--there's no sound until the harp starts, and sometimes it startles me).

Pres de la Table

Double Glissando

Falling Hail

Falling Hail with Eolian Chords

Falling Hail with Gushing Chord/Glissando

Chimes

Tam Tam

Harmonics

I do not have a video for these two effects (my camera charger is still AWOL; I cheated and loaded my stuff with another camera, but the video with these cool effects didn't work. Sad).

This Xylophonic effect is a really cool one!

With one hand, I place my fingertip on the base of the string, and with the opposite hand, I pluck.

And this is the same kind of effect you'd use to play the slinky notes of Pink Panther. It's called a Pedal Slide, and it looks so cool because I only pluck the string once--and then I use my feet on the pedals to change the pitch, so it looks somewhat "ghostly." Like the harp's playing itself because my hands aren't moving.

Selections from Carlos Salzedo's "Chanson dans la Nuit" (Song in the Night)