The Instrumentalists Thread

[Rían]

Her arrangements are fabulous - so complex and beautiful ...

I was lucky enough to see her in a small-room concert twice (about 60 people, no amplification - it was in Sylvia Woods' Harp Center showroom, which alas! is no more), and there was this one piece that she played that was stunning - when she finished, there wasn't any applause, just stunned silence - no one wanted to stop the moment ...

She often works in a lot of cool jazz chords - not in the piece that you linked to, though.


Tessar, that is wonderful news about your playing and your performance opportunities! I'm so glad!

ps - for something different, do a downwards roll - most rolls go up, but you get a different effect with a downward roll (but it's harder!)

[Rían]

Here's a bit of that piece that mesmerized people to silence - play the fourth piece, An Draigheann (The Blackthorn),

http://www.grainne.harp.net/glgstracks.htm

[Tessar]

That's so beautiful, Rian. O_o It was only a snippet, but I'm going to looking for the whole thing.


Here it is! The Cardboard Harp of Gondor.

http://youtu.be/WbvGuqInRsk

I did this in one take and stopped when I really started getting myself confused, but I wanted to see how well the harp records. Typically I can get through the whole thing without any of the screwups I made in this video, or having to stop.

As you can see, my right hand/arm is coming along well, but I've only been using my left arm for a day or two so the finger/arm technique is currently atrocious... but it'll improve with practice.

[Rían]

Originally Posted by Tessar

That's so beautiful, Rian. O_o It was only a snippet, but I'm going to looking for the whole thing.

It's my favorite slow piece from her. It was just a magical moment when she performed it. The background was that the person that wrote it was looking into a window of a cottage in Ireland, and it was kind of the quiet part of the evening, with the fire glowing and the family gathered around, children tired and contented after a day outside and the chores done, and it was home.

Here it is! The Cardboard Harp of Gondor.

http://youtu.be/WbvGuqInRsk

Oh no! Maybe you shouldn't have posted on youtube ... make sure there are some rangers around your house, because the Forces of Mordor are going to be after that wonderful harp!

I did this in one take and stopped when I really started getting myself confused, but I wanted to see how well the harp records. Typically I can get through the whole thing without any of the screwups I made in this video, or having to stop.

As you can see, my right hand/arm is coming along well, but I've only been using my left arm for a day or two so the finger/arm technique is currently atrocious... but it'll improve with practice.

Yes, you are definitely doing what I did - you're playing it like a piano, so be sure to not go too fast and sacrifice technique. The technique will really, really be your friend as you progress - it will let you play things that you never could otherwise. You are doing amazing for how little you've played and had lessons, though! But watch that right hand, too - halfway thru, you switch to a lot of bend in your wrist, like playing a piano. But these are minor things for how long you've been playing - you're amazing!

[Rían]

ps - looking at your video makes me think that I should record myself, because I've heard it's a good way to see some of your mistakes (I'm not working with a teacher now - still not strong enough to even play consistently). And it would be fun to share, once I get some of my ability back.

How does one post something on youtube? Just make an account and then upload the video?

[Tessar]

Yes, what you said. It's really quite a simple to upload, and if you need help you can google (or youtube...) "help uploading youtube videos" or something of the like and you can find highly documented guides.

Do it! Do it! DO IT!!!!!

[Rían]

Argh!!!! There's this piece that my former harp teacher's friend wrote, and it's so lovely, and deceptively simple .... I mean, looking at the music, it looks very easy, but it's just insanely difficult for me It's almost impossible to place beforehand, the way it skips around, and I keep giving up on it, and then starting it again. ARGH!!!!

[Rían]

OK, I just made my first recording of myself playing my harp ...



*sigh*

Oh well, I can't be hard on myself, I guess - I've probably only played 20 times in the last 3 years, what with the surgeries and the thyroid and all. But wow, am I rusty!!!!!!

If I can get a song up to speed, I'll post it, but also the sound was really bad - the right hand was really plinky. It was just the video camera's mike, though - guess it just doesn't pick up well.

[Rían]

ps - I just replayed your video to see where you had placed the camera, and you put it closer to the soundbox - maybe that will help.

[Rían]

Any updates on our Cardboard Harp of Gondor?

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally Posted by Tessar

BEHOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!










Tomorrow I'mma glue the whole thing together.

Wow - that is cool!

[Tessar]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

Any updates on our Cardboard Harp of Gondor?

I really have not taken the time to practice, which is too bad. Every time I do get to sit down and practice a little I always have such a good time!!! But it is a challenge... the technique goes against all of my instincts.

[Rían]

Yes, the technique is very foreign at first. But let me stress again that it's absolutely vital, if you want to play at all well I can play anything from Sylvia Woods' "The Harp of Brandiswhateveritsname is" because of technique I learned after only a few lessons - there's no way I could have played that level of stuff before I took lessons.

I haven't played for several months now - on top of the medical issues (working with insurance so I can get that cancer test ) we've had a MAJOR family intervention. It actually went pretty well, but it wiped me out even more *frustrated* But the harp even LOOKS pretty, and I just glance at it every time I pass through the living room, and even that gives me a little lift

Well, your harp will wait for you Just tune it up occasionally. One of these days, you'll really enjoy it again. Drat those servants of Mordor that keep us away from our harps!

[Tessar]

I'm sorry you're still not really able to practice. But I'm glad being able to see the harp is still something that uplifts you.

Aren't harps just totally magical? There really is something about them, isn't there?

[Rían]

Yes

[Tessar]

Someone still owes us a recording, and their name rhymes with "Rian."

... actually it is Rian. So...

Hehe.


Fingers crossed... if all goes according to plan (which it never does...) I could be getting a nice harp in August! I'm still not wanting to spend money right now because my dad is still out of work, and aside from that God only knows what's happening with our moving situation. No telling if he'll be finding a job here or in another city, so no telling if we'll still be in this house or in an apartment.

I love the Cardboard Harp of Gondor but it can be SO hard not to pull some really plunky notes out of it if you're playing out at all. I know some of it is technique, because it's improving, but on my teacher's harp I never seemed to pull out anything really plunky. The CHoG sounds best with very light playing, which is fun to do in the middle of the night because it's soothing. Plus it looks COMPLETELY badass. So lets not discount that.

Still leaning towards that beautiful Ravenna 34. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGCtSoeTw08

[Varnafindë]

If you buy a new one and don't need the cardboard of Gondor one anymore, I could always buy it off you ... shipping it to Norway might be a problem, though

I once read a novel (by Hemingway or Graham Greene or someone like that, I think) about a young Welsh lady who moved with her family from Wales to somewhere in the Caribbeans. She played the harp - I somehow doubt her skills - and before they left, she got a really great Welsh harpist to tune her harp.

When they had moved, she then refused ever to tune her harp again - she claimed that the expert had tuned it once, the way it should be, and nobody should be allowed to tamper with it afterwards

[Tessar]

I'm not sure I could ever bring myself to part with the cardboard harp of Gondor.

Originally Posted by Varnafindë

she claimed that the expert had tuned it once, the way it should be, and nobody should be allowed to tamper with it afterwards

I love it. That's awesome.


The problem is I keep falling in love with more expensive harps. I'm currently drooling over some of the Salvi harps. I like the solidity of their sound, and the high notes don't seem to be as plunky on their harps. But, that said, one thing I'm not 100% sure about is if some of these more expensive harps are really that much better, or if it's just I'm finding a lot of really good harp PLAYERS playing on them. That would make a huge difference... luckily there is a harp store which has quite a few models I could try... unfortunately the store is about 3 hours away, but hey... day trip.

[Rían]

That would be a fun trip! And yes, it is partly that it's a good harp player - it's aMAZing how much good technique improves the sound. I'm so rusty that when I first pick up a harp after a few months off, I start to play, and then remember some technique, and it's amazing how the sound changes for the better.

Sorry, no recordings for at least a few months - at least I finally got the radioactive iodine test OKed by insurance, so that happens in a few weeks, then get results a few weeks later, then maybe FINALLY start some meds that will hopefully take effect in a month or so ... God willing, I'll start feeling better in a few months and get you guys a recording

[Tessar]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

Sorry, no recordings for at least a few months - at least I finally got the radioactive iodine test OKed by insurance, so that happens in a few weeks, then get results a few weeks later, then maybe FINALLY start some meds that will hopefully take effect in a month or so ... God willing, I'll start feeling better in a few months and get you guys a recording

*hugs* Hang in there, Rian. We're all rooting for you, for whatever support your internet friends are worth.

Listen to this Salvi Prima! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZMTW...eature=related It's so beautiful! Of course the harpist is wonderful, but all of the videos I've seen with that model of harp seem to sound very good.