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#121 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
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..... YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It should not change the sound of the harp, or at least not in a notable way. They encourage you to paint the soundboxes of the harps, and I even saw a video where a guy just wrapped the soundbox in wrapping paper. ![]() Last edited by RÃan : 09-23-2011 at 07:00 PM. Reason: fix wonky quote tags |
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#122 | |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Not where I want to be ...
Posts: 15,254
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Quote:
![]() To me, it seemed like the piano had a little too much emphasis - it was like a piano piece with someone deciding last-minute to sing to it (although again, your voice was lovely!) That's just how it came off to a non-professional like me. But as i think about it again, maybe it was because you played the piano louder between verses, so it was a bit of a jar when the vocal started. The solution, obviously, is to buy yourself a top-notch recording studio .... ![]() But overall, for a YouTube, it was nice. I mean, I'm an engineer and I'm picky.
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. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! ![]() "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! |
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#123 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
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Thank you for the feedback! I am surprised about the piano. So you think it needs more voice? Pulling back the piano is not too hard... I can play quite softly on that particular piano.
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#124 |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
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I think it needs a bit more voice ... but I'm no expert ... if the music from the piano comes from the soundboard, could you put the mike in front of you for your voice, but shield it from the bottom/back to dampen the soundboard?
And now back to more fun harp stuff - TESSAR - go to this link on Sylvia Woods' page and click on "Gypsy Mirage" to hear the song I'm working back up to speed ... it's really a pretty cool song. It goes between 5/8 and 6/8, with a 2/4 thrown in for fun in the middle. I really like the beginning part where it's fast, although I can't play it as fast as she can (but I can - or could - play it decently fast, and it's starting to come back to me ![]() Her book "The Harp of Brandiswhiere" is really very nice. I play several pieces out of it - besides Gypsy, I play "In the Forest" and "Dialogue with a Brook" pretty much exactly like she plays it in her clips (except not on a wire harp in the latter). edit - wow, I'm listening to the clips - I like quite a few of them! I think I'll start "The Harper's Vision" next. I also used to play "The Legend", which has some cool bits in the middle, but for some reason, I didn't like something in it and quit. edit again - eh, don't really like the rest so much - and - Sylvia did some buzzing in "Brand.'s Return"! ![]()
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. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! ![]() "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! Last edited by RÃan : 09-24-2011 at 02:18 AM. |
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#125 | |||
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
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Quote:
Quote:
![]() Can I give you a tip for learning to play faster? You may already know it and do it. This has always worked for me (when I do it ![]() Get your metronome out, and set it to a pace that is way too slow for your skill level. Be patient and play the piece through at least twice at the tempo, and really feel the beats and subdivisions in your body/mind. Then set it just a bit faster, and over a few playings get it to a point where it's at a comfortable (but not fast) tempo. Leave it alone for the rest of the day, and when you come back the next day start at that tempo (it will become your "warmup tempo" to help you maintain beat accuracy), and each time you play it move the metronome up one click till you start making mistakes. The next day start at the fastest tempo you had before you started making mistakes, and try to move it up at least one click faster. In a week or two, you will be floored by how fast (and accurately) you can play the piece. The danger is if you keep trying to push yourself to play it through that tempo where you started making mistakes. That's deadly and can ruin your speed on the piece because you'll try so hard that you'll start practicing in mistakes. Quote:
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#126 |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Not where I want to be ...
Posts: 15,254
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Buzzing is kind of like that squeek you hear from guitarists, which I think adds character to the piece (I know what you mean), but buzzing, for me, just ... doesn't. To me, it's kind of like if a singer made a loud, annoying burp in the middle of a song
![]() Some pieces are really prone to it - there's this piece that I really, really like, "Lark on the Strand" / "Trip to Sligo", but it is a real buzzer (even my former teacher, who was a rockin' harp player, said how hard it is to not buzz on this piece - she was in an intermediate harping competition in Ireland and played that piece, and THEY even said it was hard to not buzz it! ![]() ![]() I like your metronome suggestion - I had done that before, years ago, with piano, but I had completely forgotten that. I wonder if my metronome is around somewhere? That's probably also a good way to force yourself to play thru mistakes, I would guess. IIRC, those little buggers are pricey, but I'll google around. Thanks for the tips, I really appreciate them! Re Sylvia Woods - which other of the pieces do you like in that set? I definitely recommend "Dialogue with a Brook" - it's a cheap thrill ![]() ![]() I like to riff off her pieces and add my own embellishments - I have a lovely ending chord for "Dialogue with a Brook" (kind of a goofy name, but whatever) that I came up with and added on, and I have some lovely sneaky tips for getting your right hand back up high quickly after the middle section. The way she wrote it, you play something down low, then have to quickly place up high and start with the fast right hand. I ended up missing a lot, so I added in these two harmonics on the way up, making it sound really nice and making it easy to then just jump a little higher to start with the fast right hand again. I'll give you my changes if you would like when you get that piece going ![]() I love adding little embellishments and grace notes onto Celtic pieces - they just beg for it, and it really sounds lovely in the harp. That's one thing that I love about Grainne Hambly - she has lots of nice embellishments.
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. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! ![]() "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! Last edited by RÃan : 09-24-2011 at 12:32 PM. |
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#127 | |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Not where I want to be ...
Posts: 15,254
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Quote:
![]() ![]() ![]() We must work in our Tolkien, mustn't we? ![]()
__________________
. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! ![]() "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! Last edited by RÃan : 09-24-2011 at 12:33 PM. |
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#128 |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Not where I want to be ...
Posts: 15,254
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Here's Trip to Sligo - she's playing the same version I have - it's from Sylvia's "Teach Yourself ..." book - but I add on embellishments, add chords, and vary the tempo a bit. That's another nice thing about harp - you can totally take an easy piece and make it a lot prettier.
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. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! ![]() "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! |
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#129 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
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If you have a smart phone (like an android or blackberry or iphone or something) you can usually download a metronome for free.
This is a free online one, if you have any way of putting the harp next to the computer (or have a laptop) http://www.metronomeonline.com/ My family has one almost exactly like this: http://www.amazon.com/Matrix-MR500-M...6882384&sr=1-4 We've had it for years and years and I use it all the time. Now the old fashioned ones that actually swing are expensive. But the electronic ones usually are not very expensive. If you don't have one, I can't recommend getting one enough. Metronomes are absolutely invaluable musical tools IMO. |
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#130 |
Faithful Gardener
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: I walk here and there, they say...
Posts: 3,603
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Hey, guys! I'm picking up violin. FYI. First "lesson" last night.
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In God I trust, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 56:11 "Starbuck, what do you hear?" "Nothin' but the rain, sir!" "Then grab your gun and bring in the cat." Make sure to check out the C.S. Lewis forum. Game threads, movie and book discussions and more! |
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#131 |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
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Posts: 15,254
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That's great! I don't have any experience with violin, but Tessar does. But any instrument is wonderful
![]() How did the lesson go?
__________________
. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! ![]() "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! |
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#132 |
Faithful Gardener
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: I walk here and there, they say...
Posts: 3,603
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It was good. It wasn't really a professional lesson (those are a little out of the budget at the moment), but I learned the notes. I love playing the violin. I can play three whole songs, admittedly haltingly: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (of course!), Amazing Grace and Silent Night.
My husband told me that I had to learn a new song every day and practice the ones I already knew. I don't mind. It's good for practice.
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In God I trust, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 56:11 "Starbuck, what do you hear?" "Nothin' but the rain, sir!" "Then grab your gun and bring in the cat." Make sure to check out the C.S. Lewis forum. Game threads, movie and book discussions and more! |
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#133 |
Princess of the Noldor (and Administrative Empress of the Lone Islands)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Imladris (and sometimes Norway)
Posts: 3,304
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I mentioned this Norwegian composer and musician, Eivind Groven.
One of his grandsons has made his own translation of LotR - one where he uses different Norwegian dialects to characterise the different peoples of M-e. I think Tolkien would have approved ![]() After his translation of LotR was published, he has also translated The Hobbit. I like his translation, it's quite poetical ![]()
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Signature picture art - Bard the Bowman - by vigshane Avatar art - Footsteps of Spring (a young Luthien) - by Henning Janssen |
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#134 | |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
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Quote:
If it helps, have you noticed that the violin strings are like an Australian saying hello? ![]() ![]() |
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#135 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
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Earniel, these are some other harpists that I know have CD's (because they showed up on my Pandora channel
![]() Robin Huw Bowen Aini Minogue Kim Robertson |
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#136 | |
Faithful Gardener
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: I walk here and there, they say...
Posts: 3,603
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Quote:
I think my song for yesterday was "Morning has broken". I was with my family and they were making requests for various things, but I liked that one. I'm actually playing from a hymnal that of course was written for piano. Which makes some of those songs which are written in chords really difficult. I learn with the notes, not so much by ear.
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In God I trust, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 56:11 "Starbuck, what do you hear?" "Nothin' but the rain, sir!" "Then grab your gun and bring in the cat." Make sure to check out the C.S. Lewis forum. Game threads, movie and book discussions and more! |
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#137 |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Not where I want to be ...
Posts: 15,254
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Violin is lovely - I hope you continue to grow and enjoy playing it
![]() I just got a metronome today for $20.00. It's a tuner, too, so that will be handy in case my tuner breaks. AND I finally signed up my middle son for piano lesson!
__________________
. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! ![]() "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! |
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#138 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
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I am reading a very interesting book called the Tao of Singing, and it's got some really interesting concepts. I picked it up out of curiosity (most books that involve that East-Meets-West mysticism stuff are way too New Age and not practical IMO) but found some VERY practical, pedagogical advice in it.
One thing I liked was when he said, "You have to sing from your center of energy to let the [insert blah blah, chi flowing, rivers of energy moving through you, etc.]... because that visualization engages the diaphragm and automatically lowers the larynx." I was like...... hmmm..... tell me more. ![]() ![]() But that's voice stuff. The musicality aspect was also INCREDIBLY interesting, and I tried it with the piano today and it made a world of difference in my musicality and the sound I got from the piano. Remember how I talked about "singing" the melody to myself in my head? The way this guy describes it is turning the phrases into circles. Little phrases have little circles, big/loud phrases have big circles. I found that "singing" the melody as circles gave my piano playing a whole new level of fluidity and brought out dynamic colors that I had never been able to achieve before. Before I have thought of the melody as being like hills and valleys... it sort of swoops and rises. I think I've visualized it that way because that's how it looks on sheet music. ![]() Also thinking of turning my hand movements into circles helped too... not in such a way as to change the actual angle or physical movement of my technique, but instead of thinking of jumping my hands/fingers from chord to chord to arpeggio, etc. thinking of each chord leading circularly into the next chord or note made my movements so much more relaxed and smooth. Also the idea of circular playing made my arpeggios and rolled chords SO much better. You should give it a try, Rian, and see if it does anything for you. I'd be interested to know if it's something that you can relate to.... and if thinking in terms of musical circles helps you at all. |
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#139 |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Not where I want to be ...
Posts: 15,254
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That's interesting, because my favorite ballet dancer in the world, Gelsey Kirkland, said something similar. Ballet is such a strain on the body, and far along into her career she came across a teacher who had her work in circles, and she said it was a revelation - totally different (and good) feeling to her body and improvement to her dancing. Interesting to think how to apply it to playing ... I'll let you know. Glad it worked for you!
Any good news yet, Tessar? Has your baby been delivered yet? ![]()
__________________
. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! ![]() "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! |
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#140 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
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NO, IT HAS NOT. >.<
I'm going nuts. I want that freakin' harp!!! ![]() I think what I might do is open a new savings account and use it as a "harp fund." ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Fellowship of the ringwraiths discussion thread | Butterbeer | RPG Forum | 551 | 07-21-2006 10:44 PM |