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What is the difference between a pedal and a lever harp? Is one easier to learn than the other?
The strings on a harp are laid out like the white notes on a piano, or a do-re-mi scale. Harp music looks just like piano music. Your right hand reads the treble clef and plays the high strings, and your left hand reads the bass clef and plays the low strings.
Lever harps have sharping levers on each string that you flip up to make a sharp.
You use these levers initially to set up the harp for the correct key for the piece. Then, whenever you have an accidental (a sharp or flat that is not in the key signature) you reach up with your left hand and engage or disengage the lever. Because of this, chromatic music is not easy to play on a lever harp. But there are thousands of pieces that you can play on a lever harp. You just have to choose your repertoire carefully.
A pedal harp has 7 pedals that you move with your feet. Each pedal is for 1 note of the musical scale (A, B, C, D, E, F, G). Each pedal has 3 notches: for flats, naturals, or sharps. For example, if the G pedal is in the upper notch, all of the G strings on the harp will be G-flats. If the pedal is in the middle notch, all of the Gs will be G-naturals; and in the bottom notch, they will be G-sharps. Pedal harpists can play much more chromatic music than can be played on a lever harp.
To answer your question about which type of harp is harder to play, the answer is it depends on what kind of music you want to play.
A pedal harp is “easier” if you are playing complex music with accidentals or key changes. But in general, a lever harp is easier to play because the repertoire doesn’t usually require these changes. And, a lever harp is more affordable, easier to carry around, and is not as intimidating as a large pedal harp.
What are the common misconceptions about the harp?
There are two common misconceptions. The first is that the harp is hard to learn to play. Just like with anything, it takes practice to become proficient at the harp. But the good news is that, even as a beginner, you sound good! It is hard to make a bad sound on the harp. Even beginning pieces sound great. So it is a very “forgiving” instrument for a beginner.
The second misconception is that harps are too expensive to be affordable. While it is true that you can spend over $30,000 on a harp, most people do not! We have harps starting at $300, and a majority of our customers spend between $2,000 to $6,000 for their harps.
Do you think there is a shortage of harp teachers? Any tips on finding a good harp teacher?
There are definitely fewer harp teachers than piano or guitar teachers. It is not unusual for students to drive an hour or so to their harp lessons. It all depends on where you live. There are various ways to find a teacher. We have a list of teachers throughout the US, so you can e-mail us with your zip code, and we’ll see if we can find someone close to you. If you live in a college town, check and see if they have a harp department, a harp teacher, or a harpist who plays in their symphony. They will often give private lessons, or will be able to refer you to another teacher. The hardest part is finding your first harp contact in your area. Once you find one harpist, they’ll generally know who else lives close by, and who would be able to give you lessons.
There are not many stores in the US that sell harps, but if there is one in your neighborhood, they are also a great resource for harp teachers. They often will have rentals as well, to help you get started without the expense of purchasing an instrument until you know if the harp is really for you.
I strongly recommend that you get a teacher to help you. It is much easier to learn with a teacher’s guidance, and it will keep you from getting into bad habits that will be hard to correct later. If there are no teachers in your area, I suggest that you purchase the DVD that goes along with my beginning book titled “Teach Yourself to Play the Folk Harp”. It isn’t as good as a “live teacher,” but will help you start on the right track.
Would you say the demand for harpists remains high or has it diminished?
I think that there are a lot more opportunities for harp players than there used to be. But you have to be good at self-promotion, and go out there and find or create your jobs. Many harpists have convinced restaurants, high-scale retail shops, convention centers, and other venues to add live harp music to their locations. And, of course, there is a huge market for harpists to play at weddings, funerals, parties, and corporate events.
The harp therapy and music therapy movement has also provided opportunities for harpists to play in hospitals and hospices. Much of this work is still on a volunteer basis, but every year more harpists are able to make their living in this expanding field.
What is your advice to those who’d like to learn how to play the harp?
Don’t put it off any more. Just do it! It isn’t as hard as you think, and you’ll really enjoy it. Buy a good quality harp from a reputable harp dealer who can give you the service and support that you will need. Find a teacher and utilize their expertise to get you started on the right track. I also highly recommend that you listen to lots of harp music and familiarize yourself with harpists and genres of harp music. Buy and listen to lots of harp CDs, and if there are harp concerts in your area, go and enjoy them! Use the Internet to educate yourself about the harp. Harpmaker websites and sites of reputable harp dealers are a wealth of useful information.
What is next for Sylvia Woods?
I keep very busy running my retail store, mail order business, website, publishing company and record company! In my “free time” I’m working on more books of arrangements for harp. I just recently finished a book of songs from the 1960s. I’m also putting a lot of time into our website, making it even better and more informative for harp players, prospective harp players, and lovers of harp music.
One last bit of advice. If you’ve “always wanted to play the harp”, or just think you might enjoy it, do it! You’ll love it!
What is the difference between a pedal and a lever harp? Is one easier to learn than the other?
The strings on a harp are laid out like the white notes on a piano, or a do-re-mi scale. Harp music looks just like piano music. Your right hand reads the treble clef and plays the high strings, and your left hand reads the bass clef and plays the low strings.
Lever harps have sharping levers on each string that you flip up to make a sharp.
You use these levers initially to set up the harp for the correct key for the piece. Then, whenever you have an accidental (a sharp or flat that is not in the key signature) you reach up with your left hand and engage or disengage the lever. Because of this, chromatic music is not easy to play on a lever harp. But there are thousands of pieces that you can play on a lever harp. You just have to choose your repertoire carefully.
A pedal harp has 7 pedals that you move with your feet. Each pedal is for 1 note of the musical scale (A, B, C, D, E, F, G). Each pedal has 3 notches: for flats, naturals, or sharps. For example, if the G pedal is in the upper notch, all of the G strings on the harp will be G-flats. If the pedal is in the middle notch, all of the Gs will be G-naturals; and in the bottom notch, they will be G-sharps. Pedal harpists can play much more chromatic music than can be played on a lever harp.
To answer your question about which type of harp is harder to play, the answer is it depends on what kind of music you want to play.
A pedal harp is “easier” if you are playing complex music with accidentals or key changes. But in general, a lever harp is easier to play because the repertoire doesn’t usually require these changes. And, a lever harp is more affordable, easier to carry around, and is not as intimidating as a large pedal harp.
What are the common misconceptions about the harp?
There are two common misconceptions. The first is that the harp is hard to learn to play. Just like with anything, it takes practice to become proficient at the harp. But the good news is that, even as a beginner, you sound good! It is hard to make a bad sound on the harp. Even beginning pieces sound great. So it is a very “forgiving” instrument for a beginner.
The second misconception is that harps are too expensive to be affordable. While it is true that you can spend over $30,000 on a harp, most people do not! We have harps starting at $300, and a majority of our customers spend between $2,000 to $6,000 for their harps.
Do you think there is a shortage of harp teachers? Any tips on finding a good harp teacher?
There are definitely fewer harp teachers than piano or guitar teachers. It is not unusual for students to drive an hour or so to their harp lessons. It all depends on where you live. There are various ways to find a teacher. We have a list of teachers throughout the US, so you can e-mail us with your zip code, and we’ll see if we can find someone close to you. If you live in a college town, check and see if they have a harp department, a harp teacher, or a harpist who plays in their symphony. They will often give private lessons, or will be able to refer you to another teacher. The hardest part is finding your first harp contact in your area. Once you find one harpist, they’ll generally know who else lives close by, and who would be able to give you lessons.
There are not many stores in the US that sell harps, but if there is one in your neighborhood, they are also a great resource for harp teachers. They often will have rentals as well, to help you get started without the expense of purchasing an instrument until you know if the harp is really for you.
I strongly recommend that you get a teacher to help you. It is much easier to learn with a teacher’s guidance, and it will keep you from getting into bad habits that will be hard to correct later. If there are no teachers in your area, I suggest that you purchase the DVD that goes along with my beginning book titled “Teach Yourself to Play the Folk Harp”. It isn’t as good as a “live teacher,” but will help you start on the right track.
Would you say the demand for harpists remains high or has it diminished?
I think that there are a lot more opportunities for harp players than there used to be. But you have to be good at self-promotion, and go out there and find or create your jobs. Many harpists have convinced restaurants, high-scale retail shops, convention centers, and other venues to add live harp music to their locations. And, of course, there is a huge market for harpists to play at weddings, funerals, parties, and corporate events.
The harp therapy and music therapy movement has also provided opportunities for harpists to play in hospitals and hospices. Much of this work is still on a volunteer basis, but every year more harpists are able to make their living in this expanding field.
What is your advice to those who’d like to learn how to play the harp?
Don’t put it off any more. Just do it! It isn’t as hard as you think, and you’ll really enjoy it. Buy a good quality harp from a reputable harp dealer who can give you the service and support that you will need. Find a teacher and utilize their expertise to get you started on the right track. I also highly recommend that you listen to lots of harp music and familiarize yourself with harpists and genres of harp music. Buy and listen to lots of harp CDs, and if there are harp concerts in your area, go and enjoy them! Use the Internet to educate yourself about the harp. Harpmaker websites and sites of reputable harp dealers are a wealth of useful information.
What is next for Sylvia Woods?
I keep very busy running my retail store, mail order business, website, publishing company and record company! In my “free time” I’m working on more books of arrangements for harp. I just recently finished a book of songs from the 1960s. I’m also putting a lot of time into our website, making it even better and more informative for harp players, prospective harp players, and lovers of harp music.
One last bit of advice. If you’ve “always wanted to play the harp”, or just think you might enjoy it, do it! You’ll love it!
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