Wow, you've been making these videos a long time. I just got a used student harp yesterday and my G key is stripped from in the instrument so I can't tune it. I am so bummed. And disappointed because the seller said her daughter tuned it the night before which was a lie that didn't need telling. That gave me more expectation but her daughter could NOT have tuned the harp. When you use the key to turn the peg it moves to where you want but as soon as you release the key, the string returns to where it started from. My husband researched how to fix it with glue to make the hole inside smaller but who knows when we can get that done since we've been separated for 3 months and I only see him about once a week. But I wanted to comment because I'm so impressed with your videos. 2012 just happened to be the first year I noticed. The fact that you're still making videos like this, is just amazing. You could just be playing and writing but you're not. You're sharing your gift. And that truly makes you gifted. But I will say, you won't know how well you know something until you try to teach it. Right? I think thats when someone can truly master an art or craft. But would you consider ever how people with disabilities still might enjoy playing harp? Are there any modified exercises you could come up with? Have you a lap sized harp that you turned it around different ways to see how else to play it? I find i can play longer in guitar position but I would love to see someone who knows their instrument forwards and backwards play it backwards, upside down, or upside down and reversed. However (there are really only so many ways you can hold it) the plucked psaltry position seems most appealing for becoming familiar with the strings and plus having it flat towards my lap allows me to see the strings better. I feel I'm going blind sometimes looking for the strings. Last night I hung a black t-shirt on the tuning pegs which so far has given me the best result since even with it hanging off my instrument, the fabric is very forgiving and I can move my hands inside of it easily enough but I was wondering if you ever get bored doing the same things and thought well, it won't hurt to just ask. Maybe a whole mini series on playing for people with disabilities. Some modified or modifiable exeecises? I have such a bad back and arm pain issues which I actually broke my back in August so I need to be able to sit back, prop my feet, and make other adjustments... but I love the sound of a harp and would love to be able to play it even just therapeutically. So, if you haven't got a whole lot of other plans for where you want to take your videos, I think this would be a good one. Because NOBODY ever considers "differently-abled" people. Ever. You would of course have to purposefully develop bad habits and teach all the little tricks and cheats you normally want to avoid to be a good harpist but think of all the new harpists you'll be able to inspire. MORE people, people like me, will be able to see, look at the dude in a rocking chair playing his harp and think, "maybe I can try that!". Or check out how he has it set up for playing in bed. And just various places, various holds, various fingerings for the nonprofessional, disabled aspiring musician. And obviously this will not work with full sized harps but you probably have a bunch of little harps to play with by now. Or maybe even a lyre. But something smaller, portable, and manageable for people with limited mobility and strength. But I love these videos. I love that you give a space for us to play WITH you too. I was trying to pick up some drum beats the other day off here and the guy did only like 3 times through the rhythm which by the 3rd time was when I finally was figuring it out but he moves on. So this is really great. And you've come a long way since the earlier videos. Have you watched ever to compare? I wasn't comparing on purpose but the differences stuck out. And I had the joy to see it happen in a second ratger over 8 years but you have much more clear, confident, committed efforts it seems. Your playing is sharper, your hands are tighter, sound clearer. It was amazing to see. Which being able to come and talk on camera is another gift. I made one video one time trying to play a song I was trying to write and well, let's just say I won't be sharing that link with everyone. Haha. But truly, you're amazing. I like you best of the 3 Harpists I've found teach well so far... Could you play if you were disabled? And how? Those are the questions. Are you up for answering? I hope so! I want so much to just even make sense when I make sounds emit from my instrument. Not just this cacophony of discordant raucousness. What do you think? Are you interested? Where are you from by the way? Just so I can imagine whether a lesson in person would ever be possible. Which since I'm planning a trip anyway, even being in another part of the country isn't out of the realm of possibility but that's if the country is the US or my side of Canada. I'm really quite close to the border and would think nothing of going to Montreal. I can give you my email if you would like to chat some more. Christin2020newme@gmail.com but I will take my comment down after so I dont get a bunch of unwelcome emails. Thank you for taking the time with me, though. I appreciate it. In Harmony, ~Christin
Thank you for such great tips! I've been playing for 6 months so I'm a little obsessed with hand and finger position. I noticed that when you place your fingers before playing each rolled chord, you leave your second and third fingers just slightly off the string rather than directly on them, waiting until the last second to place them on the string; they're not all on the string at once, waiting to play. Is this something special you do specifically for rolled chords?
Thank you so much! This was so helpful! What do I do if I swing the rhythm when I am trying to go up the chord evenly? It keeps happening- I think I’m listening to too much jazz
Hmm, try swinging it the opposite way for a bit (i.e. short-long, short-long if you've been doing long short, long short) and then try to play evenly and see if that helps...
On a serious note, it feels impossible for my fourth finger to reach on that version of the G you play. Do you have any advice on placing for those of us with baby hands?
Pro Metronome - note that the "practice session" mode is a paid upgrade ($1.29 CND for me, I think). Check the video description for a link to both the Android and iOS versions.
Drills start at:
3:58 3 note dotted rhythm 1
5:41 3 note dotted rhythm 2
7:47 3 note rolled chords
9:35 4 note dotted rhythm
11:46 4 note rolled chords (2 clicks per roll)
14:13 4 note rolled chords (1 click per roll)
Thank you Josh to exist
the long short long, short long short thing helped a lot. Thank you
Thank you Josh, you’ve shared a great teaching method for rolling. Much appreciated as always
Thank you, great teaching technique. I’ve just started rolling. Practice, practice and practice. 🙏🏻🎼
Harp Tuesday! Thank you for reviewing technique and rhythm.
Thanks Carmen!
Wow, you've been making these videos a long time. I just got a used student harp yesterday and my G key is stripped from in the instrument so I can't tune it. I am so bummed. And disappointed because the seller said her daughter tuned it the night before which was a lie that didn't need telling. That gave me more expectation but her daughter could NOT have tuned the harp. When you use the key to turn the peg it moves to where you want but as soon as you release the key, the string returns to where it started from. My husband researched how to fix it with glue to make the hole inside smaller but who knows when we can get that done since we've been separated for 3 months and I only see him about once a week.
But I wanted to comment because I'm so impressed with your videos. 2012 just happened to be the first year I noticed. The fact that you're still making videos like this, is just amazing. You could just be playing and writing but you're not. You're sharing your gift. And that truly makes you gifted. But I will say, you won't know how well you know something until you try to teach it. Right? I think thats when someone can truly master an art or craft.
But would you consider ever how people with disabilities still might enjoy playing harp? Are there any modified exercises you could come up with? Have you a lap sized harp that you turned it around different ways to see how else to play it? I find i can play longer in guitar position but I would love to see someone who knows their instrument forwards and backwards play it backwards, upside down, or upside down and reversed. However (there are really only so many ways you can hold it) the plucked psaltry position seems most appealing for becoming familiar with the strings and plus having it flat towards my lap allows me to see the strings better. I feel I'm going blind sometimes looking for the strings. Last night I hung a black t-shirt on the tuning pegs which so far has given me the best result since even with it hanging off my instrument, the fabric is very forgiving and I can move my hands inside of it easily enough but I was wondering if you ever get bored doing the same things and thought well, it won't hurt to just ask.
Maybe a whole mini series on playing for people with disabilities. Some modified or modifiable exeecises? I have such a bad back and arm pain issues which I actually broke my back in August so I need to be able to sit back, prop my feet, and make other adjustments... but I love the sound of a harp and would love to be able to play it even just therapeutically. So, if you haven't got a whole lot of other plans for where you want to take your videos, I think this would be a good one. Because NOBODY ever considers "differently-abled" people. Ever. You would of course have to purposefully develop bad habits and teach all the little tricks and cheats you normally want to avoid to be a good harpist but think of all the new harpists you'll be able to inspire. MORE people, people like me, will be able to see, look at the dude in a rocking chair playing his harp and think, "maybe I can try that!". Or check out how he has it set up for playing in bed. And just various places, various holds, various fingerings for the nonprofessional, disabled aspiring musician.
And obviously this will not work with full sized harps but you probably have a bunch of little harps to play with by now. Or maybe even a lyre. But something smaller, portable, and manageable for people with limited mobility and strength.
But I love these videos. I love that you give a space for us to play WITH you too. I was trying to pick up some drum beats the other day off here and the guy did only like 3 times through the rhythm which by the 3rd time was when I finally was figuring it out but he moves on. So this is really great.
And you've come a long way since the earlier videos. Have you watched ever to compare? I wasn't comparing on purpose but the differences stuck out. And I had the joy to see it happen in a second ratger over 8 years but you have much more clear, confident, committed efforts it seems. Your playing is sharper, your hands are tighter, sound clearer. It was amazing to see. Which being able to come and talk on camera is another gift. I made one video one time trying to play a song I was trying to write and well, let's just say I won't be sharing that link with everyone. Haha.
But truly, you're amazing. I like you best of the 3 Harpists I've found teach well so far... Could you play if you were disabled? And how? Those are the questions. Are you up for answering? I hope so! I want so much to just even make sense when I make sounds emit from my instrument. Not just this cacophony of discordant raucousness.
What do you think? Are you interested? Where are you from by the way? Just so I can imagine whether a lesson in person would ever be possible. Which since I'm planning a trip anyway, even being in another part of the country isn't out of the realm of possibility but that's if the country is the US or my side of Canada. I'm really quite close to the border and would think nothing of going to Montreal.
I can give you my email if you would like to chat some more.
Christin2020newme@gmail.com but I will take my comment down after so I dont get a bunch of unwelcome emails.
Thank you for taking the time with me, though. I appreciate it.
In Harmony,
~Christin
Ahhhh, the secret to yummy rolled chords! 😋 Will have to give these drills a try. Thank you!
Haha, yes, the perfect ingredient :)
This will be useful for many things but right now I’ll be using this for the beginning of Etude De Concert!
Nice! :)
Thank you!!
perfect timing, I was struggling with these, thank you!
Glad I could help!
Thanks much Josh! I have just installed and am looking forward to practicing with you after my day job 😁
Have fun! :)
Thank you! I see I need these drills to progress. These should help me get those yummy chords. ❤️.
Yum, yum! :)
I love your intros!
Thanks for the exercises! My metronome will need to be set at a much slower pace- but I'll get there!
My pleasure!
Hooray! 🌌✨🌟☀️
Loved the metronome rant 😂
:)
This is So Helpful! Thank You!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for such great tips! I've been playing for 6 months so I'm a little obsessed with hand and finger position. I noticed that when you place your fingers before playing each rolled chord, you leave your second and third fingers just slightly off the string rather than directly on them, waiting until the last second to place them on the string; they're not all on the string at once, waiting to play. Is this something special you do specifically for rolled chords?
Thank you so much! This was so helpful! What do I do if I swing the rhythm when I am trying to go up the chord evenly? It keeps happening- I think I’m listening to too much jazz
Hmm, try swinging it the opposite way for a bit (i.e. short-long, short-long if you've been doing long short, long short) and then try to play evenly and see if that helps...
Josh Layne Thank you!
On a serious note, it feels impossible for my fourth finger to reach on that version of the G you play. Do you have any advice on placing for those of us with baby hands?
The second inversion in the left hand that is! Thank you!
Hi Kasie, perhaps this video can help? th-cam.com/video/H5PXBfb2X84/w-d-xo.html
Josh, incredibly helpful, appreciate it so much! Thank you
What is the name of the metronome app?
Pro Metronome - note that the "practice session" mode is a paid upgrade ($1.29 CND for me, I think). Check the video description for a link to both the Android and iOS versions.
Josh Layne harp Tuesday is keeping me alive, will you marry me
\
:)