Autumn Leaves - Pedal harp in the forest by Ralf Kleemann

Ralf Kleemann plays "Autumn Leaves" on the pedal harp.
Original composition by Joseph Kosma/Johnny Mercer.
Ralf Kleemann on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0nb7k...
Ralf Kleemann on Apple Music: / ralf-kleemann
Ralf Kleemann on Facebook: / harfenspieler
All video/sound recording and editing by the author.
Additional camera: Daniela Heiderich.
#harp #autumn #jazz #autumnleaves

[@simonbertioli4696]

Utterly beautiful....
When times are tough.
Listen to this, and let the bad things float away.

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you for your kind words! It feels the same for me when I play on, or listen to the harp.

[@lijiashu]

The beautiful music is soothing♥️♥️♥️♥️ I'm cheering for you from Japan🇯🇵

[@GreenRose242]

Fantastic!!!! ❤❤

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you! Might do more of these… 😊

[@GreenRose242]

You should do, the Harp is a beautiful instrument and you are clearly a master Harpist! New subscriber here, keep it up! 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@user-jy1jj3fl7l]

I hope you make lots of videos, I love the harp and I spend hours listening to lovely harp music. I have been learning to play the harp for a couple of years (I'm not very good) and I find it inspiring to hear people playing it really well 😊x

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you again! Glad you play the harp as well. I will continue to make videos like this one. Also, please be welcome to browse my channel, perhaps you find a piece that you wish to learn, or other inspiration. 😊

[@DawnDavis-lz3rj]

Beauty filled, this is!!! Thank you for sharing your beautiful talent!
IN USA 2.11.24

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks very much for stopping by to listen, and for your kind words. Doing my best for you! 🎶

[@JuanCastro-jy5we]

Maravilloso! Sublime!

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you very much!

[@harppoet]

Wow is this ever nice. 🙂

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks so much! 🍁

[@venusjoy8585]

Thank you for this wonderful time brought by your music

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks for your kind words, and for stopping by!

[@tomscobbie9140]

Lovely song lovely playing❤

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks so much for stopping by!

[@connieLo87365]

So beautiful. Love the scene

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks very much!

[@janebishop5885]

That was awesome. A Beautiful interpretation. Thank you!

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you for your kind comment. I simply love that piece! ☺

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

You make it look and sound so effortless . Love this!

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks for your kind words!

[@TamsinDearnley]

This is just beautiful - such a GORGEOUS interpretation, so mellow and sweet yet not at all saccharine Not sure how I haven't seen it until now...! 🍁🍂😍

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks for your kind comment! Never too late to stop by! 🙂

[@user-zt3dw2uu1l]

Beautiful❤

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks for stopping by!

[@ryujito]

sounds absolutely amazing! so elegant and mesmerizing, this is what I imagine old kings loved to hear haha, the sounds of the birds in the background and the beautiful autumn scenery just makes it ten times better!

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks for listening, and for your kind words! Old kings had their bards, and maybe some of them played Jazz as well - who knows! 😎

[@tenchuja8649]

so nice

[@orlyolivens..]

So nice❤

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you!

[@zehramanshad8183]

That is magical 🥰 thank you🌻

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you for stopping by to listen, and for your kind comment! ✨

[@starlet_moon]

最高です、とても美しい…いつまでも聴いていたいです。

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you very much for your kind words! 🙏❤

[@tamarariscica1924]

Meraviglioso🍁🍁🍁💚☘🌹

[@harfenspieler]

Mille grazie! 🥰

[@HaPea]

Really wonderful work!!😊

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks so much! ☺

[@katinka4547]

Das ist soooo traurig schön! Hach.....

[@harfenspieler]

Danke fürs Vorbeilauschen!

[@featherpainter6614]

Beautiful sound, arrangement and
playing!

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks so much! Soon it's that time of the year again on the northern hemisphere…

[@davidhill78]

Mesmerizing. I look forward to getting my own harp to play one day.

[@harfenspieler]

Please don't hesitate - playing the harp is so rewarding, and the basics are easy to learn! 😊

[@nadiabirkenstock_harpsong]

Great harmonies!!!!

[@harfenspieler]

Ja, die Pfefferminzakkorde...! :-)

[@user-jy1jj3fl7l]

That was beautiful, thanks very much for sharing. I couldn't help wondering how you managed to get to get that harp out there🤥

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you so much for your kind comment! Pedal harps are a little cumbersome, but there are some transport aids with 8" wheels, and I have a car that fits the instrument (matress in the back). In this case, the autumn forest was close to my home and I used a forestry road to get close. Having said that, it's always a little adventure to do things like this, which I enjoy immensely. 😊

[@saxoul17]

❤️😊

[@racisisis]

So beautiful 🥰

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks so much dear Rachel, and best wishes for your music as well!

[@jjsc3334]

You create different variation for this old melody, very touching!
Thank you for sharing.

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you for tuning in!

[@The8BitPianist]

You should publish this on Spotify!

[@harfenspieler]

I'll be happy to put it on the track list! :)

[@RoyceRemix]

Wonderful! I love the little gliss note changes :D

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you for stopping by to listen! One of my inspirations was jazz harpist Park Stickney, he calls this effect "pedal slide". It takes some practise, but it's quite effective.

[@carpenanne]

Beautiful

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you! :)

[@jennifersimmons964]

SOOOO sweet and wonderful, t.y.

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks :)

[@jurgensteiner5660]

Hammer! Zum Dahinschmelzen :-)

[@harfenspieler]

... ich empfehle eine heiße Schokolade dazu... :-)

[@ivyleavesmusic]

Very very nice!!!

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you for listening!

[@kronpromma1566]

Sound so beautiful and relaxing. want more nat king cole songs. thank you

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks for stoppin' by - About Nat King Cole, I'll see what I can conjure up! ;-)

[@carpenanne]

I want to like this many times! So beautiful, you play so well. Im learning a an easier version of this iconic song right now…

[@harfenspieler]

Hi Anne, thanks so much for your kind words! Luckily there are many versions/arrangements of this one for all levels of expertise.

[@harfenspieler]

P.S.: Let me know if you need help finding the right arrangement for you.

[@carpenanne]

@@harfenspieler im looking at Ailie Robertson’s recent youtube.

[@NastyaSiberia]

I wish my father was you

[@SamanthaBallard]

I love this! Is this your own arrangement?

[@harfenspieler]

Thank you for your comment! Yes, it's my own arrangement (with a bit of Caccini sprinkled on top... ☺ ).

[@SamanthaBallard]

@@harfenspieler It's fantastic, beautiful work!!

[@krisztinahunyadi122]

Thanks for this beautiful sounding piece. Do you think, I as a person with no light perception can learn playing the harp? Thanks for your reply.

[@harfenspieler]

Szia Krisztina!
Thank you for stopping by to listen!
Learning the harp has a few extra challenges for visually impaired players, but it can be done. I know at least two blind or nearly blind players who are learning to play the harp, and I'm sure there are many more.
Also, the famous Turlough O'Carolan had no eyesight at all, and went to become a player and composer of great reknown.
Please let me know if you have further questions and I'll be glad to help.

[@ninjaaron]

I'm really curious how this was recorded. I guess it goes without saying that the harp and the environment were recorded with separate mics, but I'm curious how you got such a good recording of the harp in a place like this.

[@harfenspieler]

Two DPA 4060 microphones, A-B configuration, spaced about 30 cm/12", recorded into a Marantz PMD661. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. 😊 The location was reasonably quiet, so I could record the harp quite easily.

[@Junker-JeuFwf9599]

Du hast Magie in deinen Fingern)

[@harfenspieler]

Danke, aber das meiste ist einfach: üben. 😉

[@elenberta]

where is this? looks VERY much like where I grew up in central MA, USA. But could be a lot of places...

[@harfenspieler]

It was a bit of an "Indian Summer" mood, near my home in northern Germany (54°N). Lots of beech trees in that part of the forest, and the sun was giving them the perfect backlight that day.

[@alexgabriel5423]

I believe I heard intervals less than a semitone(microtones). How is it done? Bending the string with one hand and pulling with the other hand? Or a partial pedal action?

[@harfenspieler]

Hi and thanks for your comment! Dedicated semitone steps are indeed done with the pedals, and they are adjusted in the closest approximation to the ideal semitone. However, this is not always the case in practice, as the mechanism shows some mechanical drift over time, depending on how heavily it is used, and how the harp settles and breathes with the environment. So if you hear intervals less than a semitone, this is likely due to small misalignments in the mechanism that have not been addressed yet. Of course, in a perfect world, this would never occur... 😉 On the purely subjective side, it may add to the overall charm of the instrument, as long as doesn't run out of the rudder completely.

[@HarpPianoCello]

Do you like the Aoyama pedal harp?
I am saving up for one so Just want to find out how other harpist find it? Compared to like Camac or LH or Salvi
In term of price I find Aoyama most affordable and quality is acceptable

[@Qeswara]

Does it need electronic amplifier?
And Does it contain a piezoelectric pieces and speakers?

[@harfenspieler]

Thanks for stopping by! This recording was done with two small microphones, but no amplification. The harp itself has pickups for amplification, but I did not use them here.

[@ChanMan63]

sheets?

[@SofaSessionsProject]

Hi there, great playing. We at Sofa Sessions are planning to make our version of this great jazz standard. Would you like to be part of it?

[@nicolef.peniston-bird5031]

Hi Ralf, that is such a beautiful version!

[@harfenspieler]

Hi Nicole - that means so much to me, coming from a dear Jazz friend! Thank you!! ❤