Notes from the Harp
Issue #16 September 2010

Welcome to Notes from the Harp!

Welcome to the world of digital sheet music ~ harp music you can download and print at home. I give you my favorite sources and a run-down of who is publishing music digitally below.

Besides that, I've included an article on how to become a "rhythmic genius". It's full of tips and tricks to help you conquer rhythm once and for all.

But first, a lovely poem sent to me by one of my readers. Thank you, Kate!

So, make yourself a nice cup of tea and settle in for a good read.

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In This Issue:

Poem
Re-Stringing, by Kate Chadbourne

Article
Digital Sheet Music for Harp

Article
Become a Rhythmic Genius!

Special Announcement
Share Your Favorite Digital Sheet Music Discovery on My Harp's Delight!

To change a harpstring
you must prepare for calamity
and possibly a painful sting.

You must consent
to losing your mind
tying the harper’s knot –
a metaphysical compromise
reached only when surrender
weaves under hope
and loops a figure-eight
behind and through chance.

This can take several hours.
You may mislearn your fingers
in the struggle.
Cats may wish to become involved.
Let them.

You will likely wind the string
backwards at least once.
Simply unthread what you’ve done
and start again.

It will be necessary
to broker a peace-accord
between tension and grace.

The harp, through all of this,
will stand still and say nothing.

A wise and elegant doctor,
she has attended this surgery
many times before,
waiting through the necessary agony
until the musician, re-strung,
comes back into tune.

Digital sheet music is the new and easy way to find new pieces to play on the harp. More and more arrangers and composers are making their harp music available in digital format, so you can download and print the music right in the comfort of your home. While some sites allow only one printing of a score you've purchased, in most cases, you are allowed to keep a digital copy on your computer. This means that if, like me, you spill your tea all over a stack of music, you can simply reprint the ruined pages.

Not only that, but if you're thinking about "going digital" with your gig book ~ via an iPad or other music-reading device ~ you can simply add your new music to your collection without having to scan it.

Whether or not you plan to read your music from a screen rather than paper, this way of acquiring music is unmatched for convenience, provides instant gratification, and allows you to preview music before you pay for it.

Keep reading . . .

Here’s a question students ask a lot: “Is it okay to learn the notes first, before I learn the rhythm?”

Here’s the answer: “Never.”

Why?

Ask any music teacher what single element sets apart the struggling musician and the accomplished one, and 99% of the time the answer will be RHYTHM.

Music is about flow, about pacing, about sounds created in harmony and rhythm with one another.

If you train the notes into your ear without the intended rhythm, you’ve trained them in with an invented rhythm. If you’ve done it 7 times, your brain now “knows” the piece that way. Do you know how many times you’ll have to do it right to retrain your brain? Thirty five. That’s right, 35!!

Okay, so you’re going to practice smart and get the rhythm BEFORE you learn the notes. Now what?

Keep reading . . .

Share Your Favorite
Digital Sheet Music Discovery
on My Harp's Delight!

Do you have a favorite harp piece that you came from a digital download? Why not spread the word and help support the work of your favorite composers and arrangers for harp? It's easy! Just leave your recommendation on the Digital Sheet Music page at My Harp's Delight using the link below.

Recommend your favorite digital harp piece here

All content by Susan Zevenbergen, Copyright 2010.

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