Adapting Arrangements for Harpsicle or Small Harp!

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[@Jude300c]

I started my journey back in 2018 when I accidentally ran across a harp shop. I decided to stop in and the owner was of her craft fixing and prepping various harps and other music instruments. She let me try a few since I was curious and i fell in love. I have a physical difference, as I call it, and i only have two fingers on the left. I have not been successful at trying to play various instruments, either through impatience with myself, bullying or awkwardness. That harp changed my life as I could do something with it and the resonance was pleasing. I made a point that I would purchase a harp for my home one day and I'm starting small with a lyre, but watch various videos like this one, for when I have a harp of my own. I don't think I could ever safely, for the harp itself, handle a large one, but something at the size you have in this video is what I'll keep in mind. Thank your for reading and for your content!

[@PentragonCosplay]

I have a 36 string celtic harp and no smaller harp, but a Kalimba. If I want to play a piece on the Kalimba (that I originally played on the harp) I do it very similar to your technique here and just leave some notes out or use a lower note. It´s a technique you can use for a lot of other instruments and I thinks that very interesting to see :)

[@MairiKeltia]

Thank you for theses tips !

[@gregbwa1]

I only have a 22-string harp, and have always thought that the limited range forces me to get creative. I often play chords in various inversions, because I can't get to the root. I also sometimes shift a melodic line down or up (depending) an octave to make things work better. A lot of O'Carolan tunes have pretty wide melodic ranges that just make them difficult to play on a small harp with the melody always on top and chords at the bottom.

[@LearningtheHarp]

Sounds like you’re doing a good job!

[@mustakim2144]

That was very helpful, Christy-Lin. Thanks for sharing. ☺ This is an interesting challenge for small harp users (mine only has 22 strings), cause we don't only learn to play the harp but also learn to explore our creativity by arranging on our own. and it's fun! ☺ Besides simplifying things, I also make chord inversions and avoid/change certain notes, usually when I don't have enough time to change the levers. 😁 Looking forward for more tips ☺

[@LearningtheHarp]

Yes, inversions are also really useful!! Thanks for your helpful comment :)

[@ValfreyjaAndTheHarp]

Oh, wonderful!! I'm a harpsicle player and found these tips very useful. Very kind of you to make this video!

[@LearningtheHarp]

Shay Hinskens Hi Shay. I'm so pleased you found this video helpful! Do you have any other ideas for topics you would find helpful from my Harp Help videos? 😊

[@ValfreyjaAndTheHarp]

One thing I'm struggling with right now is making good accompaniments. I'd love to be able to look up a song's chords and have a few go-to patterns for accompaniment while singing. I know a lot of basic shapes already like 1-3-5, 1-5-8, 1-5-10-8, etc, but often I play them and it doesn't actually sound that good... I rarely do anything spanning more than 1 octave and I think the harp has a lot of great possibilities for accompaniment that I'm just not familiar with yet. If this topic resonates with you I'd love to see your take on it! Cheers :)

[@LearningtheHarp]

Hi again Shay. This is a great question! I might approach this topic in some form on Harp Help in the future. I've recently been teaching harp arrangement via Skype so if you ever want some one-on-one help you can give me a call :)

[@ValfreyjaAndTheHarp]

Fab, thanks Christy!! Appreciate it :)

[@lrmclinn]

THATS AMAZING!!!! you can't even tell the difference!!

[@LearningtheHarp]

Haha, thanks! :)

[@glornacara]

Great tips, Christy! I tend to do similar re-arranging (often, on the spot, haha) when playing my smaller harp, as well. :)

[@LearningtheHarp]

Thanks for watching, Sharon! :)

[@Retierdlife4me]

Hi Cristy I have a Revana 26 and I too have to simplify my base hand and play a little higher up with my right hand. Great tips and helpful video.

[@LearningtheHarp]

Great! Sometimes we do these things naturally and it's helpful to step back and put words to it :)

[@Meltiqueful]

This was extremely helpful! Thanks!

[@LearningtheHarp]

Pleasure! I'm so pleased it was helpful for you :) Do you have any other questions?

[@KatyAdelson]

Thank you so much! ^_^ I have so many ideas now -- this is really exciting! =) Time for me to go practice some more! :D

[@LearningtheHarp]

Katy Adelson Yay!!! I'm so glad it's helpful, Katy. Another thing I didn't mention is playing the left hand chords in a different inversion, that's also a helpful tool. All the best! Xx

[@waterlaily]

TL;DR. version: I just ordered a cherrywood harpsicle! The back story: My harp-teacher friend recommended the Ogden like yours to start harp, and strongly advised against the full-levered harpsicle, due to not being a fan of the quality of sound, and the amount of extra $ to put in levers. I do hear a difference between your 2 harps in this video, and you make the harpsicle sound fine, and it only makes me want to play it more. I know you advise getting a floor harp to start with as well in your Harp-picking advice video. After a lot of over-thinking the past 2 months, I finally pulled the trigger and ordered in a cherrywood harpsicle lap harp anyways for several reasons: 1.) I just paid off my consumer debt, and was not willing to take on an extra $3500 of it, when I could pay cash, and 2.) I find myself travelling for work for several days-months at a time these days, and I've had too many horror stories occur with check-baggage. So my harp comes with me in the cabin. 3.) The only rental options I have for harps in my country are the basic harpsicle model. As a multi-instrumentalist, this was not sustainable in the long term, but was also enough for me to dabble and get interested. Thanks to all of your videos, and several. weeks' worth of binge-watching, I finally have the courage and drive to get started at age 32. Thank you so much for sharing your talent, infectious personality, and encouragement on such an international scale, looking forward to hearing more from you soon!

[@gift4words78]

Have many beginners started with the small harp?? (HARPSICLE)

[@LearningtheHarp]

Yes! Many people do that. I personally think it’s easier to learn with a floor harp because it’s more stable so you don’t have to use energy (and get tense) keeping the harp in place. But I think it’s better to start with a small harp, rather than not starting at all!

[@notasquid6110]

I'm an intermediate-begginer harpist and my harp (which is my first one) is a harpiscle mainly because of price. I would highly suggest going and testing out harps if you can since they're such a big investment. also it's nice to be able to carry it down the stairs :)

[@yanruan5402]

Omg! This is sooooo helpful. Thank you!

[@maureenkelly6188]

Hi Christy-Lyn, I can’t see where to download the first page of beauty and the beast, to follow what you are doing. The link sends me to Melody to buy sheet music. Can you help please.

[@dignabressers7741]

Very useful! Thx

[@carmenfreeman693]

Thank you for your instruction. I too own a 26 string walnut rees harp. I am a beginner harpist. Have you considered selling your small harp rearrangements? I would buy you harp rearrangements for small harp. If you do, please us know.😊

[@LearningtheHarp]

Hi Carmen. I’m so glad you’re learning harp! 😃 Are you teaching yourself with a method book? I do have some original pieces that I sell on my website, but I wouldn’t be able to sell these rearrangements for small harp because of copyright reasons. Pity!

[@carmenfreeman693]

@@LearningtheHarp , I bought the heartland books with DVD. I attempted to learn on my own then it got overwhelming. I looked for a teacher within my area. Thankfully, there is a harp teacher two minutes from my kids tutoring center. She has been helping me learn how to play correctly. I am so greatful for my harp teacher.😊🙏

[@carmenfreeman693]

@@LearningtheHarp yes, it is a pity about copy right issues. I wonder if we could write to them for permission to make their music harp music.....as a business person....why not.....😊

[@carmenfreeman693]

@@LearningtheHarp I will check out your website. Thank you for your creations.🙏😊

[@dlsdelessemusic]

My harpsicle is a non lever harp what needs to be done with a non lever small harp?

[@LearningtheHarp]

You can tune it into the key you want to play in - usually the key of C is a good one. And then you have to play pieces without lever changes. And if the piece is in a different key, you need to tune into that key, for example if it’s in the key of G you will tune all the F strings to be F sharps. Hope that helps! 😊💕

[@tesscastro3410]

I would really love to learn how to play harpsicle😍, any on line lessons, I can purchase and learn at my own pace?

[@LearningtheHarp]

Hi Tess, great idea! Yes there are a few to consider. There is a course called Start Harp by Shelley Fairplay that I’ve heard great things about. Her course teaches you to play from scratch, with a supportive community and a series of homework tasks. But that course starts at a particular time and takes place over a period of weeks. Also consider the DVD “Play the Harp Beautifully” by Pamela Bruner. You have to order a physical copy in the mail but I’ve heard excellent feedback on the quality of the DVD, and I really love her book - I use it with my students. There are also video lessons by Darlene which you can purchase one by one online, but I haven’t heard direct feedback from someone who has taken them so I’m not sure of the results. Lastly, I’m about to start releasing video lessons to learn my original pieces with all the technique required, but those are meant to accompany teaching yourself from a method book or DVD such as Pamela Bruner, and are not meant to teach you from scratch. Hope that helps!!

[@Newton_Xavier]

How much lever harp?

[@eingelus]

are the harpsicles considered celtic?

[@hyousefi3835]

Thanks Christy, I love this small harp, I looked at salvia and Lyon as you said, didn't see your small harp, would you please tell me the brand and model of this small harp you played in this video? Thanks

[@LearningtheHarp]

It's a Harpsicle - this model is called a Special Edition Fullsicle, with the pickup.

[@octaviusthird6726]

Did you use the amp in this video? I am thinking if I should get a fullsicle with the pickup. Thanks.

[@LearningtheHarp]

Hi Octavius! No, I don't use the amp in my videos but it works extremely well for stage performances. I highly recommend it! A lovely strong sound which sound engineers love to work with.

[@octaviusthird6726]

Thanks for your reply and thanks for your video :)

[@LearningtheHarp]

Such a pleasure! Have you ever attended my live streaming concerts, Octavius? The next one is happening this Saturday, and it's going to be such fun chatting and sharing music with people from all around the world!!

[@octaviusthird6726]

Oh, I hope I can make it. I am on the west coast in US. I signed up to be on your email list just now.

[@s.r.2586]

im going to play on a wedding soon for my first time, do you have any tips ?:D

[@LearningtheHarp]

Exciting!! That's very good news :) :) Make sure you wear a comfortable outfit that you've practiced in, and try to play a few pieces from memory if you can. It's nice to be able to look up a smile while you play. If it's outdoors don't forget sunscreen - in fact maybe you could check out my video about what's in my harp bag! You might get some good ideas from there. Don't be discouraged if you're playing background music and people don't seem to appreciate you (see my video with Chris Werge discussing this) - remember you''re adding to the atmosphere, and even just looking picturesque really adds to the day! Let me know how it goes

[@s.r.2586]

Christy-Lyn's music aw, thanks for your long answer and for your tips, that's really nice of you :). yes I've watched the video last week, it helped too :) I'm really excited and I will tell you how it went tomorrow :D

[@carlynicholls3120]

Hi christy please can you help me I bought a 24 string harp with little legs but as I pull towards me it feels like it's not high enough. It's ok but I feel it could be higher to rest more on my shoulder. It only has 3 sound holes about 3 ft can you give me any suggestions please thankyou Carly xx

[@LearningtheHarp]

Have you tried resting it on a box or stool? Or to test it out, you can try a pile of books to find the right height.

[@SumikchhyaGurung]

Hi, where can I buy harp for beginner? Where did you buy this harp from?

[@LearningtheHarp]

Hi Sumikchhya! I think you'll find my video about what to look out when buying a harp helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipzIhImGq5irosk This is a Harpsicle harp.

[@rafaartist]

Fã Brasil 😍

[@marcelojr9882]

hello Christy :)

[@LearningtheHarp]

Hi! So nice to hear from you. How are things with you?