April 1997: Sitting at your harp

The "way" that you sit at your harp is very important. To play well and to be comfortable, the body - spine, head and shoulders - must be well balanced and the harp must be positioned to fit with you, not vice versa. Here's a good way to check your harp position: First, sit at your harp and play a few notes the way you ordinarily do. Stop playing, but hold your body position. Without moving your body position, stand the harp up and check:

 
1. Are you sitting squarely on your seat with your spine in a vertical position and your weight evenly distributed across your "seat"? If you are tipped to one side, the buttocks, thigh, leg or foot will become uncomfortable. If you are tipped backward or forward, your lower back will become uncomfortable.
2. Are your shoulders sitting squarely and relaxedly on top of your spine? If they are hunched up, even a little - or if they are "scrunched" forward, you will find that playing for any length of time makes your upper body uncomfortable.
3. Is your head aligned perfectly with your vertical spine (chin in)? If your head or chin is thrust forward from your shoulders it will create discomfort in the upper body.

So - here's the way to do it right:

• Sit up straight and comfortably on your bench or stool. Distribute your weight evenly across both buttocks.
• Center the base of your harp on your body's midline so that if you were to pull it toward you it would hit you right in the nose.
• Now swivel the harp to the right and draw it toward you so it nestles into your right shoulder. DO NOT adjust your body position. Move the harp to fit you!
• If you feel the harp is too far away from you, DO NOT lean forward! Draw the base closer to you instead. If you feel the harp is too close to you, DO NOT tip backward. Push the base away from you instead.

That's it for now. Happy harping.

Stephanie

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