May 1998: Fingering A Melody Line

In the last 4 units we have found ways to sound out a melody and to find it on the harp. Once you have the notes and the timing you then have to decide how to actually execute it. Easy? Not so much as you would think. The way in which you finger a melody is determined by how you want that melody to sound. In the1997 lessons (see the archives) there was a unit on phrasing in which we determined that if phrases were not marked in the music we could hear and feel them. But sometimes there is more than one way that a phrase might be felt . Following are the beginning notes of Amazing Grace in the key of F major (1b) The spacing between the notes roughly indicates the timing.

C F	A F A	G F	D C	C F	A F A	G C

Following are the same notes grouped into phrases. Notes within parentheses constitute a phrase and must be connected in a legato manner by placing and playing as a group, replacing and/or crossing as necessary. If we were to consider that there were only two phrases the melody might set up as follows necessitating the fingering noted below the note names :

(C F	A F A	G F	D C)	(C F	A F A	G C)
(4 2	1 2 1	2 1	2 3)	(4 2	1 2 1	2 1)

Obviously this is a very awkward setting for harp though it might work very well on many other instruments as well as voice. So let's consider an alternative:

(C F)	(A F A)	(G F)	(D C)	(C F)	(A F A)	(G C)
(2 1)	(1 2 1)	(1 2)	(1 2)	(2 1)	(1 2 1)	(2 1)

This setting produces a very choppy sound since it is broken up into little 2 and 3 note groups. If the piece were a jig or some kind of bouncy tune the fingering would work but Amazing Grace requires some degree of flow in the melody. So let's consider yet another setting:

(C F	A F A)	(G F)	(D C)	(C F	A F A)	(G C)
(4 2	1 2 1)	(1 2)	(1 2)	(4 2	1 2 1)	(2 1)

Here we have some longer phrases interspersed with short ones. Some other alternatives might be:

(C F	A F A)	(G F	D C)	(C F	A F A)	(G C)
(4 2	1 2 1)	(1 2	3 4)	(4 2	1 2 1)	(2 1)

Or another:

(C F)	(A F A)	(G F	D C)	(C F)	(A F A)	(G C)
(2 1)	(1 2 1)	(1 2	3 4)	(2 1)	(1 2 1)	(2 1)

So how do you decide on what is best? Well there are a number of factors to consider. If the melody is a song as is this one, consider the phrasing suggested by the words. Find an accompanimental pattern or idea that you like and phrase the melody as it would best fit with the accompaniment. But more important than anything else --listen! Find the type of sound you want to make and use the fingering that best accomplishes that goal.

See you next month.

Stephanie

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