June 1998: Some Thoughts on Practicing - Unit 1

This is a subject vast enough to constitute a doctoral thesis. But following are just some isolated thoughts and observations.

Recently I noticed that many of my adult students share a similar characteristic fault in their practice and work styles. It seems that in their intense efforts to succeed and to find the proper position, or notes, or whatever, they rely more on their VISUAL and MENTAL abilities than they do on the FEEL and SOUND of what they are playing. Good music cannot be produced without a balanced combination of all four elements.

Let's apply these ideas to the execution of a simple triad. Obviously we must know:

• How to hold the hand
• At what angle to set the fingers
• How to close all the fingers completely which involves one type of closure for fingers 2-3-4 and a different action of the thumb. ---Whether or not to 'ripple' or roll the chord and how much. ---Whether to hold the hand steady as it plays or to move in some way. ---What type of lift or follow-through needs to occur after plucking the strings.

All these things require analysis, understanding, copying a good example, drill, etc. and constitute the "technique" with which you play. But technique is only a tool in the creation of "music". Alone it will not produce a beautiful sound because playing the harp, or any instrument for that matter, is not accomplished by merely seeing and analyzing the "how to do its" of playing. Rather, one must:

• Listen!

If played flat are all the notes of the chord played precisely together? Do all the notes have equal tonal quality? If rippled or rolled are the notes equally spaced?

• Feel!

When a really good sound occurs-what did it feel like? Can you find that same feeling again to produce an equally beautiful sound? Can you find the same feeling every time so your chords are consistent?

So, after you have worked out the technical, visual and analytical elements of playing your triad, close your eyes or look up at the ceiling. Play your chord and listen to it. Somewhere along the way you will randomly produce a lovely sound. When you do try to connect to the feeling of your hand and fingers when you produced it. This, combined with good technique will get you farther faster than you every imagined.

Finally, play triads in different regions of the harp and with either or both hands. The feeling that produces the sound you want is going to vary depending on whether your hands are closer (high range) or further (low range) from your body.

See you next month.

Stephanie

Site designed by Duncan Watt for Kanuba. E-mail to: kanuba@comcast.net