First of all, I must talk about something that is VITAL to playing any musical instrument: PRACTICE.

We all practice: novice, gifted amateur, professional, all of us.

The reason we do is very seldom explained....but here's why: in playing a musical instrument we are using sets of muscles to do specialized motions. These motions, in order to be effective, must be unconcious...like the muscles, and skills, used in walking, or riding a bicycle, or breathing... and these muscles are controlled by our hind-brain, the cerebellum. This is a very stupid brain. It CANNOT learn by reading, nor by listening. It can ONLY learn by doing; by repetition of the physical moves until it finally has them "hard- wired" in place. We must conciously repeat these moves until they become unconcious...until we can, literally, do them while asleep.

This is why you must practice. Practice while reading a book. Practice while eating. Practice as much as you can, when you can, where you can! Practice ALL of these patterns and movements everyday until your HANDS have learned them. Then practice them some more, to keep them smooth.

If you become frustrated, STOP! Put the harp down, relax a while, and then go back to it. Don't give up!

A Harp is Magic. It's gentle, sweet sound will give you more joy than I can express in words here.........don't fight it, go INTO the music, and let your hands go of themselves.

Take it gently. Take it smoothly. Take it in peacefulness. But..... TAKE IT! DO IT! LEARN IT!

When you DREAM that you are playing the harp, and you KNOW that your fingers are moving correctly; when you can move your fingers in a pattern and HEAR the tones that pattern will play, with NO harp in your hand at all, then you are beginning to be a Harper.

But don't get complacent. You MUST keep in practice! Your body will never forget these moves, but, without practice they will become rough, and slow, over time.

Does your harp have a name? Listen to the harp, and it may tell you! Some harps have a great, loud voice and ego, and are easily heard. Others take a while, and need to "get to know you." Take your time, and listen for your Harp's Name.

PLAYING THE SILLY THING

:

The standard playing position for the Irish Harp is sitting down on a stool, or in a chair, placing the harp on the inside of your LEFT leg, with the RIGHT leg acting as a support, or, if it is a lap- harp, placing it on the LEFT thigh, with the RIGHT thigh acting as extra support, and resting the harp on your LEFT shoulder. If you must sit on the ground or the floor, place the box where it's comfortable, but always rest it on your left shoulder. The Harp is constructed to be held this way, as opposed to modern harps, which are held on the right shoulder.

Keep the harp in place with your forearms..lightly, so your hands can reach all the strings by sliding your arm down the body of the harp. Keep your elbows down. This is different than modern harp technique.

With the Harp on your left shoulder, the right hand plays the bass tones, and the left hand plays the treble....usually. Sometimes your hands will need to cross over, for certain runs and effects. Feel free to do this.

The only fingers you will need to play the harp are the thumb, first and third fingers of each hand. Other fingers may be used for special effects, as you find needful and comfortable. Remember that the advanced techniques will use more fingers than this, though.

NB: Try to keep the idea in circulation that you can't play a harp and fondle the nearest wench (or that cute young man, Ladies...) at the same time; not strictly true, of course, and it makes the fondling that much easier....

Keep your fingers at something close to a right angle to the strings. You will be playing with your fingertips. This is also different than modern harp technique. PLUCK nylon firmly; CARESS wire strings gently.

PRACTICE simply holding your harp, and placing your fingers at the correct angle to the strings. Slide your arms down and back up the body without letting the harp fall over, and without squeezing it too hard.

Remember: the harp is not to be held strongly, but rather firmly, with gentleness; hold it as you would hold your lover.

Do not try to achieve the staggering amount of music that the modern Concert Harpist puts out. It can be done, by an expert, but to be sparing, keeping the music plain and simple, but rippling like the waves of the Ocean that touches Tir an n'Og, is more in keeping with the style of the Celtic instrument.

SHAKES, RATTLES AND ROLLS:

The basic right-hand motion is the "roll," whether backwards or forwards. With the harp in "C," place the third finger of your right hand on the 5th string of the octave, the index finger on the 3rd string of the octave, and the thumb on the 1st, or key-tone.

Now, pluck, gently, the strings in the order: 5-3-1; third finger first, then index, then thumb. (3-i-t) If you do this fairly slowly, you play an arpeggio. Quickly, and it's a single chord, of the style termed a "shake" by the old harpers. (Simultaneously is OK too.)

 

                      3-i-t                  (3-i-t)
         arpeggio:    1-3-5        chord:    (1-3-5)

This is the backwards Roll. If you reverse this, and start the roll with your thumb, it is a forward Roll. Most of the old harpers, to the best of our current knowledge, used the forward Roll in preference over the backward. These are the BASIC moves that almost all advanced technique is built on.

PRACTICE BOTH THESE MOVES, BOTH WITH THE HARP, AND WITHOUT IT.

Notice that this is a different technique than the 3-finger and thumb used by modern harpists....we are not playing Concert Harp, but, rather, Celtic Harp. The techniques are most emphatically NOT the same! We will be using 3-finger-and-thumb in some advanced styles (where do you think the Concert Harpists got it?) but these are basic techniques for simple harping.

These rolls and shakes give you the chordal accompaniment, and also may be used for rhythmic emphasis.

When you have this move nice and smooth, try picking out a melody on single strings with your left thumb, on the higher octaves.

Now make your right hand play one string, the lowest tone in the chord, with your third finger, on the first count of the measure, and "pinch" the two remaining strings (the middle and highest of the chord) on the second count, with your thumb and second or index finger(s) (in 2/4 or 4/4 time) or pinch on the second and third count of the measure in 3/4 time.

      t (i-3)                         t (i-3) (i-3)
      5 (1-3)   (4/4 time)   or       5 (1-3) (1-3)   (3/4 time)

You may do the same with the middle tone of the triad played first, and the lowest and highest played together.

      i (t-3)                         i (t-3) (t-3)
      3 (1-5)   (4/4 time)   or       3 (1-5) (1-5)   (3/4 time)  

These last give a STRONG rhythm background.

Practice all this until your fingers bleed. Don't bleed on the harp.

HARMONIES AND SUCH LIKE:

The left hand may play harmonies by plucking, in the technique called pinching, both the melody tone AND another, harmony, tone. This harmony tone may be the third tone higher/lower than the melody tone, in major scales, or, in modes, you may harmonize with the fifth or fourth higher/lower. Experiment! Use your thumb, and whatever finger is nearest the needed tone.

                i-t   i-t          4-t   4-t          3-t   3-t
               (1-3) (2-5)        (1-4) (2-6)        (1-5) (2-7)           

PRACTICE THIS LEFT HAND PINCH, BOTH WITH AND WITHOUT THE HARP!

If you are using a wire-strung harp, play with your fingernails as much as possible, and pick gently! If you are using gut or nylon, grab the strings with your fingertips (JUST the tips!) and pluck them with some force. (If you use force on brass harp strings, you will either knock them out of tune, or break them.) If you don't have nails, and you have a wire-strung harp, go ahead and use your fingertips, but, like the Maid said to the Cavalier: "Be gentle!"

FANCY STUFF:

Try playing the chord with your right hand, someplace in the middle octave of strings, playing a harmony with your left hand in the higher octaves, and then reaching to the bass, the lowest octaves, with your LEFT hand, on the off/on beats....kind of like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time, but, once learned, this is a magnificent effect on the larger harps.

If you barely touch the string, with your left hand, exactly one-half way down it, and pluck it with your right hand, and immediately withdraw your left hand finger, you will get a clear, ringing one octave higher than the tone the string is tuned to. This is called an "harmonic." It sounds much like bells ringing, and is quite beautiful for special effects.

PERIOD LICKS AND FOOTSTOMPERS:

The following are, as best we know, period Irish harp techniques. They are noted for a harp in "C," except for the Lanchrobh. Irish Gaelic names are attached. These were written down in the Eighteenth century, but are very likely to be of earlier origin.

Each set of symbols represents one measure in 4/4 time.

Key to symbols used:    t: thumb plays this tone
                        i: index finger plays this tone
                        2: middle finger plays this tone
                        3: third finger plays this tone


                        Capital letters denote tones.
                        Hyphenated tones are played in sucession.
 
                                             
                        Chords are indicated: (C-E-G) when tones 
                               are played simultaneously.



                                 
GRACES:



  Brisidh (a break): played alternating thumb and index finger on
                      successive strings like so:

                          t i t i t i t i t i
                          C-B B-A F-E E-D B-A

                       (the string played by the thumb is immediately
                       damped, or stopped.)


  Bulladh Suas No Suaserigh: (a sucession of triplets):

                             3 2 i 3 2 i 3 2 i 3 2 i
                             D-E-F  F-G-A   A-B-C  C-D-E etc

                             another kind of roll that uses only the
                             fingers, i-2-3, to produce the three-tone
                             sound in a different manner.  


  Leagadh Anuas (a falling): i t i t i t i t i t
                             A-B  C-D  F-G  C-D  F-G (all in same octave)

                             is the same as Brisidh, but reversed;
                             the string played by the index finger
                             is stopped by the thumb and the thumb
                             string is left sounding.
                            


  Leath Leaguidh (a half-falling):  2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3
                                    E-D  A-G  C-B  D-C

                                   the string played by the second is
                                   stopped by the first, and the string
                                   played by the third is stopped by the
                                   second.

                                  
  Sruith-Mor (a great stream ascending): an upwards arpeggio over all 
                                        strings. Usually done by 
                                        dragging the index finger 
                                        upwards over the strings.


  Sruith-Mor (a great stream descending): a downwards arpeggio over all
                                          strings. Usually done by
                                          dragging the thumb downwards
                                          over the strings.


  Sruith-Beg (a little stream): t i 2 3  t i 2 3  t i 2 3
                                C-B-A-G   D-C-B-A   E-D-C-B  etc.



                     
SHAKES, AND SO FORTH:



                                      2 i 3 i 2 i 3 i
  Barluith (activity of the fingers): F-G-F-G  F-G-F-G


  Barluith-beal-an-airdhe (activity of the finger-ends):

                                  2 i 3 i 2 i 3 i 2 i 3 i
                                  D-E-D-E  B-C-B-C  A-B-A-B

         (the string struck by the 3rd finger is damped by
             the second finger, 1st string still sounding)


  Barluith Fosgalta (activity of finger-tops):

                                  2 i 3 2 i 3 2 i 3 2 i 3
                                  E-G-E  F-A-F  B-D-B  A-C-A

                    (second finger string damped by first,
                     first finger string still sounding)


  Casluith (returning actively): 

                                  3 i 2 3 i 2 3 i 2 3 i 2
                                  F-A-G  B-D-C  G-B-A  A-C-B

                                (strings instantly damped)


  Crothachan mhear (shaking): a rapid tremelo on one string by the
                              first finger.


  Cul-aithris (half shake): i t i i t i i t i
                            F-G-F  G-A-G  D-E-D


  Tribuilleach (Creathadh Coimhmhear) (triple shake):

                             2 i 3 i 2 i 3 i 2 i 3 i
                             F-G-F-G  F-G-F-G  F-G-F-G



                 
DOUBLE TONES, CHORDS AND SUCH:

 
 For The Left Hand:


  Bulsgan (swelling out): third harmonies played on two strings.

                                                         
  Glass (joining): fourth harmonies played on two strings.



 
 For The Right Hand:


  Cennanchruich (extremity of the hand):  i 2 3  i 2 3  i 2 3  i 2 3
                                          G-E-D (G-E-D) C-A-E (C-A-E)


  Glass (joining): octaves played by thumb and third finger.


  Glasluith (quick locking): t i 3  t i 3
                             E-C-E (E-C-E)


  Laghar (spread hand): octaves played by the first and third fingers.


  Lagharlair (middle of the hand): third harmonies played with first and
                                   second fingers.


  Lanchrobh (full hand): t i 2 3  t i 2 3  t       i 2 3  t       i 2 3
                         G-E-B-E (G-E-B-E) D sharp-B-F-C (D sharp-B-F-C)


  Malart Phonoch (reverse the hand): to cross the hands, the right 
                                     playing the left hand's part, and
                                     the left playing the right hand's
                                     part.


  Taobhcrobh (side hand): t 3 2  t 3 2  t 3 2  t 3 2
                          F-B-E (F-B-E) E-G-C (E-G-C)