As one of the oldest instruments in the world, the harp in its many forms is
beloved in almost every culture. As a result, the harp has developed a
multicultural voice that speaks in a wealth of fascinating techniques and
colors. Since harps inherently have such an exquisite tone, it is often tempting
to stay within a fairly confined number of techniques, being so gratifying.
However, branching out into other timbres and textures can be rewarding and
inspiring, bringing great dynamism to our art.
In this article I will document three very usable and versatile world music harp
techniques. These can be employed right now in your own composing and arranging,
and fit practically any genre of music! Since a video is worth more than a
thousand words, there are video demonstration links for all these techniques
cited throughout this paper, which you can also access directly in one place on
my website www.dianarowan.com under the Blog entry entitled “Video links for
Folk Harp Journal article”.
In this article I will document three very
usable and versatile world music harp techniques. These can be employed right
now in your own composing and arranging, and fit practically any genre of
music! Since a video is worth more than a thousand words, there are video
demonstration links for all these techniques cited throughout this paper, which
you can also access directly in one place on my website
www.dianarowan.com under the
Blog entry entitled “Video links for Folk Harp Journal article”.
1.
Strumming:
Since ancient Egyptian times, strumming has been
a feature of harp/lyre music, and we see the very same technique employed as far
afield as the krar of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan, the Anglo Saxon lyre and the
Venezuelan arpa llanera. Strumming involves dampening the specific strings you
don’t want to sound with the fingers of one hand (initially a little
disorienting since this means putting your fingers on the strings you don’t
want to play!) and strumming the free strings with the other hand, either with
pads, nails, or the back of the hand. This technique creates a crisp,
articulated sound, quite different from the usual lush tones of the harp. In
this picture, Ethiopian krar master Temesgen Hussein demonstrates the string
blocking technique of one hand:
From here, one can experiment with strumming
particular rhythms plus exploring directions of strum. For example, one can
strum in completely free rhythm, imitating the Indian tampura (a short video on
this instrument: www.tinyurl.com/c7oe3j8),
creating a background-type texture, or one can imitate the driving rhythms of
flamenco guitarists. A favorite of Venezuelan harpists is to explore
alternating measures of 3/4 with 6/8 meters, and all the permutations therein.
This can work up to exciting polyrhythms via subdivision; 3/4 can divide into
triplets on each beat, creating 9/8, and from there we can go on to more complex
groupings such as a measure containing a quintuplet, a triplet and a duplet, or
even a duplet against a triplet - anything is possible! To view strumming in
action, see this video by Michael J. King on a self-made Anglo Saxon lyre (note
his YouTube channel has many other videos, plus
www.michaeljking.com
describes other instruments he builds, including a new wire-strung harp):
www.tinyurl.com/d5fc5t8.
Further, by varying the direction of strum such
as up-down, up-up-down, down-up, down-up-down, etc. the harp practically becomes
a percussion instrument, a role we rarely get to enjoy. Each combination of
movements creates a different feel, from the uplift of down-up strums to the
finality of up-down strums. Luwam Thomas offers a tutorial video on this
technique (again, her YouTube channel is a wealth of information, this time on
the krar/krar of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan):
www.tinyurl.com/c6ngd2f.
More strumming in action:
Finally, one can of course vary the blocked
notes so that chord progressions and/or color changes emerge - this can also be
seen on the videos above. A personal favorite technique of mine is to move my
blocked hand shape around the strings randomly, allowing surprising and
refreshing colors to manifest.
2.
Plectra & Picks:
The more articulated sound of strumming has
often been further emphasized by the use of plectra/picks. The ancient lyre of
Israel frequently employed a plectrum, creating an angular, bright sound, and we
see this exact technique used today on the krar. Try using a plectrum/pick on
your harp for a fresh new color - I recommend experimenting with a soft oud pick
at first, as these are amongst the least damaging to strings and easy to hold.
They can be ordered at
www.oudstrings.com
and look like this
:
In the following video you can see Michael Levy
using a pick on a replica of an ancient Israeli kinnor/lyre (this video also
shows string stopping, which will be explored in another article): www.tinyurl.com/cgr955d.
Note how Michael alternates between pick and pad use.
Taking this plectrum technique further, the
Asian guzheng player may have individual plectra/picks attached to each playing
finger. If plectra are on the right hand only, this allows for an interesting
contrast of tone between the bright right hand and the mellow, lush tone of the
left hand. The plectra also allow for powerful and long tremolos, a strong
feature of Asian music. Glissandi and chords also take on new hues when played
with plectra. Guzheng picks (pictured below) may be ordered at
www.chinesezither.net/accessories, and instructions for attaching
them to your fingers can be viewed here:
www.tinyurl.com/cr4uyzr.
Guzheng technique has a highly developed
sensitivity to plucking technique, distinguishing between inward and outward
plucks, and reminding us of the detailed approach early Celtic music also takes
to this matter. The work of Ann Heymann, Bill Taylor and other historical
harpists continues to deepen the field, bringing out yet more musical
possibilities for harpists today. Of course, in Celtic music, as well as Latin
American music, nails can be used as de-facto picks, and combinations of pads
and nails are employed to impart even more color differentiation. For those
unable to maintain real long fingernails, temporary artificial nails can be
interesting to try out.
Experimenting with how much nail and pad to use
allows further variation; for example, playing close to the tip of the finger
(yet still on the pad) allows for a nasal quality different from either nail or
full pad sound. In Latin American music, we find an interesting technique of
pinching the string forcefully outward to create a pick-like, twanging sound –
again, the possibilities are endless!
3.
Palm facing strings stance:
Although we as folk harpists often have our
palms angled at some degree toward the floor when playing (for many good
reasons), there is also a case for palms directly facing the strings to
facilitate certain techniques, as seen in Temesgen’s image above. This is very
much the case in Latin American harp techniques, where the heel of the hand is
used extensively in creating articulation via dampening, bringing out harmonics,
and basic bracing in order to facilitate finger patterns. Angel Tolosa
demonstrates many of these dynamic techniques in concert: www.
tinyurl.com/c88zecf, and the stance can be
seen here with Venezuelan harpist Eduardo Betancourt:
One of the most exciting and characteristic
Latin American harp sounds is the “growl,” which is created by grabbing the
chord forcefully and rolling it quickly while almost immediately dampening with
the heel of the hand. This can only be done with the fingers up/palm facing
strings stance, which harpist Liza Wallace (www.lizawallace.com)
has aptly described as a “claw-like” position, seen here (along with the many
fascinating techniques this stance allows) with Carlos ‘Metralleta’
(‘Fireworks’) Orozco: www.tinyurl.com/cyhq63m
The “bordoniado”/slap bass technique, which has
also been described on Alfredo Ortiz’s DVD Special Effects for All Harps
and can be seen extensively in the two links directly above, also requires this
palm-upwards hand position. The effect sounds very much like a plucked double
bass, and involves bracing the left hand high on the strings in the bass range
and plucking forcefully with the thumb. A twanging sound results, which can be
immediately dampened by the hand or allowed to ring. If dampened, it can be
followed up with additional notes, creating punchy bass lines. And of course
this stance facilitates playing close to the harmonic curve, a technique
familiar to early harp players, bringing out a pres de la table tone and
allowing different finger patterns/motifs, as seen in the lyre playing above.
Slap bass in action:
Taken further, this heel of the hand blocking
allows great scope for staccato playing all over the harp, and by extension
percussive playing. If both hands are involved in this heel blocking, the harp
can become a completely percussive instrument to the point where it is hard to
distinguish specific pitches: rhythm alone predominates. Plucking forcefully
with both thumbs at once/interlacing higher on the strings is a favorite
technique in creating this metallic, percussive effect
:
As a bonus, this upward stance also allows
blocking of the strings by one hand and allowing rapid and simultaneous
harmonics to be played by the other hand. In fact, many of these techniques
open the door to other effects, and can be combined in any number of
permutations.
Have fun!
The techniques described in this article are
just a fraction of the treasure trove of world harp techniques available to
harpers today. Although many think of the harp as having a limited scope in
terms of expression, as we see above, we actually play one of the most dynamic
and versatile instruments around. Have fun experimenting!
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