The more you perform, the less frightening it gets. There is a reason why great soloists look so confident: they have played in that situation many, many times and they practise for hours every day.

Barry Green puts it into an equation: Performance=potential minus interference.

References: Barry Green: The Inner Game of Music (1986)
Frank Wilson: Tone Deaf and All Thumbs (1986)
Barbara Schneiderman: Confident Music Performance (1991)
Eloise Ristad: A Soprano On Her Head (1982)

Take the Harm out of Harmonics

Harmonics - they sound so lovely when played well, but they can be so elusive! After some experimentation, I think I finally cracked the mystery of their capriciousness.

Harpists all know to play a harmonic in the exact middle of the string, measuring from where it is held by the groove, discs or levers. That is why a harmonic on an open string is higher than one in sharp. However, sometimes the harmonics still sound strangled, instead of having that ideal bell-like sound. How do we get the perfect harmonic consistently?

For the right hand, position your thumb on the string you wish to play. The rest of the fingers should be flat in the palm, forming a relaxed fist. The front of the second finger should be at a ninety-degree angle to the exact middle of the same string, with the palm facing the floor. Then, back the fist away to the right of the string about 1/8 of an inch or half a centimeter. Your thumb is still on the string and your fist is poised near the string but not on it. Twist your wrist, bringing the second finger knuckle into contact with the string, playing your harmonic. Now the palm (with the fingers still flat against it) should be facing the strings. This works especially well in the higher notes. The same concept works for the left hand.

Play left hand harmonics by stopping the string with the side of your palm that is directly opposite your thumb. This works for single or multiple harmonics. Some people prefer to use the base of their thumb but that only works for single harmonics.

Double and triple harmonics in the left hand can be tricky, especially if the accidentals make it impossible for your palm to line up right in the middle of the strings. Your palm goes up, so if the harmonics are all flats, naturals or sharps, great! However, if the middle harmonic is a sharp and the top is natural, now what? If possible, change the sharp to its flat equivalent, so that now the harmonic chord lines up nicely with the curve of your palm.

It is vitally important to know exactly at what height you sit, so that you can set your chair in that position before the concert. One fraction of an inch up or down, and your muscle memory will set you up for disaster. Your hand will go to its usual spot on the string and THUD! The heartbreak of harmonics-failure! Even wearing heels after practicing all week in bare feet or flat slippers can be enough to cause this dismal state of affairs. Another variable that can wreak havoc is having a different harp at home than the one you will be performing on. The size of the harp affects where the harmonics sit in relation to where you are sitting. There are variations even among harps of the same style from the same factory, depending on what year they were built. If you are worried about a particular set of harmonics, as a last resort, mark them on the string with a bit of felt marker. It will wear off after a while.

Some strings have terrible harmonics. Try replacing the string if you can never get a good harmonic on it. Some harps also have less than stellar harmonics. It might not be you! Try your technique on a friend's harp. Then buy her harp.

Harmonics are usually played where they are written, with a little “o� above the note, or indications like sons harmoniques�. In some cases, they are played where they sound. Salzedo wrote his harmonics this way. Mahler's Symphony #3 has very confusing harmonics, some of which are too high to be played where they are written. One could conclude that they should all be played an octave down or that some of them can be played where written. In case of confusion, the conductor will tell you what he or she wants. When a composer wants the higher note, but the string is too short to produce a harmonic, you can fake it by playing an open octave. If a composer consults you, suggest doubling the iffy harmonic with a glockenspiel, celeste or triangle for a similar effect.

In some orchestra pieces, such as Ravel's Mother Goose, and Walton's Violin Concerto, you have to play a whole phrase of harmonics. It is very tricky to do these well while also looking at the conductor. Memorize these passages so that you can keep your eyes on the strings and listen to the other instruments around you for ensemble. If the harmonics are totally solo, at least you can look at the conductor and the strings without being distracted by looking at the music too! This can avoid a nasty case of whiplash.

At the beginning of Rimsky Korsakov's Russian Easter Overture, there are some fast solo harmonics which accompany first the flute, then the violin. Sometimes I go to Plan A: I play my left hand harmonics with the same technique as the right hand, so that I can alternate hands while playing on strings that are too high for the normal technique. Or, Plan B: if the orchestra takes a moderate tempo, then you can play part-way up with your left hand and continue with your right. Plan A is only for when it too fast for Plan B to be workable. Listen to the melody because you will not have time to look up!

Sometimes the composer has written something completely impossible, i.e. the fast harmonics in I Pini de Gianicolo in Respighi's Pines of Rome. If the section is too fast to play as harmonics, play it up an octave as regular notes. In these cases, try to make it sound as much as possible like what the composer wanted, but harps have their limitations and there is no point in going down with the ship. Just make it beautiful and convincing.

Arranging Music- Tips by Elizabeth Volpé Bligh
Pacific Harp Institute 2008

1. Listen to the piece, then jot down the melody, using solfège to hear the intervals in your head. I like the movable “do” for this, pronounced the same as “D’oh!”. In this system, the notes of a major scale are always do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do. A chromatic scale would be do, di, re, ri, mi, fa, fi, sol, si, la, li, ti, do. In Europe, they have a different system, in which do is always C no matter where it is in the scale. In The Sound of Music, Do is a deer.
2. Figure out the harmonies and mark them in, i.e. Am for A minor, A for A major. Aaagh means “Oh, no!”
3. Start with simple ways of filling in the chords in root positions. A chord always sounds pretty good like this, though there are times when you can put the third or the fifth at the bottom of the chord, but they sound different and can sound really unbalanced if they’re in the wrong place. Harpists are unbalanced enough as it is.
4. Make an interesting bass line and add some middle voices if you want a thicker texture. Not thick enough to stop a bullet, since with the harp, less is more. When in doubt, leave it out!
5. Vary the registers; see how the melody sounds in a higher or lower octave. Try adding thirds or sixths below the melody here and there. Try weird intervals! Sometimes they work really well. Sometimes.
6. Experiment with adding an introduction and a bridge. This just means a few bars that lead into the melody or link to a new section. The number of bars has to be similar to the number of bars in the phrases in the rest of the piece. If all the other phrases are 8 bars long, then the intro should generally be 8 or 16 bars long, too, but there are always exceptions!
7. Experiment with modulating to different keys by flipping a lever or changing a pedal and see where that takes you. When you sharpen or flatten a note, it can sometimes act as the gateway to a new key.
8. Try different rhythms to vary your arrangement from the original. See how it alters the feeling!
9. Add effects where appropriate, like harmonics, whistling sounds, glissandi of different types, xylophonic sounds, près de la table, etc.
10.  Try different left-hand patterns, but they have to fit the meter of the bars! Or you could go wild and throw in a 5/4, but it has to make sense musically. Even better, make dollars.
11. If you are arranging a piano piece, remember that the notation for harp will look different, i.e. we don’t have sustaining or dampening pedals. Some things that sound wonderful on piano sound awkward on the harp, and we don’t want to inflict that on our audiences, do we? Also, be aware that there are quirky notations for other instruments! If you are arranging a guitar piece for the harp, you have to transpose it down an octave since music for the guitar is written an octave higher than it sounds! Some instruments’ music sounds a whole tone higher than it is written, such as B flat clarinets and trumpets. French Horns are in F. You can find “Transposing Instruments” in Wikipedia if your eyes aren’t glazing over at this point and you’re still interested.

My Method of Moving Harps

Put the pedals up first. Put the padded cover on, and leave a gap where you can get your hand in to grip the column. If I have to pick up the harp, I need another person to help me. Tip the harp forward with one hand gripping the column and the other arm over the neck and grasping the harp under the brass plate that follows the curve on the pins' side. (Depending on which way you are going, you can be facing forward or backward.) Your helper picks up the bottom end of the harp either by the feet or under the edge of the base; wherever it is comfortable. Make sure you feel like the harp is balanced between you before you start moving.

If you have to go downstairs, the bottom of the harp should be on the downward end. The helper will have to go down the stairs backwards, looking behind him. The person on the upper end should always be facing the direction that you are heading. So, if you are going upstairs, both of you are facing up the stairs, and if you are going downstairs, you are facing each other. Some people take the harp downstairs while it is strapped to a dolly. If the wheels are large enough, this works fine, but you need one person at the bottom to make sure the harp doesn't get out of control. The harp gets "bumped"a bit, but many harpists move their harps like this all the time, and the harps are fine. If you can find ramps, they are much easier to use, and most public buildings in Canada have them now for wheelchairs.

I carry around a square of carpet or plastic to protect the harp's feet from the pavement when I have to put it down. When my helper and I get the harp to the car, we put it down on the square of carpet, then turn it so that the column is facing to the driver's side of the car. This is important! The levers or discs must be facing up, or they will be at risk of being damaged. Both people gently tip it into the car while facing each other on opposite sides of the harp. One person picks up the bottom of the harp and gently slides it into the car. The padded cover will protect it from scrapes. Place pillows around the harp to prevent it from sliding around while the car is moving. If you move your harp alone, get a large sheet of plywood that fits the back of your car and the harp,  and staple or glue a cushioned piece of vinyl to it . You can slide it part-way into the car, wood side down, with the edge touching the pavement, lie the harp on it, pick up the plywood sheet, and slide it all in together. This will protect your harp from scraping.

It can also be column-loaded if it is securely held on both sides and cannot fall over. I tip the top end of the harp onto the car, while holding onto the harp carefully, then I climb in with it while the helper picks up the base and we both guide it into position. Some people have designed ingenious guidance systems that make it possible for one person to do this easily.

If you are taking the harp out for performing, the music stand, bench and bag of strings, music, etc. can be placed beside the harp as long as there are pillows or something soft to cushion the harp from being bumped.

Tuning the Harp by Ear
Everyone should know how to tune by ear even though now there are some wonderful electronic tuners. Even if you carry a set of fresh batteries and/or an extension cord, sometimes the tuner itself can have a malfunction that is unfixable. Also, sometimes tuners can get “confused” and we have to be able to recognize when the tuner is leading us astray with wrong readings. It is also important to be able to recognize when the orchestra is playing at a sharper or flatter A than the one to which you have tuned. It is always good to check the pitch of the A with the oboist when you are playing with an unfamiliar orchestra, or check with the leader if it is a band or combo.

Always have a tuning fork in your bag of strings and accessories that accompanies you to every gig. You should have one in whatever pitch your orchestra tunes in, i.e. A 441, and one for A 440 as well. Hit it on your knee, then place the bottom of the fork on your sound board so that the vibrating tines of the fork are loud enough to hear well.

We tune almost all the time in a tempered scale, in which each semitone matches in size. Rarely, there are pieces in weird tuning systems, and good electronic tuners have these options on the menu. Other instruments routinely alter some semitones to be sharper or flatter, depending on where they are in the chord or the scale. We cannot do that.

Start by matching the A natural above middle C to your tuning fork. Note: tune the strings in flat position and then check them in natural. If you tune a string with the natural disc engaged, then the pitch will not stay accurate when you release it.  Now release the disc to A flat. (Alternately, you can buy a C tuning fork and start there.) Tune the E flat above it by playing the A flat and the E flat at the same time, slightly flattening the fifth. This takes practice! Check it with your tuner, which is tempered, so your flattened fifth should match up exactly. Next, tune the octave E flats, playing them simultaneously, and also broken in upwards and downwards directions. In some cases, the pitch may be slightly different depending on whether you play the note with the thumb or another finger.

Follow the “cycle of fifths”: A flat, E flat, E flat, B flat, B flat, F, F, C, C, G, G, D, D. This should bring you back to A natural. Make sure you complete the entire cycle of fifths, wherever you choose to start. This could also be done as: A, E, E, B. B, then go back to A, then D, D, G, G, C, C, F, F.  This should all be done as flats, checking in natural position, since the regulation will affect the tuning.

Check the tuning by playing a scale, a series of cadences such as I, IV, V, then set your pedals into different chord patterns with enharmonic settings, and finger these glissando patterns as you would play scales.

The tuning may not have come out right. This could be because your fifths were “perfect” and not flattened enough. If they are perfect, then the result is the “Pythagorean comma”. This simply means that the semitones did not come out exactly the same and you have not achieved a tempered scale. It’s all right; if you practice tuning by ear and checking with your tuner, then this trains your ear to recognize what a tempered fifth sounds like.

This can be a more time-consuming process than using an electronic tuner, so always get to your gig early. An hour is usually enough; this gives you time to unload your harp, tune and warm up. With experience, you get to know your own time line.

Audition Preparation
1. Choose a solo piece that you play really well, shows your versatility with varying tempi and moods, and is flashy enough technically to impress the panel. They may specify certain standard concerti or featured soli, so learn these standards well in advance just in case.
2. The excerpts show your abilities as a team player. Listen to many recordings of the pieces you will be playing excerpts from. Listen to recordings of the orchestra you plan to audition for. They may have a certain style that they would expect you to adhere to. You may find them on Itunes and on Naxos Music Library. Read program notes so that you understand what the composer was trying to say with the music. Know where the music slows down or speeds up and by how much.
3. Get the excerpts from the orchestra, even if you have your own. There may be mistakes in theirs or yours. If theirs has a mistake, contact their     librarian. If there is a discrepancy, they may be using an edition. Perform their version.
Notice all the details such as dynamic markings, tempo markings, rit’s and accel’s. If you play all the notes but neglect these details, that will kill your chances of winning the audition. Dynamics are extremely important.
4. Play with a focused sound that will convince them that you can be heard over the orchestra, even in a pianissimo.
5. Don’t play Debussy like Wagner. Know your styles.
6. Memorize your excerpts. You will have your music in front of you, but if the lighting is bad, your contact lenses have grit on them, or you are not used to the harp, at least you still have a hope of playing well.
7. When practicing, sing the main orchestra line along with your excerpts, so that when you play for the committee, they will hear that you KNOW what the rest of the orchestra is doing in that section. Don’t sing during the audition! Rotten tomatoes will ruin your outfit.
8. If it is not marked, determine what the metronome speed is for your excerpts and write it in. Then learn to play those excerpts at least two clicks faster in case the conductor asks you to.
9. Practice with the metronome to make sure you are playing the excerpts at the correct speed and are not rushing or dragging. Then turn it off to practice the phrasing.
10. Get a device such as an HD flash recorder and record yourself.
Get a comprehensive list of the most common audition repertoire and start learning it long before you need it.
11. Some excerpts are like “trick questions”. They are completely unplayable or sound terrible as written, so everyone does their own edition. A good example is the cadenza from Waltz of the Flowers by Tchaikowsky.
If you don’t study with an orchestra harpist, get some lessons on your audition repertoire with one who knows the ropes. If you study with a great soloist, they should not be offended if you need a little specialized advice.  Don’t wait until the week before your audition; it takes time to absorb new information.
12. Be prepared for the conductor to come up onstage and conduct you. Maestro Akiyama did this to me for Symphonie fantastique, and because I had it memorized, I never took my eyes off him.
13. Read some books on audition preparation. There are some good ones out there. The Internet is also a good source of advice. Harp Column has had discussions on audition preparation, for example, but google “orchestra auditions” and see what comes up.
14. Practice many, many repetitions, taking breaks every hour so you don’t get tendonitis. Practice them in different order. You should be able to play your pieces easily.
15. Play “mock auditions” with simulated conditions such as a panel of your friends or teachers. Dress in your audition clothes. Have the panel make notes as you play, and then provide feedback.
16. Tune your harp carefully every day so that you can tune it perfectly on the big day, and it will stay in tune. Bad intonation will ruin an otherwise perfect audition.

 
On the day:
The panel will be listening for
Rhythm
Intonation
Musicianship (Style, phrasing)
Dynamics

From Harp Column:
Posted by Clinton F. Nieweg

A composite list of audition pieces and the requested edition most often asked for by the Major Orchestras in the U.S.

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra – Critical corrected edition by Peter Bartok - Rental from Boosey & Hawkes. Harp 1.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique -  Breitkopf/Kalmus A1307  or Barenreiter edition which has some differences. Harp 1.
Britten; Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra - Rental from Boosey & Hawkes
Debussy: La Mer  - 1909/1910 edition corrected original Kalmus A1393  or 1909/1910 revised edition on rental from Durand/Boosey. Harp 1.
Mahler: Symphony No. 5 –Kubik Critical Edition  on rental Gustav Mahler Gesellschaft/ C. F. Peters
Ravel: Alborada del Gracioso – Corrected edition Kalmus A9066 Harp 1.
Ravel: Tzigane - Rental from Durand/Boosey & Hawkes
Strauss: Don Juan – Critical corrected edition Kalmus A2119
Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements - Rental from Schott/EAMDLLLC
Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite- Waltz of the Flowers - Kalmus A2173
Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake Ballet – Critical corrected edition Kalmus A2186
Verdi, La Forza del Destino Overture – Kalmus A2202 harp 1.

For works on rental, the excerpts for the sections to be heard should be sent by the orchestra, as an individual cannot buy these parts. Contact the orchestra librarian.
Complete parts for works on sale can be bought from the publisher or any music dealer. The complete work should be learned for the audition.

Elizabeth Volpe Bligh - Orchestra Playing Tips for Beginners (some repeats from orchestra article at top of page)
     Know what the most common beat patterns look like. Normally, a downward beat is the first beat of a bar and an upward beat is the last beat. Abnormally, you will encounter conductors who have their own personal style, and sometimes it can be confusing. Decode their conducting language as soon as possible. Also, some beats are sub-divided when the tempo slows down; so a four can be conducted as eight eighth notes instead of four quarter notes. They should tell you this, but you'll be golden if you can figure it out yourself.
     Some pieces start half-way through a bar or on the upbeat. The conductor sets the tempo by giving the previous beat before the starting note. Frequently, the harp part is moving in tuplets and you have to really watch the conductor to make sure your beats are perfectly aligned with theirs. When you see the preparatory beat, start sub-dividing it in your mind. For example, if your first notes are quadruplets, think "One-ee-and-a", quintuplets: "u-ni-ver-si-ty", sixes: "One-and-a- two-and- a", etc. This also works for tempo changes. When you are learning your part, look carefully for tempo markings, which are most commonly in Italian, French, German or English. Get a music dictionary; it will become your best friend after your dog and your metronome.
    Don't depend on the conductor to give you cues. They often forget or may even cue you incorrectly. Listen to the CD, if possible, or study the score, so you really know your entrances.
    Get there early enough to tune your harp, and warm up. Make sure your harp is tuned to the A that your orchestra uses, such as A natural tuned to 441 or 442. Tune the harp in flats, then check the intonation in natural and sharp in case of faulty regulation. You may have to compromise, or tune specifically for the most exposed parts of the piece. I prefer not to go any sharper or the fixed-pitch instruments such as the glockenspiels get left behind, and we don't want that to happen, do we?
     Have at least two erasable pencils, earplugs, tuner, pickup, an entire set of harp strings, a wire-cutter, set of felt picks (try Petite Pig picks), and anything else you need in a black bag onstage with you at all times. Know how to replace a string quickly and noiselessly.
    Get a couple of good orchestra outfits that comply with your orchestra’s dress code. The code usually specifies black, long-sleeved long skirts or dresses for girls, and tuxedos, black suits or tails for boys. It goes without saying that a sturdy, stylish pair of black harp shoes rounds out the look. If you wear a skirt, make sure it does not interfere with the pedals.
   Get the harp part as early as possible. Make copies of all the difficult parts you get, catalogue them, and file them away for the future. When a piece is programmed again, you will not have to solve the same problems.
    Mark the pedal changes before you start practicing. Draw pedal diagrams at every starting point. They may not match the key signature! Look for chromatic passages and make them more efficient by using enharmonics where possible. Most harpists put the diagrams above the staff to leave room for pedal markings below the staff; it should be very obvious which bar they are attached to. No floating pedal diagrams! The pedals themselves should be clearly marked exactly where they happen. Keep the part tidy! Put the right pedal over the left, either in the middle of the staff or just underneath. Never obliterate notes or important markings by writing pedal changes too close, circling dynamics, writing in cues, etc. Always use lead pencil that is easily erased.
    Eliminate awkward page turns by copying a page to be folded out, or write out the next few bars on the bottom of the page.
    Use fingerings which allow you to look at the conductor and make the right accents. Split single-line parts between both hands to avoid over-use injuries. Look for patterns, and use the same fingerings for all similar configurations. Avoid jumping around; place whenever possible, and use the same finger on the same note if you can. Consistency is key!
    Edit impossible passages. If a part contains ten-note chords, stretches that require hands the size of platters, pedal changes so numerous that you are performing zapateado, lines so far apart that you need a third eye, lines so close together that your left hand is tripping over your right, chord jumps that should be in the Olympics….don’t be a hero! Just find a way to get the right effect, with the correct harmony, rhythm and line, and everyone’s happy. If there are two harp parts, re-distribute the parts to avoid nasty pedal changes, a host of awkward problems, and frazzled nerves. Remember: it’s not about you; it’s about making the orchestra sound as good as possible.
    Mark the part legibly with measure numbers and cues, using clear terminology. If the part has numbered bars, figure out the bar numbers for all your starting points and mark them in. If you have a recording of the piece, listen to it, pencil in hand, and mark all the important cues that help you with your entrances. If you have 14 measures to count, and there is a trumpet solo in the fourth bar, write “m4 trpt” in the space provided. This will give you great confidence when you’re performing.
  Practise with the metronome almost all the time, and make sure it's on the fastest possible speed that the piece will go. Andante con moto, for example, is almost Allegro. The metronome is the closest thing to a conductor, though with less charisma.
    Practice all the pedal changes and practice counting while you're doing them. Keep the metronome going while you do this, so you know exactly how much time you have.
    Make sure your hands are placed before it's time to play. This gives you time to look at the conductor for a perfectly timed entrance.
   When you practice your part, look up at where the conductor would be in your line of vision.
    Memorize or at least be very aware of what notes you're playing. Don't just sight-read. Be really conscious of what key you are in and what pedals you need. Double-check the pedals when you have the time. Be sure you have read the pedal diagrams accurately.
    Dampen rhythmically, when the notes are supposed to stop.

 At the first rehearsal:

   Continue to mark in cues as you hear them and get cues from other musicians’ parts during the breaks. Many conductors don’t give cues.
    Write in “solo” over any exposed parts and “covered” over any places where all your hard-practiced notes are obliterated by thick orchestration or enthusiastic brass players. Harpists everywhere will bless you for this.
    If the conductor says “We will start at bar 118” and you do not have that marked, start counting “118, 119, 120” until you get to the spot in your music where you do have a numbered bar. Often there is not enough time to do the math to figure out how many bars there are to your next spot.
    Mark phrases and cues, especially towards the last bars of repeated patterns. Some pieces repeat the same pattern more than 20 times, and it is very easy to lose count. Write a “1” in the first bar of a lengthy section of repeated bars or patterns, a “2” in the second, etc., to help you keep track. Odd phrases, hemiolas, and other phrases and accents that do not match the bar lines may confuse you. Write in the melody and sing it as you practice.
    If you have marked a cue incorrectly, do not leave it like that in case it trips up the next harpist. Fix it, even if you’ll never see it again. Spread the good karma!
    Check the tempi! Sometimes a fingering works well at a slow tempo, but becomes completely impossible at the breakneck speed so popular with many conductors. Have a “Plan B” for any awkward passages. It may be necessary to throw away a few notes in order to facilitate beautiful, even playing.
    Divide the tacet bars into phrases so they can be counted that way, instead of the odd numbers that are unfortunately in so many parts. In “The Nutcracker”, for example, one finds rehearsal letters in bizarre places. It is much easier to count by the phrase rather than by 7, 9 or 15. “Candide” by Bernstein, and “Sleeping Beauty” by Tchaikovsky, are numbered in tens, making them excruciating to count. For some unfathomable reason, a few composers put the rehearsal letters on the last bar of a phrase! Other pieces feature a similar lack of logic. Be forewarned!
    Don’t trust the part. If it sounds wrong, there is a good chance that it is. Ask the conductor. However, occasionally they may not understand or hear your question, so you should also check the score yourself. If there is a mistake, fix it legibly and permanently, so the next harpist doesn’t have to suffer.
    Read “The Harp in the Orchestra” by Beatrice Schroeder Rose. It’s full of great examples of ways to fix unmanageable parts.
    If you have questions about an orchestra part, a good resource is www.harpcolumn.com. Type your question into a search engine such as Google, and you may find your answer on previous chats on that forum, or if not, you can log on and ask a new question.