In the last post , we examined the acoustical principles of harmonics. We also discussed the number one rule for playing a beautiful bell-like harmonic: you must stop the string in the exact center.  Let’s go step by step through all four elements of playing a harmonic

Harmonics Step By Step

Step One: The Center

This is the “center of the string” rule that we’ve already discussed. Remem...

This post is the first of a two-part series to help you understand harp harmonics, the science behind them and the tips you need to make yours ring beautifully.

There is no more beautiful sound than a harp harmonic, ringing with a silvery clarity. Philadelphia harpist Edna Phillips was fond of recounting how the famous conductor Stokowski raved about the bell-like tone of her harmonics. But if li...

Scales aren't just about technique.

Scales happen in "real" music too, and when we need to play them, we want them to be expressive, fluid and musical.

In this video, I demonstrate seven steps you can use to make your scales more beautiful in anything you play. And I have prepared a handy reference checklist for you as well. Just click on the link, enter your email address and it will be on it's...

Do you feel like you’re all thumbs?

Thumbs can just plain get in the way. Sometimes our thumbs make us feel clumsy and slow when we play. They get tense; they don’t place accurately. Thumbs can be hard to control, and it can be even harder to make them sound beautiful and musical.

But with a little understanding and a little attention, your thumbs can be as nimble and expressive as the rest of y...

Have you ever thought about how you play music, about how you do what you do?

 It’s not just about style. The way you play, what you actually do to make the music happen has much more significance than just style.

And it’s not magic either, not pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Musicians work and practice hard to be able to produce flowing melodies, rippling scales and arpeggios, beautifully shaped...

When you think about it, “inside out” starts in the most important part, the center.

Consider the maze in this picture. Those twisty paths full of dead ends confuse you on your way to the center. But if you were able to start from the center, it would be relatively simple and much faster to find your way out.

When we practice, we envision the final performance or finished piece as the goal, the ...

What's in a chord? Or more to the point, how do I play this chord and make it sound the way it should?

The harp was made to play beautiful chords, and yet they are a source of frustration for many harpists.

In this post I describe the four essential ways in which we encounter chords and what you need to do to make your chords the best they can be.

Be sure to get the one page PDF Chord Pract...

Are you plagued by a persistent problem in your practicing or playing? 

Often I have harpists come to me with a particular concern. There seems to be one issue, one real stumbling block that is in their path no matter what they do. These harpists are usually the “good student” type, even if they aren’t taking regular lessons. They practice diligently; they love music and the harp. But this diffic...

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If your left hand slows you down when the chords show up, then this video is for you. Work through these patterns and watch the transformation in your sightreading and music learning. And it will help your improvisation too!

And you can receive your own copy of a PDF of the exercises I demonstrate here by subscribing to Harpmastery. Just click the link below!

Click Here for the Left Hand Maste...