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Harp Myth 11
This article is the eleventh in an extended series of articles addressing issues and myths surrounding traditional harps and their construction.
A Needle In A Haystack
It is quite possible that the most difficult challenge a beginning harper will have to face is finding the right harp teacher. The thing that makes it so hard is that a high percentage of the people who say that they teach lever harp do not. It is important to say loudly that these folks are not trying to mislead the prospective student. The fact is that an alarming percentage of the harp teachers we meet while traveling around the country have no idea that they do not understand or appreciate the lever harp. This is a very unpopular thing to say out loud or in print but we believe that if this problem is not addressed it will continue to be propagated.
It is, at its heart, a cultural problem. So many of the modern pedal harp teachers were raised in a harp environment where the pedal harp was the only harp. They were taught that all things can be played on a pedal harp and that any other harp is limited. They believe this. As a prospective lever harp student, the goal is to find a teacher who has a complete understanding that different types of harps require different playing techniques. Think of the violin family. A teacher would never teach a student to play the double bass and then teach them to use the same technique to play a violin! Pedal harps and traditional harps are different instruments and require different techniques. Each of these harps has a different voice and nature. A student must find a teacher that is familiar with the techniques of the type of harp he or she wishes to play.
So how does a novice find the right teacher? First, it is important to know that just because a teacher teaches pedal harp they must not immediately be excluded. There are many versatile pedal harpists who have a clear understanding of the diversity of the harp family. A good sign is if a teacher asks you what type of harp you play and what kind or style of music you want to play. They should also ask you your goals for learning to play the harp. Any well informed, broadly skilled harp teacher will teach very differently to a student who has a Troubadour and wants to play with the youth symphony versus a student who has a lever harp who would like to be able to play at weddings versus a student with a lever harp who wants to learn to play for their own enjoyment. If a teacher does not ask these basic questions, they generally are teaching only one technique. Keep looking! A good lever harp teacher should be able to mold their lessons around your goals. They should be able to teach to you as an individual.
One other important thing you want to have in a harp teacher is someone who understands how to teach you to avoid injury. Carpeltunnel syndrome, back and shoulder injuries are rampant in the harp world. The books "Correcting and Preventing Harp-Related Injury", by Laurie Riley and Michael MacBean, and "The Harper's Handbook," also by Laurie Riley, are excellent guides in this area. (Also see "Laurie Riley Answers Questions" for her perspective on finding a harp teacher.)
There are a few actual warning signs when selecting a teacher. We have heard of a harp teacher telling a student, after several months of lessons, that she had taught her everything that could be played on a lever harp and the student needed to "move up to a pedal harp". Another pedal harp teacher told one of our customers that she needed to "throw away the toy and get a real harp". If you ever hear your harp teacher say something of this nature, you don't need a new harp, you need a new harp teacher. (See Harp Myth 1: Bigger is Better)
Lindsey Samahon toured accompanying a large choir with her 22string lap harp. There were some people who said "What could you possibly play on such a small harp?" Her response was, "Name the piece," and she would play it. Her lap harp has three octaves, just as does the violin. Lindsey did not have any trouble with limited range. Most of the classical music written for harps was written when harps were commonly made with four octaves. It is only in modern time that arrangements have been written to take advantage of a range larger than the composer originally required. To hear a teacher say that a lever harp is "too limiting" evidences only the limitations of the teacher. A pedal harp, for that matter, is limited compared to the advantages of a chromatic cross harp but that is not the point. Each type of harp has its place, music, style, technique and following.
If a harp teacher refers to "standard string spacing" or "standard string tension," be leery. (See Harp Myth 2; Standard String Spacing) If a teacher says that the harp is only played with the flesh of the fingers and you'll have to cut your nails, be leery. Wire string harps are played with the nails. Paraguayan harps are played with both flesh and nails and sometimes with picks. Diana Stork has blissful CD's and the clean, light, bell tone of her nylonstrung lever harp comes from playing with her nails. The point is that there are many "right" ways to play the harp.
When selecting a harp teacher, be persistent, be informed and be positive. Great teachers are out there.
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