The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-16

4 air is the best for tone Warmth IS safer
| for the strings, but it Is often the cause of
falling off IN the pitch.
1t has been my experience that there is
very little musical knowledge among the
| general ran of harpists. Nay, ! will say
| more, that they understand the harp less
/ than the science of music, and that they
can play other instruments with more sat
lsfacuon to their audiences. To be seated
at beautiful harp and attempt pieces be-
/ yond their capabiiity seems TO be the am
o,iion Of many. They aim, first Of all, 10
! please the eye, and not the ear. This may
I 90 Tor some people; but TO those who I'M
| derstand music, ear-harmony IS better APP
| preciaied than graceful position and an
/ exaggerated artistic manner OF playing.
/ In harpisi, as IN pianist, a ylolinist, or
any oiher PLAYER OF instruments, there Is
/ required simplicity. seriousness and fun
damental knowledge of music.
nat makes q harpist2 am often asked.
Inc primal essentials are good ear and
steady nerve. To these should be added
Pauence and intermittent practice. One
should practice regularly, so many hours
day. During the two years when |
studied at the Royal Academy of Music in
London practlced ten hours daily. m
sisted upon IT, and often had to fight for
1t. Others who did not love the harp so
well as !, and who preferred 10 chat, would
try 10 drag me away from the instrument.
4 stuck to it, however and To this habit of
steady practice attribute my success. l
began 10 play the harp when I was years
old. / wonld climb on TO the table and
with my legs dangling over the edge,
let my fingers roam over the keys. Ny
mother tried 10 move the pedals for me-
and remember well that she moved the
wrong pedal more often than the right
one
Apropos of pedals, here is a good story
which illustrates the great Ignorance Of
many persons who pretend TO the title of
harpiSts travelling "harpist' and a
cornetist were playing on the corner in
England. when a passer by stopped and
watched them awhile. At the conclusion
OF the performance the man (who. by the
way. was mechanic employed in the fac
tory of Erard. the great harp manufacture
err remarked:
You've got a good harp"
well, should rather think / have,
was the reply.
Zone of your own make?" inquired the
mechanic.
What's that? NV own maker What
| do you take me for?" was the indignant
| Tejoinder.
Well" said the curious stranger,
| thoughtfully gazing at the lower extremity
of the instrument, I've seen some harps
with treadles''
"Treadlesl You mean pedals"
''0h, yes pedals. They are worked like
the pedals Of your machine2"
"Oh, | took EN- off" was the reply.
THE blamed things wore out the bottoms
| of my trousers so that had to get new
pair every week or two"
Those who understand the harp will APP
preciate the humor of this story. To those
who do not IL may be well to explain that
the pedals are 10 harp what the black
keys are TO pianoforte. Without them
the player is limited to one chord, and If
he should play THE Last Rose of Sum-
| mer, for example, where an incidental oc-
| ours in the second part of the tune, the
result would be an eaT-splittiug discord.
This is bad enough when the harpiSt is
playing a solo, but when cornetist joins
in with him the effect battles description.
While one plays the air correctly the
other plays it incorrectly, striking note
in the chord of G while the other is play
ing to a sharp or a fat. There are seven
pedals to a harp, one for each note. To
detach them from the instrument would
be to destroy its beauty and usefulness.
1t is the slow careful and regular work
that makes the player. First learn how to
practice properly, and proficiency in play
| ing will follow. Nothing is more con-
ducive to the acquiring of solid, firm
and independent touch than daily scale
| practicing and general finger exercises.
| From child have had an incessant wish
| to work work, work. Now, alter many
years, / know my harp as well as my
| child. A lady with two hours careful
practice daily would speedily become an
| efficient player.
The position of the player at the harp is
important. When seated at the instru-
ment, the pillar should be exactly opposite
the right shoulder The performer should
sit perfectly UPRIGHT, never STOPPING; the
feet slightly pointing respectively towards
the right and left side OF the instrument.
which must be held in perfect state of
equilibrium, almost balancing itself.
How long does il take TO become pro-
ficient? So | am asked over and over
again by people who imagine that the harp
can be learned in a single week. | have
always said that one Especially LADY,
should, with competent tuition, make
more progress and play with more effect
upon the harp after six months study,
than upon any other instrument after six
years practice. This may sound climber
ical, but l have seen il demonstrated very
| often. As Professor Hermann would say,
at is the way it's done" The harp is a
fine medium for the expression of feel
ing. and graceful and natural per-
Torrance on that instrument charms
| the senses and touches the heart
more surely than a pyrotechnic
display such as many of our modern viz
tuosi regale their audiences with. What
| the cultured taste wishes is TO hear a
| melody played which can touch by its
charms, its paraslng, its simple yet telling
effect. If all harpists would do this instead
of playing what are called SNOWY pieces
the public would appreciate the harp more
and the player would be held in higher
estimation. The general repertoire of the
harp could well be extended, though there
has been written for it much good music
which has been either ignored or treated
with Indifference Much bad Judgment
has, in consequence, been shown by teach
ers of the harp, with the result that pupils
have been more dlsheartened than encour-
aged.
II is a remarkable fact that the most
modern writers for the orchestra when
writing for the harp compose passages for
four fingers and thumb, instead OF for
three fingers and thumb. The little finger
is never used upon the harp. Wagner has
given Us an extraordinary instance Of this
at the end Of his full orchestra score Of
"RhelnEold," where he writes for five or
six different harps, not one passage OF
which can be rendered as written.
No instrument shows the good and bad
qualities of player more than the harp.
No matter how you may endeavor to de-
ceive the eye and ear, the harpist IS 50 ex-
posed 70 his auditors that detection is
sure, if his playing fails. Soloists who are
seated when performing on other instru-
ments can eyade detection OF wrong bass
notes, etc. This IS especially the case
with a pianist, The violinist stands while
PLAYING not requiring his feet for pedal
work, but the harpist has an indispensa-
bic advantage 10 his fingers IN the pedals.
aud great skill and presence Of I4lnd Is
necessary 10 the best execution II pas
sages. JOHN CHESHIRE,
Harpist 10 II. r. II. the Duke of Edin-