The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-16
TO PLAY THE HARP.
Grand Instrument of Antiquity
Again Coming Into Fashion.
NOTHING EQUALS 1T IN MELODY.
The Proper Movement - Keeping the
strings In Tune-Proper Position
Little Finger Not Used.


ence. AT last, it seems likely that the
harp is to become popular. 1t is the old
est known musical instrument. and there
is none to rival. let alsone equal it for
sweet melody. The nations of antiquity.
famed for their great love OF music and
the arts, held it in high regard It is men
toned several times in the Old Testament.
Jubal. of the seventh generation from
Adam (B. c. 1000, is spoken of IN the
fourth chapter Of Genesis as 1.-THE father of
all such as handle the harp and organ"
When the children OF Israel were carried
into captivity. they sat down by the rivers
of Babylon and wept. and. saws David,
''we hanged our harps upon the willows in
the midst thereof" The harp should be re-
spected for its ancient historical associa-
tions, both religious and secular. for where
the beautiful in ar: is, the harp is allied
to it,
have often wondered at the absence Of
any written history of the harp. All my
life | have been a student of the instru-
ment. It's history and development are
lost in oblivion. 1t is undoubtedly Egyp-
tan, and my researches have convinced
me that it had its origin in the warriors
bow, whose string gave forth music. 1t is
the most powerful of stringed instru-
ments.
Just why the harp has never become
very popular cannot understand. To be
sure, at the moment. one occasionally
hears IL in some drawing-room in New
York, London or Paris, and occasionally
In public. but it is not as popular as it
should be; first, suppose, on account of
the price of q good Instrumentation 500
to 81 ,5O0-and second. because il is thought
to be hard to play. But 10 those who
know its beauties il is far and away the
sweetest of all instruments. American
ladies have begun 10 study the harp, and
soon it will become popular in America.
Let me tell you how to play the harp.
Every player has different touch The
use of the thumb is exceedingly important.
Thalberg was the first to teach its use
Bochsa's exercises are used These take
the pupil from the first note to the end,
through all the techniques, never leaving
them until they are proficient artists.
Bochsa was Napoleon's famous harpist.
He died in Australia in 1856. Codefroid,
one OF the greatest of modern masters, is
still living in Paris. Posse. another celeb
rty and the friend of List, is teaching in
Leipzig, and Carl Zeich in Dresden, while
John Thomas is the royal harpist to Queen
Victoria, Hasselman to the Parasian arts
tocracy and Zamerra 10 the Venetian
court. So you sec that the harp has dis
tinguished recognition all over the civilized
world.
1t is important 10 begin Alright. The
tone must be produced by pressing, not
pulling or jerking the strings, the fingers
being held vertically or bent half way TO
the palm Of the hand, the thumb erect.
and the wrist firm and steady, forming
the "tone regulator" According to the
tone required so should the wrist be held
firm or loose. The movement of the arms
should never under any Circumstance al
ter the position of either hand. / have
made life study Of this, and the proper
production of tone. The action of the
hands must be quiet and easy. Any
superfuous demonstrations, such as some
players indulge III. are never made by
good harpists. The waving of the hands,
the iourishing of the arms and the sway
ing about of the body are mere affecta-
tons. useless waste of energy and dis
play of the worst possible taste.
The proper manner of holding the hand
upon the strings-a matter of the very
the player extend the full length Of the
right arm and hand, then bend the tips of
the fingers half way TO the palm Of the
hand. Now turn the hand over to the
right, placing the fingers upon the strings,
at the same time slightly raising the
elbow, always keeping the thumb erect.
The right elbow being raised, serves TO
keep the strength OF the hands and fingers
near the strings. If the elbow were al
lowed to drop too low. this strength would
be drawn away from the strings.
While the right elbow is held out, the
left should be held in. The fingers Of the
left hand should be bent similarly. 10 the
right, and the thumb should be quite erect
Hold the left hand a little above the right
hand.
A proper touch is absolutely necessary
to intelligent playing. Let the deshy part
of the finger near the tip be placed on
the strings-never the finger tip itself.
One must practice constantly TO acquire
good touch. This question of tone produc-
ton is apparently overlooked, for many
pupils no sooner see harp than they i'm
agine they can play upon it. This is
great mistake. Unless the touch be prop
erly acquired by diligent practice. there
can be no tone or color 70 players per-
Torrance. On the contrary, it will be
monotonous TO the ear, as colorless pic
ture is tame 70 the eye. A remarkable
thing in connection with the tone OF the
harp is that ii is the only tone which is
produced directly from the touch Of the
PLAYER without the did of any intermedi-
ate agent. Hence arises the difficulty of
initiating its tone, for the pizzlcati tones
of the strings in an orchestra are no more
like the real tone Of the harp than fog is
like sunshine.
1t is generally supposed that the harp is
Of all instruments the most difficult TO
keep in good condition. 1t certainly needs
constant care. The tuning and keeping
the harp in order is hard, according TO the
wav in which il is done. II harpisis will
take pains TO keep their harps IN trim they
will derive more satisfaction from them
and md the work far easier than II they
followed an irregular system OF tuning and
kept their instruments IN a varying tenn
perature. Lack Of system involves diff
entity.
In the first place the strings should De OF
the best quality A very good method
whereby tie staying power OF the strings
is guaranteed and excessive tuning avoided
is to let the instrument be oversfrung for
l. n VaE4a