Finger articulation, placing and extended techniques
- Maintain a natural finger articulation within more challenging passages
- Join placed passages with clarity and fluency at a variety of tempi
- Play 4-note chordal passages either rolled or non-rolled with ease
- Play rolled chords with a rhythmic and tonal evenness
- Play, at a steady pulse, a variety of independent rhythmic passages between the hands, with clarity and control including 2 against 3
- Play rhythmically, with clarity and control, arpeggiated passages using four fingers over an extended range of the harp passing between the hands at a variety of tempi
- Observe and adhere to chosen fingering, particularly in more demanding passages
- Play double-note harmonics in the left hand
- Stop notes by replacing finger(s) to create staccato effect
- Experiment with playing at various points in the strings to create a different tone
- Play steady bisbigliandi with even and controlled notes
As scales and arpeggios span a greater range of the harp, ensure that fingering is adhered to and that thumbs and fingers are articulating fully with an even tone throughout.
Introduce melodic minors in the right hand only, aiming for fluent lever changes.
Encourage practising in different rhythms and with accents to strengthen individual fingers in turn.
Encourage learners to practise exercises and studies to strengthen and reinforce technique at the beginning of each practice session, e.g. Method for Harp by Grossi, 110 Daily Exercises by Bochsa.
Practise rolled chords in separate hands and together, in both ascending and descending patterns, varying the speed of the roll.
Engage learners in writing fingering and placing into new parts, encouraging them to discuss the best combination of fingering to allow for fluent playing and phrasing.
Demonstrate the double harmonic in the left hand. Ask learners to pull the hand away from the strings in order for the sound to project.
Demonstrate a staccato sound by quickly replacing the finger/fingers on the notes just played. Show how to play a staccato scale using the top knuckle to muffle the sound.
Show learners how playing at different points on the strings creates different tones. Encourage them to experiment with dropping the left hand on the strings slightly in passages that require greater clarity.
Provide learners with strategies to deal with two against three rhythms, e.g. Playing in the rhythm of ‘Nice cup of tea’.
Begin by breaking it down and counting it out.
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