Help with Harp

If there are any harpists out there, I would like to get some advice on writing for harp. I am involved in a project that is orchestrating much of the Progressive Rock music of the 70's to include a full symphonic orchestra backing the rock band. I will be writing some of the acoustic guitar parts for harp, and would like to know the limitations of the instrument. Yes, I have read many orchestration books, but it is one thing to read it in a book, and another to hear from a harpist themselves.

Thanks in advance

Mark

I don't play harp, but I will tell you what I know:

This is the range of the concert harp

Is written like you see it there, two staves, right and left hand like piano, if the passage can be written in one, you can use one only (usually because the space is needed in the paper for all the other instruments). The harp is constructed in a diatonic scale, (like a piano without black keys) C,D,E,F,G,A,B, no middle tones, although it has a pedal mechanism for each note (7 pedals), that can easily move +/- half a tone, having positions sharp, natural and flat in each pedal. If you move down the B pedal, all B strings instantly moves to Bb, (that would be the position to play a diatonic scale in F Major), the problems begins when you realize you don't longer have the note you moved, let's say you moved that B to Bb, to play a B natural you would have to move down the C to Cb, or return the Bb to B natural.

Still many things can be done with Harp, just always keep in mind the current position of the pedals.

The ability, well the harpist can use the 10 fingers, as long as the position is natural.

The sounds, the first two octaves are very long strings, and they sound weak, the middle section is louder, and the high, more, but still not a very powerful instrument,

more info

Wait a second, I didn't see your subtitle...

"Transcribing a guitar part to harp"

No, I don't think is a good idea, Guitar is a totally different instrument, chords in guitar are wider in range, do you play piano ? that would help you

Wait a second, I didn't see your subtitle...

"Transcribing a guitar part to harp"

No, I don't think is a good idea, Guitar is a totally different instrument, chords in guitar are wider in range, do you play piano ? that would help you

I understand your concern with the chords, but all of them will be arpeggio chords. Do you still think it is a problem?

Thanks

Mark

They could be.

I would strongly recommend 'Harp Scoring' by Stanley Chaloupka.

When done transcribing upload it here or talk it over with a harpist. I would happily read over your harp part when you've made some.

Thomas

btw: sys65, when moving the pedal DOWN the tone RISES and vice versa

btw: sys65, when moving the pedal DOWN the tone RISES and vice versa

Oh Ok, I will remember that :P

-------

In Guitar you can play a chord with F# + F natural, but not in Harp, those could be the problems...

In Guitar you can play a chord with F# + F natural, but not in Harp, those could be the problems...

A harpist would figure it out in 99,9999% of the cases if written properly for harp + if you write properly for harp, you would spell it enharmonically

-------

In Guitar you can play a chord with F# + F natural, but not in Harp, those could be the problems...

Yes, but couldn't I spell that out as a Gb + F natural?

I meant in guitar you don't worry about having notes "available" or not, they all are there, is not the case of the harp.

The ability, well the harpist can use the 10 fingers, as long as the position is natural.

A slight correction. The pinky is never used in harp music, therefore a total of 8 notes at one time are only possible. The range of one hand, however, is MUCH larger than the piano, almost 2 octaves from my understanding.

NO!

a tenth at maximum for right hand whereas left hand can stretch a bit further in certain registers, however a maximum of a tenth for EACH hand is advisable!

Sys: whether the position is natural or not does not say anything about how many fingers they use, and 10 is also false. Tokke is right that the pinky is never used.

Saying that guitar chords can not be transferred is also not true. Taking a technical notion that each hand of the harpist play 3 strings of the guitar, the chords on guitar for three adjacent strings rarely exceed a tenth.

I thought "natural position" was obvious to figure it out.

I've seen using the pinky, so I wouldn' say is "never" used, BUT I understand is better not to count with the use of it, so I agree, let's set it on 8 max.

I didn't say"can not be transferred", all I'm saying is that conceive in guitar what is going to be played in harp doesn't seem a very good idea to me.

(and I was thinking in something like a BossaNova progression G9b-F#9b-F9b , what is perfectly doable in guitar just slide the hand, but in harp would be an insane pedal changing)

and the max range I agree with the tenth, strings are like 12cm isn't it ?

Also, remember most harpist are women.

EDIT:

(I think they don't use the pinky because could be harmful, that's what I heard)

The progressions depend on tempo and voicing. So no you can't be sure that your guitar specific voicings translate, but they can be transcribed to work

besides this guy in the OP says will use the entire symphonic orchestra, so write some glissandos here and there and that's it, no complications :P

yes yes... that is the best way to use the harp.....

*sigh*

Thanks for all the comments. I am writing a small part of what I intend to do in one of the numbers. I will post a PDF of the harp part when I finish the first draft. (couple of days, maybe sooner).

Thanks

Mark

Thanks for all the comments. I am writing a small part of what I intend to do in one of the numbers. I will post a PDF of the harp part when I finish the first draft. (couple of days, maybe sooner).

Thanks

Mark

As promised, here is a VERY ROUGH first draft of the harp part (It will look much prettier when it is done) At this stage, this is to determine if I am on the right track with this transcription, and is it playable. I would appreciate ANY comments. I am particularly interested in the playability of the section at Rehearsal "D". BTW the work is Supper's Ready by Genesis.

Thanks

Mark

Steinberg Framework Printout.pdf

Great! I love Genesis!

Does the D sharp from bar 5 continue? If it does, rewrite the accidental every bar, if not write a natural sign.

The B flats in bar 9-10 and 15 should be corrected to A sharps.

A lot of this continues, so I won't bother reading through 9 pages before you correct this.

One advice: I would cross-stave the bottom note in each bar to the left hand.