[HTL-93] Harp Time Live

Start with Harps Tuned in C  

[HTL-93-220825 – HARP TIME LIVE #93 – Thu. Aug 25, 2022]

>> Register NOW for HIP HARP ACADEMY <<

Comments from This Session of Harp Time Live

Today we are going to play a Blues.

Our harps are tuned in the Key of C.
We are playing in D – Dorian.

It’s all about DISCOVERY 

Moto’s

Connection not Perfection
Don’t do more, Hide Less

Snippet – open JAM SESSION  today

Harps in key of C playing in D Dorian 

Blues melodies 
Looking at melodies 

Playing a game 
Have fun with Melodies- you playing after DHC plays 

D AD -GC

Have three roles in music

Bass – Accompaniment – Melody

Bottom 3rd –  Middle 3rd   –  Upper 3rd

Three roles only Two hands
Usually one of your hands has two roles 

AD fill in with another note E above it

D  – ADE  GCD

Add a 4th above it 
Using PATTERNS or SHAPES

D in the Bass with a D above it and other notes to fill in 

Can change the rhythm – feel it – don’t worry about playing it exactly right

Different feelings and expressions through the music – there isn’t anything wrong
PLAY around with it. Don’t try to make it into anything.

Bass ->  Accompaniment 

Final Chord 
D and every other string 
D F A C E G B D

Great way to practice stride 

Patterns
Sharp the G

G# A F D

G# A F D F D 
 
G# A G# A F D

Play around with the rhythm

G# A C D

G# A F D

G# A C D

You’re using the Pentatonic Scale (every note except E & B) 
Thumb string above a colored string 
2nd finger on a Colored String  Third skip a string down 

Explore around not playing any E’s or B’s

Please add your own insights, revelations, and takeaways below in the comments, even if someone else already said the same thing!  Just say it in your own way or say it again the way they did.

  • To start the replay, just look for the little arrow in the lower left-hand corner of the videos.
  • To watch in full-screen look in the lower RH corner of the video for the ‘four expanding arrows’ icon.
  • Note that you can speed up or slow down the video with the speed controls.
The Chat Feed (click to open)

16:48:37 From Joke Verdoold to Everyone:
Excellent way to practise stride.
16:48:44 From Melinda Ostrander-Aviles (NM) to Everyone:
fun playing around adding notes and going up a step each beat
16:48:51 From Deborah Fleisher to Everyone:
Not to be in too much of a hurry to add a melody
16:49:03 From Tammy H (Alberta, Canada) to Everyone:
Don’t try to get the music, let the music get to you.
16:49:07 From Cathy Hornby to Everyone:
Loved playing with riffs and rhythms and loud and soft dynamics! Really cool
16:49:23 From Tara to Everyone:
I was playing around with harmonics on a D string (two different harmonics) in rhythm. Great practice for grabbing them quickly.
16:49:38 From Fern Nelson to Everyone:
I remembered that I can pick a simple fun pattern and explore freely
16:49:49 From Lynne Lapidus to Everyone:
me too, joke!
16:50:22 From Cherrie Mooney to Everyone:
Fun to try different chord combinations with a grounded bass.
16:54:32 From Tammy H (Alberta, Canada) to Everyone:
G# A F D
16:05:29 From Joke Verdoold to Everyone:
What’s the reason in this scale the b disturbs far more than the e?
16:07:08 From Kristen Barry to Everyone:
maybe because b is the ugly duck chord in the key of C. it’s not major or minor it’s diminished
16:16:24 From Tara to Everyone:
I tend to keep my eyes glued to the strings, but I discovered I don’t have to!
16:16:32 From Joke Verdoold to Everyone:
That even the disturbing b’s sometimes were sounding good.
16:16:32 From Kristen Barry to Everyone:
I like it because you can just noodle
16:16:48 From Wendy Savage to Everyone:
It was so much fun!!!! I was moving with the chords up and down…loved the dissonance and then the resolve. So much more interesting this way.
16:17:15 From Kristen Barry to Everyone:
my brain doesn’t have to focus. I can zen out
16:17:19 From Kimberly to Everyone:
Not having to deal with playing harmony and melody gave me the opportunity to try out different rhythms and patterns for the melody
16:17:31 From Fern Nelson to Everyone:
I like having to jut explore melody without worrying about base and harmony. I found it hard to stay on beat with you
16:17:37 From Cathy Hornby to Everyone:
It was indeed fun – and it sounded great 60% time, good 20%, and the remaining 20%, I didn’t give a damn!
16:17:53 From Melinda Ostrander-Aviles (NM) to Everyone:
played it in many ways ….including breaking up the chords…many possibilities and styles
16:18:05 From Cherrie Mooney to Everyone:
I need to remember to listen to what/who I’m playing with, not just by myself.
16:18:10 From Patty Tessandori to Everyone:
This was great because I started just enjoying the feeling of grooving… letting my mind rest from worries (didn’t realize I had so much going on in my head)… this was great to just BE… just groove with my peeps, to enjoy this moment of experience, rather than trying to figure everything out.
16:18:21 From Lynne Lapidus to Everyone:
I liked one of my melodies so much I recorded it…maybe it will turn into something good…
16:18:57 From Joan Davidson to Everyone:
Perfect for a lazy warm summer afternoon. Fun to just play and zone in with pentatonic shapes
16:20:19 From Cathy Hornby to Everyone:
And if I found right hand was lazy on a melody line, and got lost, I can just do rhythmic syncopated chords
16:20:28 From Faith to Everyone:
Having you there as the base and accompaniment freed me to go all over the place with melodies and tempi. I realized I was way more open and creative when I didn’t have to worry about making the base myself – as you just said “grooving over it.” (the vamp). Yes! Something like that might become my half-baked!
16:21:29 From Joan Davidson to Everyone:
Yes, great to play with and in response to you.
16:21:57 From Natalie (2)867’82144399 to Everyone:
I love the energy exchange that happens when listening to others and “ feeling” the vibe then picking up on it and falling into “ it “…
16:22:17 From diane giorgi to Everyone:
Losing myself in the music helps me lose my self consciousness and be able to be creative without judgement
16:22:52 From Patty Tessandori to Everyone:
You totally have my permission to use any of my words
16:30:08 From Wendy Savage to Everyone:
So much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Something clicked for me today….Yay!
16:30:26 From Melinda Ostrander-Aviles (NM) to Everyone:
It’s nice to play something we’ve done before but in new ways.
16:30:31 From karen to Everyone:
It was fun! I loved the experimentation.
16:30:37 From Kimberly to Everyone:
We all must be responsible for finding the fun in the different things you give us!!!
16:30:47 From Cathy Hornby to Everyone:
I liked the waltzy rhythm – felt really cool
16:30:56 From Patty Tessandori to Everyone:
I tried pinching thirds or fourths going down, avoiding E and B and it sounded super jazzy and fun
16:31:06 From diane giorgi to Everyone:
the notes were so familiar, that it was an easy challenge to change the tempo
16:31:14 From Natalie (2)867’82144399 to Everyone:
Had a lot of fun with the syncopation and rhythm change… got fumble fingers, but still had lots of fun and kept up I guess in a way?!!!!
16:31:15 From Tara to Everyone:
I enjoyed the succession of different feels. I found my melodies naturally shifted to fit.
16:31:47 From Laurie to Everyone:
I’m in awe of how you change the comping patterns and rhythms! Would LOVE to learn how to play variety like that fluently
16:32:24 From Cherrie Mooney to Everyone:
I liked the different changes for new ideas.
16:33:01 From Nancy C to Everyone:
I try these things, now I understand what I was doing🙂🙂
16:33:13 From Laurie to Everyone:
Yay!! 🙂
16:33:32 From Natalie (2)867’82144399 to Everyone:
And I meant to add it felt natural to change when it did despite my fingers tripping over themselves
16:33:34 From Christine from NC to Everyone:
Thank you so much for this!
16:33:36 From Laurie to Everyone:
Thank you! :). Really fun!
16:34:10 From Patty Tessandori to Everyone:
Did you have over 50 people for Merceditas?
16:34:15 From Pam Jurgens to Everyone:
All about the fun!! Thank you!
16:34:43 From Sally to Everyone:
Approx 61 people. 70 plus videos
16:35:12 From Tara to Everyone:
I can host.
16:35:16 From Laurie to Everyone:
That’s so exciting!
16:35:22 From Laurie Thiede to Everyone:
Many thanks! 😘🎶
16:35:49 From Wendy Savage to Everyone:
Must leave but thank you so so much for this great hour!
16:36:04 From Natalie (2)867’82144399 to Everyone:
Thank you so much!!!
16:47:39 From Faith to Everyone:
Gotta go – bye all!
16:48:23 From Patty Tessandori to Everyone:
I have to go pick up my daughter. Such fun spending time with you all!
16:48:33 From Anne Horton to Everyone:
Bye Patty!
16:48:38 From Tara to Everyone:
Bye, Patty!
16:48:42 From Anne Horton to Everyone:
Great to see you (briefly!!!)
16:50:17 From Anne Horton to Everyone:
=> If you sing when you play it really helps with your phrasing. The point is, where you feel you need to take a breath when you are singing, that is then end of a musical “phrase”
16:50:21 From Melinda Ostrander-Aviles (NM) to Everyone:
Me too Vera….dad was a voice teacher

Share your takeaways and 'aha's' below.

What are the principles and concepts in this session? If you had to remember what you learned, or someone said, "Quick! I have to do an improv! What did you learn in this 'Harp Time Live!' session that I can use??" - What would you tell them?