Hello Jacqueline! I’m not a harpist, but play guitar and have been practicing “harp harmonics” for about 5-6 years now. For me, it’s without question the most beautiful guitar technique. I came across this video because I wanted to check out harp harmonics on an actual harp. Keep on playing - your music is fantastic!
Thanks so much! So when you play "harp harmonics" on the guitar do you use one hand or two? I can't play the guitar, but in messing around I've discovered that I can play a harmonic on the guitar if I sit the guitar vertically on my lap and use my harp technique.
You’re welcome! Since I’m right handed, I use my index finger and thumb of that hand to pluck the harmonic, and then the ring finger to play the regular note afterward. That’s the gist of HH on the guitar - alternating harmonic and natural notes. I use my left hand to hold down the strings and make chords. On the guitar, whatever note on any string you hold down, a harmonic can be produced exactly 12 frets above by plucking it using the index finger/thumb. After watching your video, harmonics seem a lot more challenging on the harp because you have to play them right in the middle of any given string, then account for using the pedals. I actually posted a short video earlier today playing a G Major scale using HH: ruclips.net/video/xG7Q4Rq_dNE/видео.html Take care! 😊
@@gelguitarist Having frets to find the harmonic sounds so helpful! I will try not to be too jealous. The harp harmonics sounded beautiful in the video you shared. Thanks so much for sharing all of this info and best wishes!
Thanks for the kind words Jacqueline, and best wishes to you! One more thing - Tommy Emmanuel is one of the best guitarists in the world, and a true master of harp harmonics. Here’s one of his videos you might like with him performing Somewhere Over the Rainbow with some great HH at the beginning. ruclips.net/video/0cHeNscKZN0/видео.html
I've been working on Carol of the Bells and there are 4 harmonics at the end and it was driving me nuts. THIS makes so much sense! Thank you for explaining it so clearly!!!
Now I compose for the harp. Your videos really help to understand the possibilities and depth of this instrument. Thank you again and I wish you all the very best! 🙏🏽❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for posting this wonderful video. Is it possible to touch the string at a particular node, say the seventh, with the right hand, and with the left hand pluck the string below where the node is being touched, similar to how natural harmonics are done on the guitar? Thank you.
I don't know very much about natural harmonics on the guitar, but it is possible to play a harmonic using two hands on the harp. It's not a technique that I've ever seen used in music, as it's much more efficient to use one hand.
@@JacquelinePollauf Thank you for your response. When you say you use one hand are you referring to artificial harmonics then? I was thinking about harmonics in the piano, with one hand you touch the node of the harmonic you want on the string and with the other you press the corresponding key, what you get is the fundamental and on top of that the harmonic, generally the fundamental sounds softer than the harmonic and you also get a kid of percussive thud, so I was wondering if something similar can be done with the harp, for example on C3 you touch the node for the seventh harmonic (Bb) and with the other hand you pluck the string, so you get both sounds, thank you.
@@peterivers2 Sorry to be slow about responding. I was looking some things up to make sure that I understood your question. The answer is that I have only ever played natural harmonics on the harp. It is standard to play harmonics using one hand and these are natural harmonics. I don't know of a way to play artificial harmonics and have not (yet) seen this in new music or any extended techniques. You might need to get a harpist to experiment with your ideas.
Excellent video. My instrument is piano but I am writing a piece for harp. Has anyone invented something you could put on the harp (like a sort of damper? (I don't know if damper is the right term for this) to hold down all of the strings of the harp at their half way points) so that you could play an entire piece of music using overtones without having to press your hand on each note where the overtones are to be played? Ah, I just found that they have such a thing for guitar. It is called a harmonic capo which is a bar that goes over the strings of a guitar, pressing on the full range of strings and thereby allowing a person to play harmonics above the bar on those strings. Would they have such a thing for harp?
That's great to hear that you're writing a piece for harp and that you found this video helpful! I do not know of anything like a harmonic capo for the harp. I think it would be a challenge with how many strings are on the instrument, and the fact that the position of the harmonics keeps shifting depending on whether the string is in flat, natural, or sharp. However, maybe there's someone out there working on it!
is these harmnics ones what called natural harmonics ? becouse there is also articical ones. what i understand are also possible with harp. i need know becouse if i notate music i of course need know which technique produces sound what i mean.
@@JacquelinePollauf then they are natural ones i get info also elsewhere. then how dorico contros now i think vsl sample library is wrong. uses artical harmonics notation. earlier used natural one but at least last time i feel not work anymore i going check again. and inform them.
Thank you for showing harmonics! I'm studying orchestration and this really helped getting a visual understanding of this technique.
So glad that this was helpful! I hope your orchestration studies continue to go well.
This is an incredibly helpful and interesting discussion of harmonics. I can't wait to see the books. Thank you!
Thanks very much, and thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for this information! This was the best demonstration and explanation on harp harmonics I've ever heard.
Thanks so much! I'm glad to hear it.
Hello Jacqueline! I’m not a harpist, but play guitar and have been practicing “harp harmonics” for about 5-6 years now. For me, it’s without question the most beautiful guitar technique. I came across this video because I wanted to check out harp harmonics on an actual harp. Keep on playing - your music is fantastic!
Thanks so much! So when you play "harp harmonics" on the guitar do you use one hand or two? I can't play the guitar, but in messing around I've discovered that I can play a harmonic on the guitar if I sit the guitar vertically on my lap and use my harp technique.
You’re welcome! Since I’m right handed, I use my index finger and thumb of that hand to pluck the harmonic, and then the ring finger to play the regular note afterward. That’s the gist of HH on the guitar - alternating harmonic and natural notes. I use my left hand to hold down the strings and make chords. On the guitar, whatever note on any string you hold down, a harmonic can be produced exactly 12 frets above by plucking it using the index finger/thumb. After watching your video, harmonics seem a lot more challenging on the harp because you have to play them right in the middle of any given string, then account for using the pedals.
I actually posted a short video earlier today playing a G Major scale using HH: ruclips.net/video/xG7Q4Rq_dNE/видео.html
Take care! 😊
@@gelguitarist Having frets to find the harmonic sounds so helpful! I will try not to be too jealous. The harp harmonics sounded beautiful in the video you shared. Thanks so much for sharing all of this info and best wishes!
Thanks for the kind words Jacqueline, and best wishes to you! One more thing - Tommy Emmanuel is one of the best guitarists in the world, and a true master of harp harmonics. Here’s one of his videos you might like with him performing Somewhere Over the Rainbow with some great HH at the beginning.
ruclips.net/video/0cHeNscKZN0/видео.html
@@gelguitarist I just watched the video, and that is amazing! How beautiful. I love the sound of the harp harmonics (perhaps not surprisingly!)
I've been working on Carol of the Bells and there are 4 harmonics at the end and it was driving me nuts. THIS makes so much sense! Thank you for explaining it so clearly!!!
I'm so glad this helped! Harmonics can indeed be infuriating.
this is most helpful. thank you so much. i'm a self-taught lever harpist. appreciate your sharing these techniques.
My pleasure! I'm glad you found the video helpful!
Great instruction, thank you!
You're welcome!
So helpful thank you I will definitely review this when I get to the advanced playing
Glad you found it helpful, and good luck in your playing!
Jacqueline, Thank you. This is a wonderful, complete and helpful lesson of harmonics.
Thank you! I'm so glad you found it be helpful. Thanks for watching!
so helpful, thank you! working on the Clair de Lune for lever harp!
Thank you, and I hope it's going well for you!
i am a pianist and i loved this video ! thank you for the excellent explanation
I'm so glad to hear you loved this video! Harmonics on the harp are such a beautiful technique.
thankyou - you are a very good teacher
My pleasure - thanks for watching!
Thank you so much! Very helpful video for composers! :)
You're welcome! Glad you found it helpful!
Thanks so much for your presentation - it has helped me immensely. I also found your book and purchased it!
So glad you found this useful and thanks for purchasing my book!
Thank you so much!!! ❤❤❤
You're welcome!
Now I compose for the harp. Your videos really help to understand the possibilities and depth of this instrument. Thank you again and I wish you all the very best! 🙏🏽❤️❤️❤️
@@DmitryTimofeev I'm so pleased this is helpful in your composition. Good luck to yoU!
Thank you so much for this great video!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Very instructive video, thank you very much !
My pleasure! Thanks for watching!
This is so helpful! Thank you!
2:35 this should be 2/3 and not 3/4, right?
Yes, you are correct!
Thank you for posting this wonderful video. Is it possible to touch the string at a particular node, say the seventh, with the right hand, and with the left hand pluck the string below where the node is being touched, similar to how natural harmonics are done on the guitar? Thank you.
I don't know very much about natural harmonics on the guitar, but it is possible to play a harmonic using two hands on the harp. It's not a technique that I've ever seen used in music, as it's much more efficient to use one hand.
@@JacquelinePollauf Thank you for your response. When you say you use one hand are you referring to artificial harmonics then? I was thinking about harmonics in the piano, with one hand you touch the node of the harmonic you want on the string and with the other you press the corresponding key, what you get is the fundamental and on top of that the harmonic, generally the fundamental sounds softer than the harmonic and you also get a kid of percussive thud, so I was wondering if something similar can be done with the harp, for example on C3 you touch the node for the seventh harmonic (Bb) and with the other hand you pluck the string, so you get both sounds, thank you.
@@peterivers2 Sorry to be slow about responding. I was looking some things up to make sure that I understood your question. The answer is that I have only ever played natural harmonics on the harp. It is standard to play harmonics using one hand and these are natural harmonics. I don't know of a way to play artificial harmonics and have not (yet) seen this in new music or any extended techniques. You might need to get a harpist to experiment with your ideas.
Excellent video. My instrument is piano but I am writing a piece for harp. Has anyone invented something you could put on the harp (like a sort of damper? (I don't know if damper is the right term for this) to hold down all of the strings of the harp at their half way points) so that you could play an entire piece of music using overtones without having to press your hand on each note where the overtones are to be played? Ah, I just found that they have such a thing for guitar. It is called a harmonic capo which is a bar that goes over the strings of a guitar, pressing on the full range of strings and thereby allowing a person to play harmonics above the bar on those strings. Would they have such a thing for harp?
That's great to hear that you're writing a piece for harp and that you found this video helpful! I do not know of anything like a harmonic capo for the harp. I think it would be a challenge with how many strings are on the instrument, and the fact that the position of the harmonics keeps shifting depending on whether the string is in flat, natural, or sharp. However, maybe there's someone out there working on it!
this was so helpful, thank you!!
Glad you found it help! Thanks for watching.
Hello Jacqueline,
Very interesting,
I will put video link on the private page of my students !
See you on the next video !
Take care !
Eve
Hi Eve - thanks so much for watching and sharing with your students! I appreciate it! Best wishes to you.
Congratulations Very nice video !!! it help me very much, very interesting. Thank you !
I'm glad you found it interesting and helpful! Thanks for watching!
is these harmnics ones what called natural harmonics ? becouse there is also articical ones. what i understand are also possible with harp. i need know becouse if i notate music i of course need know which technique produces sound what i mean.
Natural and artificial harmonics are a guitar rather than a harp technique. These are harmonics that sound an octave higher than the string played.
@@JacquelinePollauf then they are natural ones i get info also elsewhere. then how dorico contros now i think vsl sample library is wrong. uses artical harmonics notation. earlier used natural one but at least last time i feel not work anymore i going check again. and inform them.
Also very nice Harp !!!