eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.
Summary: In order to start playing the harp, it's important to learn how to sit properly and how to support the harp. Discover where to put the legs and hands when playing a harp with help from a harp instructor in this free video on playing the harp.
Briawna Howard has been playing harp for 13 years. She is an instructor of playing the harp and has a class of 30 students. Howard performs for different events, such as weddings and...read more
"Hi my name is Briawna Howard and I'm here today at Summer Haze Music Center in Salt Lake City, Utah to talk a little bit about how to get started playing the harp. First to get started you'll want to find a nice adjustable bench. And make sure that it's at the right height. You'll know it's at the right height when your shoulder can meet the harp without putting too much pressure on your back. The harp should naturally balance on it's own right about here. So when your shoulder meets it you'll only be gently supporting it. Make sure that the harp sits on your right shoulder and that both feet are planted on the floor. Your right knee can brush the harp gently but the left knee should stay away from it. From here lets start with the right hand. Raise your arm so that your elbow is just slightly lower than parallel to the floor, with your forearm never resting against the sound board. With your elbow raised get your thumb up like you're giving a thumbs up. Then project your second finger outward and curve it around. From here you can pluck a string by placing your second finger on the string and closing it into the palm. From here we can play any simply song with a basic melody by plucking one string at a time with this pointer finger. We can start on the C for twinkle, twinkle, little star. Make sure that all the fingers you're not using stay tucked close to the hand that your thumb stays out of the hand so that it's never tucked inside."
eHow Article: How to Get Started Playing the Harp
Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.
