Fun Stuff for Your Harp

This is a fun effect for adding a splashy rhythm to your arrangement or when you're accompanying someone. It involves strumming a chord with one hand, and silencing the notes you don't want in your chord with the other.

Here's how it works:

Silencing the strings

1. Set your harp's tuning to the Key of C.

2. To strum a C Major chord you will need to place your fingers on B,D,F, and A. Leave your fingers on those strings. [ex.1 ]

Ex. 1

3. If you run your fingers across the strings, while still silencing (or 'damping') the strings, the notes that will sound will be C,E, and G--the notes of a C Major chord.

A nearby chord

Let's shift our fingers so that they will allow an F chord to sound. The notes of an F Major chord are F,A, and C. Since we're already on a C Major chord let's see if we can make the smallest shift we possibly can, and still get an F chord.

We can quickly get to the F chord from C by allowing the notes of the F chord to be in a different order. Letting the notes sound in this order -- C,F,A -- works pretty well if you're making a fast chord change. To do this, place your fingers on B,D,E, and G .[see ex. 2]

Ex. 2.

The strum, pt. 1

The really fun part comes with the strum. In this example your bass hand will damp the non-chord notes, and your melody hand will strum. 1. Continue to place your fingers on B,D,E, and G .[Ex. 2]

2. Before you start the strum, your melody hand will be gently cupped. [Ex. 3]Ex. 3.

3. Flick the backs of your fingers across the strings. [Ex. 4]

Ex. 4

3. When you've finished the strum, your melody hand will be splayed open.[Ex. 5]

Ex. 5

The strum, pt. 2

Your fingers will travel back across the strings and back into your palm. Here's the sequence:

Try This

1. Strum across, strum back.

2. Vary the rhythm of the strum. Try:

DUM (across). DEE (back). DUM. DEE. (where each strum is the same length)
or something like:
DUM-Di-DUM-Di-DUUHHHMMM.
(where the Dees are very short, and the DUHHHMMM is pretty long)

3.Try going from strumming an F chord to a C chord, and back again.

4. Play around and have fun!!!

Next time:

... we'll plug this special effect into a tune. If you end up using it in your own music, please write to us and let us know how you used it!

Also, if you

have a name for this special effect
have a fun special effect that you've discovered or learned
or if you have a more fun name for our Fun Stuff page

... then please email them to us! We'll print your ideas and names in the next issue of YHA!

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