Plucked String Instruments

Video: Final Fantasy VI @ 1.02.20
Talk about web http://www.hum.stevens.edu/~abrick/

03bhomework: Worksheet 5 #s 1,2, & 3 Worksheet 6 #2

Note:  Chapter 4 also covers Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin and Zither.  Time permitting, we will look at these in class.  You
are not responsible for these instruments on any exams or in any assignments.
Orchestral Double Action Harp
(Adler Audio: CD 1-81-82)
Movie: Xavier.mov

Construction  (show images: discsa.gif, harp.jpg, harp_anatomy.gif, pedalsb.jpg, disksb.jpg, pedals.gif, harpb.jpg)
Play the follwoing movies:
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/toetotop.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/toptotoe.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/soundboard.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/harmoniccurve.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/pillar.mov

Made of wood and 47 steel and guy or nylon strings.  Main body is called the "Base" or  "boat" and the long downward sloping top of the boat is called the "soundboard".  The top of the harp is called the" Neck" or  "Harmonic Curve".  It has a brass plate that houses the action of the harp.  On the Harmonic Curve, There are two "Disks"  for each string which, via "Forks" are capable of changing the length of the strings and thus the pitch of the strings. Note:  the first two strings do not have discs and forks.   The hollow "Pillar" contains 7 rods which serve to rotate the discs and forks when the pedals are manipulated.   The pedals are housed in the "Base" of the harp.  

http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/mechanism.mov

Pedals (Adler Movie: harp setting pedals.mov)
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/pedals.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/pedalsaction.mov
(Adler Movie: harp releasing pedals.mov )

When the pedal is in the top position neither disk is touching the string, and the whole length of the string vibrates and sounds in its lowest pitch, or "flat". With the pedal in the middle position the top disk is rotated, making the disk and its two posts turn to grasp the string. Thus the vibrating length is shortened so that the string produces a half-tone higher, or "natural" pitch. With the pedal in the bottom position both the upper and lower disks are activated, the string is made effectively shorter still, and it produces the "sharp" pitch. Thus, by moving pedals with my feet, one can obtain any of three different pitches (flat, natural, or sharp) from each of the strings on the harp.  Note the manipulation of the pedal will affect all strings of that pitch category for the enire range of the instrument.

http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/pedallayout.mov

From left to right the pedals are arranged:   DCB / EFGA 
(do cats bark?  Even felines get angry)

Pedal Notation
In most cases, it is important to give the harpist pedal indications.  The two methods to notate harp pedalings are:

1. Letter representation:  Db C# B / Eb F G A
2. Pedal Diagram  (show flat up, natural center, sharp down)

Note:  It requires very little time to change pedals.  Professional harpists can change pedals in a split second.

http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/tiprepedals.mov

Enharmonics

  Since the pedal rotates the disc and fork of every corresponding string on the instrument, it is impossible to have mixed accidentals across the range of the harp.  Thus one could not write a D# and Db to sound simultaneously.  However, with that understanding, composers and orchestrators use enharmonics respellings such as Eb and Db to allow such executions. 

(Adler Audio: CD 1-80)

Range

Range of harp is Cb 0 to G#6.  (c3=mid)
It cover the entire modern piano except the bottom 3 notes and the top 4 notes.

Color

  In the lowest two octaves the harp is bodly somber, hollow and dark.  As it gets higher in pitch it gets lighter in character.  The middle two octaves are very rich and warm and the top two octaves are crisp and clear.  Towards the  top it can get a bit softer yet somewhat brittle and does not sustain well. 


http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/lowregister.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/centralregister.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/hiregister.mov

Technique (Adler Movie: Harp Technique)

  The player uses only 4 fingers on each hand as the pinky is not employed.  Although the instrument reads on the same grand staff as the piano, the strings are closer together than the keys of the piano enabling the player to easily reach a 10^th.  Chords are traditionally rolled unless marked by a bracket and composers can use wavey arrows to designate direction of the roll. 

http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/playing.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/fingers.mov
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/tiprechords.mov
(Adler Audio: CD 1-83-84)

Harmonics

  Harmonics produce a beautifully soft ringing sound an octave above the designated string by touching a node while plucking the string.     It is also possible to get the 2^nd partial producing an octave and a fifth but it is very risky and should be approved by the player.

  The best range for the harmonic is between A1 and F4 (c3=mid).  There are left hand and right hand harmonics and the player will decide which technique to use.  It is possible to play two harmonics simultaneously.

(Adler Movie: harp harmonics.mov )
(Adler Audio: CD 1-87-88-89)

Effects

1. Pres de la table
   Playing the string near the soundboard = harder sound
   (Adler Movie: près de la table.mov)
   http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/pdlt.mov

2. Sons  Etouffes
   Dampen each note = secco, dry.  Must be slow enough to execute.
   (Adler Movie: sons étouffés.mov)

3. Glissando
   Very idiomatic.  Must show pedaling.  Also possible in chords and multiple directions.  Notation can be straight line or curvy.
   (Adler Audio: CD 1-92)

4. Trills and Tremolo
1. A rapid alternation of the same note can be done on a single string - slightly more resonant. 
2. Can be executed by enharmonically tuning two strings to the same pitch and playing with two hands.
   http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/trills.mov
3. A very soft tremolo or trill is called a Bisbigliando and can be executed with chords.  In  the score, t is called for by name.  (Adler Movie:  Bisbigliando)(Adler Audio: CD 1-93)
   http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/bisbigliando.mov

Other Effects

1. Knocking on the soundboard
2. Fingernail plucking
3. Threading the strings with paper or other objects
4. buzzing the strings by playing then pedaling. 
5. using a pick
6. slaping  the strings for a gong effect.

http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/harps/movies/extendedtechniques.mov