7 Reasons Tuning Your Harp Is Worth the Trouble

Maybe you’ve heard this famous quote attributed to the composer Igor Stravinsky: Harpists spend 90 percent of their lives tuning their harps and 10 percent playing out of tune. It would be funnier if it weren’t so close to the truth.

It's hard to keep a harp in tune. Because it’s made from organic materials, iit responds to changes in the temperature and humidity. While a harp that is moved from place to place is extra vulnerable, even a harp that stays in one place all the time can feel the effects of a change in the weather outside. And all of that affects the tuning.

This Week in Base Camp

Monday Challenge: Buzzing Bees

Try observing your bees (buzzes) in their natural habitat. Play a simple scale or arpeggio. Play it at least five different ways, changing the speed, the octave, or the dynamic. Try it with each hand alone. Where do your buzzing bees live? Do you hear more buzzing in the high or low notes, when you play loudly or softly, fast or slow? To complete the challenge, tell us your sort of scientific observations.

Terrific Tip: Schedule a Test Drive

Take your music for a test drive before the big day. What are some ways you prepare to perform?

Weekend Warmup: Raising in Rhythm

How often do you practice your raising? Raising isn’t only about being graceful; it helps prolong the sound and keep your arm free and relaxed. Try this unusual warm up this weekend and see how it feels.

Check It All Out in Base Camp

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