On Tuesday I turned the ripe old age of 38, which means I’ve now been playing the harp for 25 years! Incredible how time flies!
So, I thought I’d use today’s blog as a chance to reflect on 25 years of playing and think about my top tips as a player and teacher in that time. Hopefully you might draw some wisdom from them too
1) The first, and I think the most important of all, is the importance of listening. Listen to as much music as you can. Listen to harp players, but also listen to other instrumentalists in the style you want to play in e.g. if you play Celtic music, also listen to fiddle players, pipers, singers etc. The more you listen to good players, the more you will absorb. If you limit the music you listen to, you limit your creativity.
2) Be realistic – Mark Salzman wrote a wonderful book (The Soloist) about a cellist seeking perfection. Of course, you cannot achieve perfection and that can be paralyzing for people, so you have to find an equilibrium between what’s realistic and what is ideal.
3) ENJOY your practice – practise shouldn’t be a chore, and it certainly shouldn’t just be because you want to please your teacher or your peers or your parents etc. When I practice it feels like a total joy because it’s time I’ve CHOSEN to set aside, to spend time trying to unite my body, and what It can do physically, with what the sounds that my ear and my brain want to hear. I try to really enjoy those moments, and to keep searching for exactly the sound I want to make.
4) Learn your theory – so much about playing music ‘clicks’ when you understand and engage with the theory behind it. If you understand why you’re playing the chords and shapes that are written, it makes it much easier to commit them to memory.
5) Play with others – I think the vast majority of my musical education and enjoyment has come from playing with others – this works on two levels – first of all, the sense of community you get from making music with other people cannot be beaten, and second of all, it really hones your rhythm and ability to play in time. Playing with more advanced musicians than yourself will be particularly helpful! If you need tips for this, you can still get the replay of my Playing in a Session Workshop
6) Practice smarter not longer – I’ve written lots of blog posts about this already, but fundamentally, you don’t need to be playing for hours a day to improve – you need to be focussing on your weak spots and finding ways to improve them. Don’t keep ‘practising’ the things you already know you can do – practise the things you can’t do!
7) Mental practice is as important as physical practice. I think I spend as much time practising away from my harp as I do actually playing it – this sounds silly but try “air-harp” for a tune you’re working on – can you still do exactly the right fingering and rhythm, and get the coordination between the hands. Does your brain know exactly what each hand should be doing and how it should sound?
8) Seek Guidance – there are a wealth of online resources out there now, but having a trusted mentor you can check in with, whether that’s every week, once a month or even just once a year will make the world of difference to your progression. I know there are a few trusted people I can go to with my music for advice and help, and it’s so reassuring to have that sounding board you can trust. Even if you’re self-taught, consider seeing a teacher every few months to help you meet your goals.
9) Go to concerts – this relates to no. 1 but it’s even more intense when you attend a live concert – it lets you not only hear beautiful music but also get a sense of stagecraft.
10) Let go of mistakes – I don’t think I’ve ever played a concert in my life where every single note was correct. And as a result I’ve enjoyed many ‘happy accidents’ on stage. Of course you need to work in your practise sessions to make sure things are as flawless as possible, but when performing, try to let go of the slips – they are part of the reality of playing music live, and no one will hold them against you!