Feel overwhelmed by adding harp to your arrangements? Like there’s too many details to remember?
The struggle is real! I talk to a lot of composers who understand the harp writing basics, but still feel like it’s a highly time-intensive process. You have to figure out the pedals. You have to use a lot of non-traditional notation. And then you still wonder if a harpist will complain afterward!
But, you still feel deep in your heart that the little touch of harp in your orchestration is needed and worth the time and frustration.
I got you! While there are a lot of details involved, here’s 3 tips to keep your work focused:
1. Keep it simple
It’s alright to have a pared down harp part. The harp works beautifully as a single line instrument. It often can project better through the orchestral textures if you focus on a single voice. Plus, it gives the harpist more flexibility to split a voice between the hands and lowers the risk of unplayability. Don’t think of the harp as a piano, we don’t mind only using one hand!
2. Keep track of pedals
Try to limit yourself to seven pitch-classes (one diatonic pitch for each letter name). If you want to add in more pitches, that is when you need to allow for pedal changes. These pitches don’t have to be a strict scale, though! To learn more about pedals, be sure to watch this video and this video.
3. Double instruments
If you are adding harp into a larger orchestral score, the harp doesn’t need to have a unique voice. Pairing the harp with another instrument can help the projection, while still bringing even more color into the texture.
If you’ve written for the harp in the past, I’d love to hear from you! What was your experience like?