Listen to: Watch Out!

12 January 2009

Watch Out! – for Harp Ensemble

This piece has parts One, Two, Three, Lap Harp (down to C below Middle C), and Lap Harp for Beginners (down to G below middle C) – so everyone from beginners to the more advanced players can join in!

This piece was originally written as a song for my sister many years ago and has a catchy tune, which is why I thought I would play around with it on the harp. I love the relatively new effect of “xylophonics”, which to me sounds like a violin playing pizzicato. This is achieved on the harp by one hand muffling notes at the soundboard, whilst the other plays those same strings. You can muffle and play up to three notes at a time, and because this limits the range of notes you can play, it’s good to use it for a while and make the most of it, and using it in a piece with several harp parts is ideal.

This piece was first played by a harp ensemble in September 2008 by an enthusiastic group of Christchurch harpists and we had a lot of fun with it. The piece also has harmonics in two of the parts, a cross-over section where the left hand plays above the right hand, as well as some big dramatic chords spread between both hands. Because the rhythm is syncopated, it is also a good exercise in keeping in time!

I would rate this at beginners to intermediate level.

If anyone is interested in buying the scores for this piece, please e-mail me at nancy@harpmagic.co.nz and we will arrange between us.

The samples you listen to on this website have been recorded by myself with my current limited knowledge of this new recording software I’ve got – they will get better in time!!