> I think that would be interesting to know. - rita
I've been playing harp for 2 1/2 years. I keep a book of all of the pieces
that I feel comfortable playing in front of people. It has 24 pieces in it.
Plus I have 5 pieces I can think of that I've learned in the past few months
that really should go into this book. Plus another dozen Christmas pieces that
I could play again with a day to dust them off. I have learned more pieces
than this, but these are the ones I liked enough to make a permanent part of my
repertoire.
I thought your question was interesting, because it never occured to me to
count how many pieces I can play. Although I'm a very dedicated and serious
harp student, I've purposely tried not to measure myself by things like how
many pieces can I play, how hard are they, how do I compare to my peers, etc.
I've learned that the best way (for me anyway) to make progress is to focus on
small, achievable goals like learning a piece I like, or getting comfortable
with a specific technique like harmonics, or preparing for and giving a
performance.
BTW, I have a degree in music performance on oboe. I started learning harp at
age 35 because chronic bronchitis has taken its toll, and I needed to start
thinking about switching instruments. My previous musical experience helped me
get started faster because I didn't have to learn to read music, and I have a
basic understanding of theory. Also, I'm comfortable with playing in front of
people, which helps for student recitals. The big thing I am lacking is a deep
understanding of harmony. I understand and can recognize I, IV, V chords in
all of their inversions, but I'm sure I would make quicker progress if I had
stronger skills in this area.
One of the hardest things for me as a beginning adult is to have patience with
myself. My ears know exactly what I want to make happen, but my body just
doesn't have the skills necessary to do it all.
Diana
diana_gumas@mail.mei.com