The Clarsach Society London Branch Newsletter

Fitness For Harpists

If you sit at the harp and play for 30 min, 1 hour, 2 hours - do you ever get stiffness, tension, aches and pains ? Most people would say yes, at least occasionally, and it’s usually the shoulders, neck, or lower back that are most affected.
Does this sound familiar ? If so read on.

Why is this the case ?

Well, to start with, when you bring your arms forward to the harp to play, you should be bringing them forward from the shoulder joint. This is the socket from which your arms extend. But all too often we bring them forward from the shoulder girdle, in other words the area above your ribcage, especially when playing the big harp. This means that the shoulders come over and forwards, which rounds the upper back, and causes strain in the muscle fibre of the lower back.

So you have already put the lower back under tension, and it has to support the arms as well… Now think about how you are sitting: If you sit too far from the harp, you have to lean forward, and 'hang over' the harp, which again puts strain in the lower back. Moulded seats are dangerous because they tip the pelvis backwards, and then the weight of the harp is pushing back into the hips and causing tension in that area. If you sit at the edge of the seat to counteract this, you are tipping the pelvis slightly forward, which lets the tummy fall forward. None of these positions provides you with much stability for playing. Having said that, pedal harpists are advised to sit towards the edge of the stool so that their thighs are free to move.

Instability is especially an issue if you are playing a pedal harp, in which case your toes will also be off the ground. And if you lift your feet completely off the ground you will go backwards - but the harp's weight is also on you, which will destabilise you even more. So it is a good idea to avoid the temptation to economise on pedal changes by doing them with both feet simultaneously except where this is completely unavoidable - eg in Debussy's Danse Sacree et Danse Profane, and countless other pieces. The habit of 'riding' the pedals (with the feet off the floor completely) does not help, because curiously it causes the shoulders to rise. And the position of the feet for playing the pedal harp (heels down and toes up) causes tightness in the calves and the front of the shins.