1/10/2021

I ran across “Ellie and the Harp Maker” quite by accident. I was browsing through a book catalogue and spotted it on the page. I read the description, and ordered a copy right away. I even corresponded with Hazel the Harpist, who was delighted that I had discovered her book.

Imagine being a housewife in Exmoor, UK and discovering, as if by magic, a harp barn! The inside is filled with dozens of harps, beautiful harps and a harp maker named Dan. What a perfect discovery, especially since you have always wanted to play the harp!

Ellie’s life was never the same after this. She learned to play and became friends with Dan. I do not want to give too much away, but the story includes a pet pheasant; Ellie’s husband, Clive; her sister; her best friend; adventures in travel. The list goes on. 

You can get the book in paperback, audio or for your Kindle at Amazon.com. 

Trust me, you will love it!

Happy New Year, 2021. 

I thought we would start out the year with a couple of basic tuning tips. One tuning challenge I see in my students is that they never seem to know if the string they are tuning has reached its desired pitch.

So, your first basic tuning tip: Continue to pluck the string you are tuning as you are turning the tuning pin. You can watch the screen on your tuner at the same time and, bingo! You will know when the string is ready to go.

Your second tip is useful when you need to quickly tune a string by ear. Comparing to the octave below or above the string you are tuning is a good technique for this. Always play the in-tune string first, followed by the string you are tuning. Continue to play the in-tune string while you are tuning and the sound of the in-tune string will stay in your ear.  

Give these techniques a try and let me know about your success!