In this video, we're going to learn how to unlock the magic of modes with Karen Peterson's harp improvisation.
Karen Peterson is a world-renowned harp improviser, and in this video, we'll learn how to use her techniques to improvise on the harp. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to play in all 12 modes on the harp!
If you're interested in learning how to improvise on the harp, then this video is for you.
I am excited to invite you to participate in a Facebook Live interview with Karen Peterson, as part of our ongoing efforts to engage with our audience and share valuable insights.
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I am Karen Peterson, harp coach, therapeutic musician, and author of Enjoy the Modes. I teach harp online via videoconference.
I'm often asked why I chose harp. I was a high school sophomore, and I hated to practice. I knew I didn’t have what it takes to be impressive on violin and piano, which I also played. How could I wow listeners with less effort?
It takes only a few seconds to learn how to set up the strings to make that fabulous, classic glissando harp sound that everyone recognizes. Once you can do that, everyone thinks you're amazing, and it doesn't matter what else you can or can't play.
People don't realize how easy the harp is, and that doubt holds them back from ever trying it out. The teenage me was looking for shortcuts, and I found one: the harp is easier than it looks. I've been playing harp now for over 25 years, but it doesn't take 25 years to be good.
Pedal, lever, and double-strung harps
I began playing harp in 1993. I was trained on pedal harp by Faye Seeman➚ and then Julie Buzzelli➚. After college, I figured that a pedal harp was unattainable-too pricey, too unwieldy for a starter apartment-and I went harp-less for almost as long as I had been playing.
Four years later, I missed it so much that I finally went online to explore options. I had heard about lever harps, and I found out I could get a 38-string for half the price of a student-model pedal. I went to the Somerset Folk Harp Festival➚ and played on all of the exhibitor’s harps until I found the most awesome one. A few months later, my Triplett Eclipse➚ arrived (the first one they made with Truitt levers), and I began delving into lever harp music.
Again at Somerset➚, in 2007, I wandered into a double-strung workshop. I’d seen the beautiful, narrow harps of Don Peddle➚ and figured they couldn’t possibly sound as good as they looked. I had no interest in double-strung, but I was looking for something smaller to play in a therapeutic setting. I was surprised to discover the volume and richness of the double-strung harp, and I was excited by the new opportunities afforded by two rows of strings.
With the big Eclipse and the compact double-strung, I didn't miss pedal harp at all. After a few years on the double-strung, I made that my only harp.
My favorite music to play and listen to includes early music, old-time country, campfire songs, and melodic classics from the Forties through the Eighties with an occasional contemporary tune thrown in. I love complex rhythms and interesting harmonies.
Therapeutic music
In 2008, I began courses with the Music for Healing and Transition Program➚ (MHTP), graduating in 2012 as a Certified Music Practitioner (CMP) so that I can safely and effectively play harp in healthcare. I work part-time at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ, playing at the bedside of patients and for staff throughout the hospital, including ICU, Neonatal ICU (NICU), Neuro ICU, Burn ICU, Cardio/Thoracic ICU, cardiac telemetry, cardiac step-down, renal/transplant, oncology, pulmonary, orthopedic, surgical, and all areas of the Emergency Department. I served on the Board of Directors of MHTP for nine years. See more on my site SoothingHarp.com➚.