#258: 7 Ways to Place Chords: Beyond the Rules

When was the last time you took a moment to just play some chords on your harp and let yourself simply enjoy them? When you hear that rich, resonant sound, you know that this was what your harp was meant to sound like. Perhaps hearing someone else play chords like that was why you decided to play the harp. It’s goosebump territory, for sure. You can feel it in your bones, in your core. 

I don’t know that there is a more beautiful sonority than a big beautiful harp chord, perhaps lushly rolled. But, I also know that there isn’t a day goes by that I don’t have to stop in my practice to check my chord placing to make sure I can play those chords the way I want. Just because they’re beautiful, doesn’t mean they’re easy, but you already know that.

One of the first things we harpists learn about chords is that the key to a well-played chord is in the placing. Getting the right fingers on the right strings at the right time is the biggest hurdle we face. I’m reminded of a famous quote of J. S. Bach: “There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself.”  This seems to me to reveal an over-developed sense of humility on Bach's part. Playing an instrument is definitely not that simple, but when it comes to playing - and placing - chords, getting our fingers on the right strings at the right time is certainly a good place to start.

Today’s show is indeed about placing chords, but I want to offer you a different perspective, one that is less about the technique of placing chords and more about the musical situations that may call for strategic changes in the way we think about how and when to get our fingers on those right strings. In other words, I’m going to talk about when the usual “right time” isn’t the right time, when you should consider breaking those rules I know you worked so hard to learn in order to make your chords sound the way you want. So get ready to break or at least bend some rules today.

Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: 

• Podcast Episode #205: Placing Chords: How to Find the Right Strings the First Time
• For extra clarity on placing techniques: How to Play Four Note Chords Without Finger Fumbles blog post in the archives.
• Experience the freedom of faster learning, more expressive playing, and the confidence to play like the harpist you know you can be with a My Harp Mastery membership.
• Harpmastery.com

Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at [email protected]

Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode?