If you’re about to start playing a pedal harp, you may be wondering how you’re going to manage the 7 pedals and whether there’s anything you can do to prepare for that.
In today’s Coffee Break Harp I’m going to show you how to get started with pedals on a pedal harp. I will also share 3 simple habits that will help you ease into this. With the right mindset from the start, you’ll get to used to playing your pedal harp in no time!
How hard is it to play a pedal harp?
Getting started with a pedal harp feels like a big step. It is absolutely normal that you may feel a little worried about the pedals. It may be hard to imagine moving both hands and feet at the same time at first, but bear in mind that you will not need to do all of this at once.
You will first learn to find the pedals on your harp when not playing. For this, you will need to find the most comfortable seating position. You may also need to adjust the height of the stool to make sure you can reach all the pedals on your harp. Then you can move on to learning about the order of the pedals.
The order of the pedals
The pedals on every harp are organised in the same order. Get my free downloadable pedal chart that you can place on your music stand for a handy reminder when you get started. If you haven’t got the chart with you, you can also use mnemonics, like the one I mention in the video.
When you start using the pedals in your pieces, you will need to find each of your pedals quickly. To get to that level quickly you can practise finding the pedals and moving them using the free pedal harp flashcards that you’ll find along with the pedal chart.
Do you want to master your pedals quickly?
Get free pedal chart and a set of harp flashcards for pedal practice!
Good habits at the pedal harp
Learning to use the pedals is easier than it seems – as long as you remember about the correct habits right from the start!
In this episode you will learn…
- how to move your pedals
- what your feet need to do when playing a pedal harp
- why marking the pedal changes in your scores is so important