Reply To: How to get better at musicality, playing expressively, and inner sense of pulse

[Mery]

Hi Emma,

Listen to some of the great harp players such as Gráinne Hambly, Michelle Mulcahy, Laoise Kelly. Listen very very closely in slowdown many times- your aim will be to hear the ‘notes between the notes’ – there is finger articulation in there. Once you can hear some of this in your mind’s ear, take a tiny phrase, maybe 3 notes, try to copy what you are hearing. Then ask an Irish harp teacher for lessons on how to physically make the sounds you now hear. You can hear these players on you tube and probably email them for lessons.

As for feeling the pulse of the music, listen to a lot of the music while physically walking (marching) and/or dancing to the beat, or clapping your hands, or tapping feet, or lilting the melody with your voice (diddle-dee-dee, etc) – anything to get your body physically moving with the music. The more you practice this the better you will get – it’s a skill. It has helped a number of my students (Irish flute).

I hope this helps!