Moving two feet at once to new pedals

[Alyson Webber]

Pink Panther AND awesome abs?!? Sign me up 🙂

[elizabeth-panzer]

As a harpist and Pilates teacher, I recommend relying on your core muscles (abdominal and pelvic floor muscles) for balance instead of leaning back so far.

[balfour-knight]

Ha, ha, Gretchen! My C flats are doing great–I am getting my head around them, you know! Thanks everyone, for all your great posts. I will have to try out the ab workout on “The Pink Panther,” ha, ha!

You all have a great day,
Balfour

[josh-layne]

I like to use both my toe and my heel to change the pedals – here’s an example 🙂

(Video should launch with the start of the “action” – feel free to watch the whole episode!)

[Gretchen Cover]

Josh, I love your Harp Tuesday videos. I watch and recommend them. I saw this on Youtube, but then I realized pedal changes on a harp is one thing that is not gender neutral:) You are amazing with those pedal changes!

[Alyson Webber]

Josh, that is amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such dexterous feet before. Does it throw you off when you wear shoes?

[josh-layne]

I wear thin soled dance shoes. I normally practice in bare feet/socks, but for pieces that involve a lot of pedal changes I definitely make sure to practice in my shoes a week or two prior to a concert – it does feel slightly different.

Here’s a look at the shoes:

[Gretchen Cover]

Josh, that’s quite a feat with your feet:)

[Loonatik]

I’d hit “like” on that footage, josh…

[renaissancemanohio]

Regarding balance, I have two words: core strength. As your core muscles especially your abs strengthen, your balancing act with your feet off of the ground will improve. Easier said than done, friend.

[balfour-knight]

I forgot to thank Josh for this posting, too!  Many thanks, and it was great, like everything you do, Josh!  Gretchen, I like the “feat with your feet” comment, too, like telling me about my C flats.  I don’t have to worry about them on my gorgeous lever harp tuned in C, I just play B naturals, like on the piano and organ.  It is only the pedal harp that “messes me up,” ha, ha!

Have a great day, everyone.

Balfour

[renaissancemanohio]

This is an issue of biomechanics. My father and I were both engineers and used to argue about the better way to control a car with automatic transmission. I was the one-footer, picking up my foot from the accellerator to press the brakes. He used two feet, left on the break, right on the gas. You see, he had chronic back pain and his core body strength was compromised from a slipped disc. Similar issue here.

I was first an organist who used all four limbs simultaneously without falling off of an organ bench ever. Core body strength is the primary factor. When your core is strong, you have more control over everything.

An associated factor is one’s center of gravity. Keeping your balance is a matter of having your center of gravity over your seat. Long legs, long arms, slouching, incorrect alignment with your harp, and other physical properties moves your center of gravity away from over your seat. When this happens, one relies on core body strength to remain upright.

So pilates, yoga, or crossfit, pick something fu that you will do regularly. Keep the core strong and pedal on!
<p style=”text-align: left;”>John</p>
 

[Loonatik]

Have anyone of you ever seen a harpist falling off his/her chair while playing?

 

 

[balfour-knight]

No, Loonatik, thank goodness I have not!

[carl-swanson]

Loonatik- Actually I have. But not in the way that you are thinking. It was a horrifying event.  A very good professional harpist who is gone now God rest her soul, was playing a concerto with orchestra, and about 45 seconds into the orchestra introduction, just at the point where she should have started playing, she suffered a cerebral aneurism!  I saw the video of the event and even though I knew what was coming, it made me sick.  She was sitting in profile to the audience at the edge of the stage. She had just pulled the harp back against her shoulder and raised her arms to start playing. Then, it was like an inflatable doll had sprung a leak. Her head slowly sank down onto her chest, her arms just slowly descended to her sides, and she and the harp fell over backwards. She hit the floor like a log and lay there unconscious while there was total chaos around her. Within maybe two minutes medics were there putting her on a stretcher. They took her off to the hospital and she had surgery to repair the damage.  She completely recovered from the event and lived many years longer in good health.  It was only a year later that her doctor told her that of all of the people that have cerebral hemorrhages, half die right then and there. Of the remaining half that make it to the hospital, half of those die in surgery.  Of the ones who survive the surgery, half of those have some sort of compromise(paralysis, speech loss, etc.). She was one of the very lucky few who completely recover.

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