Category: Improvisation

Improvising with Two Chord Vamps

The Power of Two Chord Vamps

What do you do if all those chord progressions confuse you and you want to start with improvising? One of the simplest, most satisfying ways to start is improvising with two chord vamps. You can choose any two chords that sound good one after the other, and you can play each one twice before changing. Here are some options to try on a harp tuned in C:

Dm and C (dfa, ceg)
Am and G (ace, gbd)
C and Am (ceg, ace)
G and F (gbd, fac)

For now, you don’t need to worry about the theory behind these choices. All you need to do is find the chords. (Here’s a pdf that can help: building-chords-on-the-scale).

In fact, if you’re a real beginner, all you need to do in your left hand is find the first and final note of the chord and play them together.  The interval between these two notes is called a fifth.  Open fifths in the bass range of the harp have a nice, open sound. For example, instead of a Dm chord, you would play just d on the bottom and a above it, usually with fingers 3 and 1.  Choose a count, like 4, and play this interval  only on beat one as you count 1, 2, 3, 4.

As soon as that’s really easy, start noodling around with your right hand. To begin with, if you stick to the notes that are in the chord, plus the two open strings between them, you can’t go wrong. Play with single notes, repeated notes, and simple but varied rhythm–nothing so complicated that you lose the left hand pulse on beat one. Remember that simple notes on the harp are heavenly, and have fun!

This post is adapted from material that I originally published in the ezine, Notes from the Harp.

Improvise with Whole-Tone Scales

… But let’s call it “galaxy music”…

Here’s a fun improv starter that especially appeals to the child within all of us. Fix your levers so that you have the following scale: C D E F# G# Ab (or A#, either one; you’re just eliminating the A by doubling a musical note) Bb C.

whole-tone scale

(click on image for larger version)

Now play with running up and down the scale, glissing, and playing random notes. Sounds like what we think of as space music, don’t you think? If you play certain intervals between your two hands it can sound very eerie.

You can also try using A-natural in this exercise, although that isn’t strictly speaking part of the whole-tone scale (hey, did you know you just learned some theory? You now know how to improvise with whole-tone scales . . . ). Have fun with this; there are no wrong notes.

This post is adapted from material that I originally published in the ezine, Notes from the Harp.

Improvise with Nature

And now for something completely different . . . ! My workshop students enjoyed improvising to a custom CD that I created from lots of free sound clips I downloaded.

You can do the same thing, if you’re willing to sample lots of sounds and loop them together in iTunes or another program, but I wanted to make it easier for you. I went looking for something you could find online and simply play with, and I found a treasure! Check out this Sound Mixer from a sleep-aid company. You can cue up as many as five sounds to play together and set the levels for each one to get the balance you need. Experiment until you have a nice mix of sounds that appeal to you.

Now pull back your harp, close your eyes, and let your fingers approach the strings in whatever way you like. There are no right or wrong notes, only sounds. Don’t try to match pitch or anything fancy, just play as you’re moved to do so. Breathe, pluck, strum, glide . . . take your time and see what happens.

And don’t worry–I don’t think you’ll fall asleep as long as you are playing your harp! This improvisation exercise is not only very meditative–an oasis of sound in a busy day–but freeing as well. It’s almost as good as going to the beach or the mountains!

This post is adapted from material that I originally published in the ezine, Notes from the Harp.