With your harp tuned to F, play the audio:
Listen carefully to the music so you understand the melody, the rhythm, and the structure. Once you are familiar with it, while the audio is playing, try the following ideas:
- Work out a simple bass line, either single notes or octaves
- Work out some simple chords
- Try some arpeggios (going upwards) instead of chords
- See if you can invent a “counter-melody” – one note per beat of the bar
Some tips:
- Whether you are playing along with a recording or with real live musicians, it’s really important to listen first so you understand the music.
- Even when you join in, it’s OK to “sit out” (not play) for a repeat of the tune. Silence is good – it lets the music “breathe”.
- Invent little patterns and use them during the piece at different pitches
- Pick up fragments of the melody and repeat them / invert them
- If you do something nice, repeat it!
- If you do something which sounds a bit wrong, repeat it anyway! It might spark other ideas.
Other resources:
- look at the score
- download the PDF of the score to print out and add your own notes or chords
