Noisemaking 101 - Harp Notation
The harp has a special place in the orchestra. Its sound and technique is unique to any other instrument in the standard orchestra. For this reason alone, great care must be taken to uphold its beauty.
How the Harp Works
The harp looks and sounds, to me, a lot like a piano. Its performance, however, is much different.
The modern harp is called the double-action harp. This harp has a pedal system that allows each pedal to be in one of three settings. By using a pedal system the harpist can play glissando chords and other special effects with ease.
Pedal Notation
Through a system of notation the harpist will know which position to set each of 7 pedals. The 7 pedals represent from left to right D C B / E F G A. By moving any of the pedals the performer can sharpen or flatten the appropriate note.
Here is what a typical diagram looks like:
When writing for harp you must be aware that it takes a few moments for the harpist to change the pedal settings. Also, note that enharmonic spellings might be needed in order for a passage to be played due to the limit of tunings available.
Harp Notation in Sibelius
Setup
First, you'll need to have a harp in your score so lets add an instrument. After doing that lets add some random notes to the harp staff.
Step 1
Select the passage you would like to have harp pedaling created for.
Step 2
Go to the Plug-in menu > Other > Add Harp Pedaling. From here the Add Harp Pedaling dialogue box will show up.
Step 3
Using the picture above as a guide you can select the settings you need.
Key Settings
- Add to - will determine what notes will be included in the harp pedaling.
- Add initial pedal settings - This will either display a harp diagram or letters depending on your selection to the start of the selected passage.
Step 4
Click okay and be sure to check that everything is correct.
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