Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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Carolan’s Farewell to Music, modified for pixie harp (the actual melody requires more strings).

I don’t know why my harp sounds so tinny when I record it. I even tried recording with the computer right next to the soundboard and it didn’t make any difference. I’m sure my amateur plucking technique doesn’t help either.

Monday, November 28, 2011
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Claire Playing Harp attempt #143973953948, with bonus mother making tea in the background.

The first part is a traditional Celtic melody, and the second part is something I made up because I’m lazy and it was easier than listening to the actual piece and trying to figure out the chords. It’s similar to the original but not exactly the same.

(I’ve been trying to make a good recording of this for ages (i.e. one with no mistakes), but sadly I’ve come to accept that this is never going to happen. As soon as I turn the video on my brain is like “OH NO IT IS RECORDING, TIME TO PANIC AND PLUCK AT STRINGS RANDOMLY”.)

Thursday, November 24, 2011
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Ca’ the Yowes to the Knowes

(ignore the crow squawking at the beginning)

Sorry to inflict my mediocre singing on you all, but I learnt a new song and I AM EXCITED. I practised a lot while I was coming up with the accompaniment so my voice was pretty much dead by the time I recorded it. But I tried.

And now I have a new respect for Joanna Newsom. Singing and harping at the same time is trickier than it looks. (This is probably why I keep getting the lyrics wrong: it should be ‘water-side’ not ‘water-shore’).

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Harping it up