It's also been very interesting. As I mentioned before I realised my inner tune library was a bit poor, but even within the past few sessions it's been improving.
Various things have occurred to me:
- I really like just learning the tunes from hearing or listening
- Tunes I can start easily on the harp I don't necessarily have in my head to diddle
- If I've learnt a song with harp backing it's not so easy without.. oops!
- In a session environment, the tune is where it's at - if you want to shape the music you need to be on the tune
- It really feels like a struggle to be a harp in a session
Learning tunes can be conscious (note by note) or unconscious (like gradually absorbing the layout of a new building). I find the second much more fun - it gives you a much greater flavour of what and how the tune is communicating. It also allows you to absorb subtle rhythmic variations that are almost impossible to capture in score. Engaged listening seems to make this happen fastest in me. I often dance in my seat or actually get up and dance at a session. I'm interested to see if this makes the tunes go in faster!
Over the past year and a half I've tackled an almighty job and swapped from playing with my right hand melody to using my left hand for melody. I already have better resources as a player but this does mean I've been working very hard, very consciously on the movement. As a result I have a couple of tunes that I easily have in my hand but have less so in my head. I was really surprised and a bit disconcerted when I discovered this but very glad that I have and can do something about it.
In a similar vein I discovered that the first verse of songs had a habit of going walk about if I started them without harp accompaniment. It's such a different thing to sing a song unaccompanied, both in the mental recall process and also how you make space for yourself as a musician. I use the harp to hush an audience and get me the space in which to place my phrases. Unaccompanied you have to claim that space and time in a different way.
I've been sessioning with a harp for a while now, since 2004. In traditional music the main thing that changes the mood of a tune are the subtle rhythmic and gestural variations (the same tune can be agressive, calm, sweet, tragic... ). The accompaniment is there to support the tune, and I would argue that if the accompaniment becomes more important than the tune, it might not be trad anymore. Anyway, this boils down to the fact that in terms of fun interaction, the tune is most definitely the place to be. If you want maximum tune shaping options then it needs to be a sustaining instrument, like a fiddle or flute.
The other issue I find is that harps have their own special repertoire which not many people know. This combined with a general "aaahhh it's harp" factor means that you start a tune and no one joins in. Not good. I play solo professionally for events, I go the pub to have fun.
The other problem I find with harps and sessions is that while harps are loud, their sound dissolves into background noise. Unfortunately this means that other players can't hear you, so even if they would join in they and you are locked you out of fun interaction. This is way more of a problem, only solved by small sessions with people who listen carefully and have stopped being in awe of what a harp sounds like.
While I whinge about harps and sessions I love my instrument and I love being down the pub for tunes. I'm still figuring out what is most fun to do with a harp in a session but on the balance I'd rather go than not. Without a doubt sessions are a vital and important part of the trad scene, socially incredibly important as well as musically. They are our network, our place to learn and improve our music. Even if I never take a harp out again I will still be sessioning.
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