Lauren
________________________________________________________________
I've found the flurry of posts fueling the
left-shoulder--right-shoulder controversy very interesting, though it
does seem to have more to do with "shoulderness" than "handedness."
Unlike guitar where, traditionally, the right hand plucks the strings
while the left hand frets the notes, and/or chords (except for special
F/X right hand tapping or left hand plucking)--reverse all for lefties,
or piano where, due to the hands being mirror images of each other
while held in a lateral plane, it makes sense for the right hand to
play melody and the left hand to take care of the harmony (at least
I've never been able to get my left hand to be as fluid with melody as
my right), the nature of the harp and the symmetry of the hands while
in a vertical plane makes it more possible to do melody OR harmony
chores with either hand. I still have more fluidity with my right hand
than my left, but I think this is due to thriry years more experience
with guitar and piano than I have with harp, experience that has made
right hand plucking and right hand melody seem natural, while the left
hand is not used to much plucking or melody. It seems, though, that
this will lessen with experience on the harp and lead to an increased
ambidexterity and independence of hand mothion beyond what I've found
on piano and guitar. Already I'm finding myself exploring contrapuntal
approaches to arrangements that were not possible on the guitar nor
habitual with piano. I think that the harp, being so different than
any other instrument that I've ever played is freeing me from
limitations I'd put upon my musicianship.
Lauren