[Harp-L] (no subject)

[Ludo Beckers]

Hi all,

I've been away from this forum for a few years, mostly because of spending
too much time online, but resubscribed recently, hoping to monitor my
screen time better now :-)

Many years ago, when I saw Howard Levy live after a concert with Rabih
Abou-Khalil, I had the opportunity to have a very brief conversation with
him afterwards.
I had heard about how he *sees* the piano keys in his mind whilst playing
harp, and asked him if he could explain how that works.

My inadequacy here was, and still is, that I can't imagine how one can play
for instance in Ab on the piano, see the notes in their mind and
immediately transpose them on the fly to - say a harp in Eb or any other
keyed harp.
He sort of avoided a direct reply by saying he wanted to know if there's a
nearby phone (this was pre cell phone days) to call home.
Throughout the years I have talked to him several times again (just once or
twice, actually), but somehow the subject never came up again - perhaps
also because I'm assuming it isn´t an easy issue to address in a short time.

I am still curious though, how it is possible that anyone could use their
musical brain this way.
I do vaguely remember an article by Winslow Yerxa on Howard having two
brains; perhaps I should also reread that after all these years..

My personal take is one that is comparable - I guess - to someone using
crutches to walk; I *think* everything as if on a C harp, being comfortable
with that layout.
I learned to read music (and some music theory) when halfway in my
thirties, and transcribe all my sheet music *as if it is* played on a C
harp.
For instance: Ain´t Misbehavin´ is in the key of C, but since I like
playing it in 12th position, I write it out in the key of F, with a note
that it's supposed to be played on a G harp to sound in the right key of C.

If anyone has an inkling as to how Howard goes about this, I´d love to hear
it :-)
BTW I do know a little music theory and can find any chord on a piano
because of that, but am in no way an accomplished piano player.

greetings from Belgium,
Ludo