Children's harp

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The original form of the children's harp, built since 1968

The children's harp is a seven-string, pentatonic tuned small stringed instrument that is used in Waldorf education . The name includes the word "harp"; In instrument science, however, the children's harp does not belong to the harps , but to the lyres instrument type .

Design and function

The shape of the children's harp corresponds to an asymmetrical lyre. It has an open sound box . Its seven steel strings are stretched over a wooden frame made from one piece, usually made of maple or ash , which consists of the yoke and a double-curved singing bowl. The upper half of the singing bowl is concave in the shape of a shell behind the strings and surrounds them for a good third of their length. The lower half of the singing bowl can also be shaped like a shell due to the design, but curved convex forward and forms the base of the instrument. The strings run over a bridge to the metal pegs on the yoke.

The children's harp is tuned in a pentatonic tone series d 1 –e 1 –g 1 –a 1 –h 1 –d 2 –e 2 , which is widely used in Waldorf education and includes a double fifth , preferably in perfect fifths, sometimes also tempered .

history

The children's harp was designed in 1968 by the craft teacher and later instrument maker Helmut Hofstetter (1934–1983), the music teacher Julius Knierim (1919–1999) and the instrument maker Norbert Visser (1919–2003). For music-making with children of preschool age and first school age, a string instrument was to be created which, thanks to the openness of its sound (dispensing with a closed resonance body ) and its characteristic pentatonic mood, could largely correspond to the musical experience of this age group. The first instruments were hand-carved by students and soon afterwards were professionally built by Helmut Hofstetter. They have been made by people with disabilities in the socio-therapeutic “Choroi workshops” since around 1975. As this novel instrument became more widespread, various instrument makers developed a variety of new models and shapes of the same type. The children's harp is currently encountered around the world, especially in Waldorf kindergartens and schools, in family music-making with young children and in music therapy .

Playing technique

The relatively small and light instrument can be played by school beginners while standing or in motion and is therefore particularly suitable for social-musical, improvisational exercises. When played while seated, it is held upright, at a slight angle, on your lap by hand. The strings are usually not plucked, but made to sound with the fingers of the main hand by gently but emphatically horizontal stroking with the fingertip, whereby the playing finger falls against the next higher string. This corresponds to the tone formation in the modern lyre, which has been built since 1926 and the tradition of which the children's harp continues.

pedagogy

Children's harps are used in many different ways in day-care centers; to accompany singing, to puppet shows, in the free play of the children as well as in the context of explicit musical offers. In grades 1 and 2 of many Waldorf schools, the children's harp is used as an instrument for making music in the class. Families with small children use the instrument especially when they are put to bed in the evening and observe a relaxing effect that promotes sleep.

Music therapy

Here the children's harp is used in various areas, including in terminal care and for premature babies .

literature

  • Gerhard Beilharz, Albert Böse: The children's harp. In: Gerhard Beilharz (Hrsg.): Music in education and therapy. Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-7725-2237-8 , pp. 209-214.
  • Gerhard Beilharz, Christian Giersch, Martin Tobiassen: teaching children's harp. Edition intermediate tones, Weilheim / Teck 2014, ISBN 978-3-937518-19-0 .
  • Mechthild Laier, Gerhard Beilharz: Playing a children's harp. Edition Zwischenentöne, Weilheim / Teck 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-3-937518-10-7 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Julius Knierim: Between hearing and moving. Edition Bingenheim, Wuppertal 1988, pp. 59-71.
  2. ↑ a b c Gerhard Beilharz, Christian Giersch, Martin Tobiassen: teach children's harp. Edition intermediate tones, Weilheim / Teck 2014, ISBN 978-3-937518-19-0 .
  3. ↑ Heiner Gembris: Basics of musical talent and development. Wißner-Verlag, Augsburg, 4th edition 2013, pp. 276ff.
  4. ↑ Gerhard Beilharz, Albert Böse: The children's harp . In: Gerhard Beilharz (Hrsg.): Music in education and therapy . Stuttgart 2004, p. 209-214 .
  5. ↑ Mechthild Laier, Gerhard Beilharz: playing children's harp. Edition Zwischenentöne, Weilheim / Teck, 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-3-937518-10-7 , p. 48 f.
  6. ↑ Mechthild Laier, Gerhard Beilharz: playing children's harp. Edition Zwischenentöne, Weilheim / Teck 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-3-937518-10-7 , pp. 10–15.
  7. ↑ Mechthild Laier, Gerhard Beilharz: playing children's harp. Edition Zwischenentöne, Weilheim / Teck 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-3-937518-10-7 .
  8. ↑ Mechthild Laier, Gerhard Beilharz: playing children's harp. Edition Zwischenentöne, Weilheim / Teck 3rd edition 2017, ISBN 978-3-937518-10-7 , pp. 16-20.
  9. ↑ Susanne Reinhold: Music therapy for the dying . In: Markus Treichler (Ed.): Grasping the meaning of death. Courage to accompany the dying. Stuttgart 2002, p. 95-105 .
  10. ↑ Monica Bissegger: Music therapy for premature children and their mothers . In: David Aldridge (Ed.): Kairos, Vol. V, Music Therapy with Children . Bern 2001, p. 26-35 .