Curious Pedaling question

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This might sound weird but I am curious.

When I was in college (c.1983) in orchestration class the professor had us write harp pedalings in blue and red ink under the music. Blue for moving the pedal flat and red for moving the pedal sharp. Was this just his way of making sure we knew what we were writing or is there something historically that rationalizes this?

Is pedaling even notated anymore? I would assume the harpist would set the pedals according the key signature of the piece.

Anyone ever hear of this?

Thanks.

zoom
(902 points)

A day later – no response from harpists – so I'll throw in my tuppenceworth.

The red and blue ink thing is a new one to me. Hate to imagine the havoc wrought on the situation by (b&w) photocopiers! In no way related to the red and blue strings (C and F respectively – remember, red strings have Cred!)

My harp experience is mostly confined to TV-land. We'd need a harp possibly 6 or 8 times a year and over the decade or so there were three regular players. All the music was tonal (show tunes, orchestral pops, etc) and at the beginning of the piece generally just a key signature was sufficient. Further into the music I'd normally indicate pedal changes in a "lettering" style (rather than those little train track symbols which can flummox copyists!). The main "heads up" was that if there were two or more pedal changes at once, to make sure they were written in the correct (pedals left-to-right; left – top row, right – bottom row) order.

The most experienced player (who left Sydney for a gig in one of the London orchestras) just wanted me to write the music "normally" (ala piano) without any ham-fisted attempts at sorting out enharmonics or whatever; she'd do it herself. For glisses (inevitable where TV cameras are involved!) I was just to write down the desired chord or scale. She was quite happy "comping" from jazz-style chord symbols – she just wanted a bar or so of the general pattern.

With the other two players I'd generally write in the more usual harp fashion with enharmonics correctly notated, glisses' and chords' notes spelt out, etc.

The main comment regarding studio work generally was that they were never given anything challenging. Their parts were always beginner-standard. (Still, with the time constraints on us, there was rarely the luxury of being able to write "meaty" harp parts. After all, as far as the director was concerned, harps were 90% visual. Make that 95%. Plenty of times we'd insert glisses just for the camera's sake!)

JOhnlovemusic
(418 points)

Thank you, then it was probably just that.

It was probably his way of making sure we were placing the pedaling correctly. And would certainly make it easier to grade all the assignments quickly I suppose.

So, not to age you, but did you do a lot of writing on onion paper? Wonderful stuff !!!!

John

zoom
(902 points)

Mid-80's to the end of the 90's, so it was photocopiers rather than onionskins and dyeline machines. Scores were in pencil; copying was with italic nib and ink ... [/reminiscing] -lol-

JOhnlovemusic
(418 points)

In the early 80's I used to spend quite a lot of time over at Dr. Barney Childs house. He had lots of onion paper. He always had something out on his dinning room table. I don't think I ever ate on that table. We always would eat and drink in the living room. He wouldn't allow drinks or food near the kitchens dining table. Never used his houses office for music writing. I really liked wirting on onion paper, it just made me feel so much more a part of what I was writing.

IF any of you get a chance to use onion paper, wether for music or just writing a note to family and freinds, it is great paper !!

zoom
(902 points)

D-u-u-u-u-d-e! Barney Childs – that's a connection to a fair chunk of 20th Century American music history – therefore 20th Century anywhere music history. Hope you've written extensive memoirs!

I love scores spread over big tables. I hate scrolling about on a computer screen. Even the biggest, most expensive screen (or linked screens) doesn't compete with a hollow-core door slung across two sawing horses! I've never used actual onion paper, but in a "previous" architectural life I did the whole translucent paper – dyeline printer – nasty chemical thing. Rapidograph pens that clogged, "actual" Letraset, mission brown ... it's all coming back!

JOhnlovemusic
(418 points)

Yep, Barney (Childs) is a major 20th century piece of work, and a piece of work alone; him and Phillip Rehfeldt.
Had quite a few garbage burritos, and Early Times bourbon while watching Laker games with Barney. I think I will leave the memoirs to the others though.

My gosh, some of the stories.
The one day I beat him at scabble. . .
The lecture I got the one time I offered him a drink of Vodka (he only drinks things you can see).

Here is a funny story . . .
He was getting an award from Sigma Alpha Iota. One of my teachers calls me up at 11pm the night before. She is sick, really sick and wants to know if I will play Variations on a Theme for David Racussen. I'm the only one she knows who has played it recently. So I say yes.

Many years later I visit the University of Redlands and they were doing a big celebration of all Barney's music and his contribution to the music world. There were lots of seminars and in the small recital hall there are several pieces, one of which is Variation on a Themee... I go there with my girlfriend and sit in the front row. Before the recital starts my past teacher comes out from behind stage and sits down next to me. She is sniffling and her nose is runninng and she is coughing. She asks me if I would be willing to play the piece again for her since with her cold she doesn't think she can play it very well.

Barney did not like getting awards. He was thinking he was on the cutting edge and felt awards were signs of mediocracy(sp?). Very dry sense of humor.

Curious Pedaling question

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