Grace Notes

[Katharina Kleidosty]

I’m no expert on grace notes, but I just play them softly and quickly. The fingering needs to change because it’s an extra string that you have to pluck, and if you don’t change the fingering to include the grace note, there might not always be a convenient finger available to pluck it.

When I’m learning a new melody that includes grace notes, I will often leave out the grace notes at first, to get the timing right for the main notes, and add the grace notes back in when I’m sure about the rhythm. I don’t want to play a grace note too late and then be late on the next beat, for example. If I’m planning to add the grace notes later, I’ll practice the fingering as including the grace notes, even if I don’t play them during practice at first.

[Aoi Inoue]

Thank you for replying. I’ll try that method to get the rhythm right.

[Victoria Johnson]

You may find this Harp Tuesday episode on ornaments and grace notes helpful: https://youtu.be/bk8snLPtO1c

[Aoi Inoue]

Thank you for the link! The video made grace notes feel less complicated, I appreciate it.