I quit piano lessons by middle school, and quit playing the flute in high school because I thought I was too cool for the marching band; I regret both actions. Thank goodness for my iPad, for which there are a ton of apps I can use to play music so people think I know what I’m doing.
($1.99) is one of those iPad apps. An elegant representation of a harp appears on your screen. Choose one of the available songs (everything from “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” to “Bach’s Minuet in G”) and the notes appear behind the strings that will play them.
Strike the strings with a tap or a “pluck,” and before you know it, you’re a harpist. You’ll be even better once you get the hang of eighth, quarter and half notes.
Tapping the strings doesn’t work as well as plucking, unfortunately, and the strings aren’t always as responsive as I would like now that I play the harp. I have noticed that the more I play, the more responsive they seem to be, so it may just be user error. Or fat fingers.
Tap inside the menu to enter the Air Harp Store, and choose from a variety of additional music packs: “Children’s,” “Classical” and “Relaxation Music.” Each is 99 cents and are purchased directly from the app.
