In this lesson
Harpist Emily Levin and guitarist Colin Davin join Simon Powis to explore the sound of their duo. Musical excerpts demonstrate how two plucked instruments can remain distinct, blend into a larger texture and take over one another’s roles.
The discussion is an introduction to the harp for guitarists as well as a conversation about arranging. Familiar guitar concerns—tone, resonance, harmonics and damping—appear in another form, revealing both similarities and important differences.
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Originally published in 2020. These listening notes draw on the recorded conversation. Roles, projects, releases and event announcements refer to the time of recording. Practical reflections are suggested applications, not additional quotations from the guest.
Explore the conversation
Use these approximate timestamps to jump to a topic in the recording.
- 6:16 — Shared origins do not mean identical sounds
- 8:33 — Balance depends on the music and the room
- 9:47 — An arrangement has to understand how each instrument works
- 17:49 — Listen for the moment two colours become one
- 24:58 — Colour includes the way a sound ends
- 33:50 — Chamber music invites you to learn another instrument’s perspective
Shared origins do not mean identical sounds
Davin describes the harp’s range and sustained resonance alongside the guitar’s clarity of attack and ability to use vibrato. Both instruments begin a note by plucking a string, but the resulting sound develops differently.
Levin adds that each instrument has a broad palette of colour. Combining them creates possibilities beyond simply making the guitar louder or using the harp as an accompaniment.
When listening to the excerpts, follow how a note begins and how it fades. Sometimes the two instruments remain clearly identifiable; at other moments their registers and rhythms create the impression of a single, larger instrument.
Balance depends on the music and the room
The duo describe usually playing without amplification while remaining responsive to the hall. A dry acoustic can make life difficult for the guitar; another room can emphasise its attack surprisingly strongly.
That means balance is not a fixed rule about which instrument is always louder. Register, texture, articulation and the room all affect what reaches the audience.
For a student ensemble, listen from different places in the room if possible, or make a simple recording. The balance heard by the players is useful information, but it may not be the balance heard by someone several metres away.
An arrangement has to understand how each instrument works
Levin explains the pedal system used to change pitches on the harp. Davin describes the challenge of arranging for an instrument whose practical limitations differ from those of the guitar.
One example involves a commissioned work in C-sharp. Levin read her part in D-flat while Davin used a capo and a reading solution that retained useful open-string resonance. The collaboration found a practical route into the composer’s sound world.
The discussion also shows why an arpeggio that feels natural on one instrument may be awkward on the other. Knowing the label of a technique is not enough; an arranger needs to understand the actual movement and sound.
Listen for the moment two colours become one
“It really just sounds like one big instrument.”
— Colin Davin, 18:36
An excerpt from Philip Glass’s Sixth Etude begins with recognisably separate roles and then combines overlapping registers and rhythms. Davin describes the pleasure of becoming part of that larger sound.
The Ravel examples offer other kinds of interaction: chords played by the guitar alone, doubled material and interlocking lines. The changes can be subtle, which makes them useful listening exercises.
Rather than trying to identify every note, follow one role. Notice when the melody moves, when an accompaniment becomes more prominent or when doubling changes the colour of a chord.
Colour includes the way a sound ends
“The only way to stop the sound before its natural decay is to put your fingers back on the string.”
— Emily Levin, 33:09
The conversation explores harmonics, playing closer to the soundboard and the combination of guitar rasgueado with harp glissando. Musical demonstrations make these effects more informative than a list of technique names.
Levin also explains the need to stop resonance deliberately. In a texture that requires clarity, allowing every string to continue ringing may obscure a harmonic change or a line.
This is directly relevant to guitar playing. Listen to the ends of notes as well as their beginnings. A cleanly shaped phrase may depend on which sounds continue and which need to stop.
Chamber music invites you to learn another instrument’s perspective
The practical discussion includes travelling with a harp, adapting to borrowed instruments and finding collaborators. Those details reveal responsibilities that a guitarist carrying a familiar instrument may not immediately consider.
The closing Ravel movement gives the instruments contrasting dramatic characters. Following that exchange is another way to hear the arrangement: as a conversation between musical roles, rather than simply a collection of effects.
If you play with another musician, ask what is easy, difficult or especially expressive on their instrument. Understanding their answer can improve rehearsal decisions and open possibilities you would not discover by thinking only about your own part.
Ideas to take into your own music
These prompts are reflections on the conversation, rather than a routine prescribed by the guest.
- Follow one ensemble role: listen for the melody as it changes instrument.
- Compare attacks and decays: notice what makes a plucked sound recognisable.
- Listen to note endings: consider where resonance clarifies or obscures a phrase.
- Ask your partner about their instrument: learn one practical limitation and one strength.
Original episode notes and resources
The original introduction and resources are retained below. Any time-sensitive announcements belong to the episode’s publication period.
In this episode we delve into the world of harp and guitar as Colin Davin and Emily Levin discuss the tone world, challenges, and beautiful synergies of this instrumental combination.
I absolutely loved listening to this podcast. It was like listening to three mathamaticians casually conversing about high-math. Much of what they said in terms of keys was beyond me but thanks to Simon’s lessons on basic theory I “sort” of understood what they were talking about. I’m so grateful that Emily, Colin, and Simon and the countless other professional musicians have delved as deeply as they have. It’s mindblowing to me that from such a technical standpoint such beautiful art can emerge. And yes, the combination of the harp and guitar is magical. Can’t wait for the CD to come out. Regards, JR