If you’re thinking in terms of an orchestral harpist that can read music, no, Harpo Marx was not that type of “great harpist.”
He was self-taught, late to the game (having started playing in his twenties.)
According to the “great” harpists of his day, the snooty musicians considered him a hack because his fingering was self-taught. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t great. He was.
What Harpo could do that all these “virtuosos” could not was transform the instrument into something it wasn’t meant to be, precisely because he was self-taught.
He didn’t provide lush pads behind other lead instruments. He was the lead instrument.
His interpretations of songs, using a combination of rhythm and lead is not something you heard out of many players, if any, back in the 30s.
ht/ woody
I read where he went to a harp instructor to improve his skill and after a few sessions she began to take lessons from him. Some gifts of God cannot be measured.
Harpo Marx – the Jimi Hendrix of the harp
when I was younger, watching the Marx Brothers movies on the late show, when Harpo did his harp I figured it was time to get another beer from the fridge …. later on in life I grew to appreciate his virtuosity.
Great talent!
Honky tonk harp!
Franz Liszt, The Black Gondola.
Pretty ambitious for a ‘hack.’
Well I’m not very musical. When I was younger I just loved women that played a mean organ. But there were a bunch of us that just loved the hell out of the Marx brothers at a time when that was not fashionable. I mean who doesn’t love shit like, “I’m going to live forever even if it kills me”. Best quick witted humor ever in my book.
Throw another arpeggio on the fire, I enjoyed that.
True talent doesn’t really care what others think. And we see far fewer people with skills of this level these days because such skills, while inherent, require massive amounts of time spent perfecting that skill. For the past few decades most of that time is now spent glued to the boob tube…or a cellphone. If we had never invented television who knows what wonders of science we would have perfected by now.
He is an example of what you can do when you’re not concerned about doing it someone else’s way.
I watched a YT video of a concert flautist complaining that Ian Anderson just used a bunch of cheap tricks and effects. What she didn’t say is Ian is one of those musicians that is instantly recognizable when you hear him playing.
Simply lovely!
I believe Glen Campbell was self-taught on the guitar, and couldn’t read music, but I dare anyone to call him a hack.
Harpo was originally drawn to the Mandolin but I introduced him to the Harp.
Very nice!
What an instrument to self teach!!
Best cover I’ve heard in a long time.
Harpo on the harp, Chico on the piano, and Groucho’s one liners…true talents.
Anyone degrading that talent is a pompous ass.
I remember watching him perform in their movies when I was a kid. I was amazed at how he could know which strings to pluck and also how he made those large swirling strokes to make those beautiful sounds. Thanks for sharing.
Lindsey Buckingham taught himself guitar by ear. He can’t read music. He does things on the guitar that no trained guitarist would even think of.
Can you imagine how great Harpo would’ve been playing Boogie Woogie on a piano since he could play the harp the way he did.
good stuff! Love to see when someone with innate talent shine!!!
Harpo played 6 other instruments as well.
So glad he didn’t excel at the accordion.
Chico was no hack on the keyboard, either.
Yeah, he was great. But he didn’t like to talk about it much.