In the above tutorial I'll show you everything you need to know in order to play this song correctly and get it down as quickly as possible! The tutorial includes a detailed 15-minute lesson as well as a full play-along. If you'd like to download and print the tabs for easier learning you can grab those here:
Let's begin by taking a look at the overall structure of the song:
Intro
Verse (2x)
Intro Theme Reprise
Breakdown
Outro
As you see, Harpy Hare begins with an intro which consists of a theme that is repeated four times. Notice that each time the intro theme is repeated Yaelokre uses higher notes in the scale to create a harmonized version of the theme (which sounds awesome!).
After the intro the song transitions to the verse which is the main section of the song. The verse centers around the main theme of the song (the "Harpy Hare where have you buried all your children..." part).
Once you repeat the verse you'll head straight to a reprise of the intro theme (a reprise is simply a musical passage that shows up again later in the song). After the reprise you will play a broken down version of the main theme of the song. All of the instrumentation will drop out during this section and the main theme will stand alone as it is played through twice.
After the breakdown you will head straight to the outro where the song will conclude!
It may seem like a lot of sections to play through, but don't worry--this song is built from only seven phrases. If you can master those seven phrases you will master the song!
Power Tip: Learn the "Open G Major Scale" Shape
All of the phrases of this song come right out of an open G major scale (capoed at the 7th fret). That being the case, you will give yourself a huge head start by getting this scale under your fingers. In the above tutorial I walk through how to descend and ascend the scale properly. Simply begin with the lowest note (indicated in red) and play the notes in order from low to high--and don't forget the open strings! After you are able to ascend the scale easily, be sure to practice playing the notes in reverse beginning with the highest note and descending to the lowest. Here is a chart of the scale:
Legato, Legato, Legato!
The word Legato is a musical term that means "connected". In music, this refers to the act of enabling the sound of your notes to overlap--or at the very least to enable the sound of each note to continue ringing until the next note appears. The main idea is to minimize any breaks in sound between your notes.
The opposite of this is the musical term staccato which means "short". When notes are played staccato they are only heard for a split second. As a result there is a break (or periods of silence) between the notes that are being played. Although playing staccato has its place, most of the time you want to aim for a more legato sound where the notes are flowing into each other.
In Harpy Hare, the fact that we are using a lot of open notes gives us a unique opportunity to get a more legato sound. To do this, simply do you best to play on the tips of your fingers so that open notes continue to ring even while you are playing other notes. Doing this will cause the sound of your notes to overlap which sounds awesome! In the above tutorial I walk through a very effective way to practice playing legato using the scale.
Use the Play-Along for Mastery
Ready to take the song on the road? The play-along is the perfect way to practice putting the phrases together (not to mention the fact that play-alongs are extremely fun!). One word of warning however--this song is played at a fairly brisk tempo (130pbm). I recommend having the phrases more or less memorized before jumping into the play-along. Feel free to use the speed controls in the settings of the video player to slow the song down as needed!
Overall, play-alongs are great for mastery but unless you are an intermediate (or advanced) player they are not a great tool to use for learning the song. I know it's tempting, but taking the time to work through (and practice) each phrase individually will enable you to get the song down faster than trying to bulldoze your way through it using the play-along. Remember, when it comes to learning music slow is fast!
I hope you have as much fun learning Harpy Hare as I have! If you have any questions are comments feel free to leave them below!
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David Osborn is the founder and head teacher at Kids Guitar Academy. David has been teaching guitar professionally for over 20 years, specializing in guitar studies for kids & teens. Aside from teaching, David enjoys spending time with family & friends, fishing, and playing electric guitar in his church's worship band.
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