Hi Vincent
I think your second observation is probably the closest to the truth. The Eigenharps really do require very different techniques from any other instruments and have to be practiced in the same way in order to acquire them. To become truly virtuoso in any instrument it's commonly reckoned to take between 5000 and 10000 hours of practice. Even playing fours hours a day there just aren't enough days that have elapsed since they were launched on the world to start seeing such players emerge. It will take time.
There are many promising signs though - every year that passes sees the overall standard of playing increasing. Our earliest player, Dave Kemp, has become very technically proficient and can now sight read quite creditably straight from paper to instrument, as well as playing at speed etc. Even then, he's probably had less than a thousand hours of practice, so there's a long way potentially that he, and all other players, can go. I think it's significant that some of the earliest players are currently the best, it really does point to practice being the key. Which shouldn't surprise any of us really.
As an aside, I have noticed a thing that sometimes happens when people acquire Eigenharps, which is that I think they expect them to be much easier to play than traditional instruments. I beg you to consider this carefully as you start with your Alpha. People can be quite (sometimes very) disappointed when this turns out not to be true. There have been quite a few people who I suspect have thought that an Eigenharp would be some kind of 'silver bullet' that would make them good musicians with only a small amount of practice. They often practice for just twenty or thirty hours then just give up. Rather than practice harder and learn the instrument they often then segue off into a series of complaints about the technology, or how it would all be ok if it just 'worked this way instead' or was better documented despite what is now a very large amount of documentation. The Eigenharps aren't like that though - the very same expressiveness and flexibility that make them so compelling also requires a lot of practice to play well, in just the same way the guitar, violin of saxophone do. Things like documentation and software are near irrelevant (and constitute more of a distraction than help in that respect to be honest) if what you want to do is play and practice rather than tinker.
The other thing to remember is that this is a whole new instrument. The techniques, key layouts, setups, the whole thing are still being developed by players as they go along. It's a journey, and a very interesting one. This is both daunting (there just aren't any Jimi Hendrix's to follow yet, as you so rightly point out) and exhilarating.
Nice to have you on board - I hope you enjoy the process. You never know, you could be our Charlie Parker or Robert Johnson. Just have to sell your soul to the devil, or acquire a terrible heroin habit.
John
UK
