Screw that Harp!

Don't know about you guys, but I've been having lots of trouble with using the harp, especially at the Lumpy Pumpkin.

For example, I for some reason, can't have Link's hand go from one end of the harp to the other in smooth motions. He'll go most of the way, stop, then go back the other way. Really frustrating when I'm trying to match one of the guys in the audience.

I never knew why so many people hate the harp. It's not really that hard. Just swing left and right at the same speed as the ring thingy and there won't be much of a problem.

Make sure that you're swinging the remote with it parallel to the floor from left to right. I had loads of trouble at first, but then I realized I wasn't supposed to be holding it vertically upwards while swinging it (like in an overhead arc) from left to right. It became pretty easy once I corrected that. If that's not your problem, then there's really nothing else I can say to help.

The Lumpy Pumpkin minigame is stupidly hard regardless, so don't worry too much if you can't do it.

You don't hold it on its side like in the example shown during it?

Originally Posted by Zecora

You don't hold it on its side like in the example shown during it?

What example are you talking about?

But no, I hold it flat with the buttons facing upwards. It may not be the most correct way, but it sure as hell works for me.

Originally Posted by Common Knowledge

But no, I hold it flat with the buttons facing upwards. It may not be the most correct way, but it sure as hell works for me.

What Common Knowledge, but also swinging the Wii remote in wide motions and move exactly as the audience moves.

Doing this shouldn't cause too much of a problem for you. I managed to complete the mini game after 2 tries doing this.

I had the same problem near the end of the game. The harp worked fine until suddenly it made link a twitching mess near the endgame. It was annoying and I could only slightly fix it by changing the batteries.

Originally Posted by Common Knowledge

What example are you talking about?

But no, I hold it flat with the buttons facing upwards. It may not be the most correct way, but it sure as hell works for me.

I thought that's what you're supposed to do.

I had a lot of trouble figuring it out, too, but once I did, I fell in love.

Like the others said - hold it flat, buttons up, sensor tip facing the console/sensor bar. Make smooth, horizontal arcs. If needed, start swinging from different positions to see where (in relation to the screen) it senses you best.


Cool fact -
The harp's chord progression synchronizes perfectly with nearly every background song in the game, so play it often!

Eliminate all sunlight in the room you're playing in. This is one of the few elements where the pointer actually impacts the controls.

Honestly, just don't think about it really. Just follow the rhythm and left your hand do it naturally.

yeah I find the harp one of the most annoying instruments in LoZ ever, mostly because the way you're they TELL you to move it and the way you're SUPPOSED to move it have NOTHING to do with the actual correct way to play a harp XDD

But yeah, these tips would be helpful for me to beat the Lumpy Pumpkin minigame, if my little bro didn't erase my file -_-' ah well, I wasn't going to play it much after beating it anyways XDD

-Uzuki Cheverie

Wait, what minigame? Don't think I've used the harp for anything in the Lumpy Pumpkin.

Originally Posted by Keaton-King

Wait, what minigame? Don't think I've used the harp for anything in the Lumpy Pumpkin.

When you go to the Lumpy Pumpkin, you'll notice that there's a Piece of Heart on the chandelier. You're supposed to roll into the walls or jump onto it or something to knock it down to get the heart container. When you do, the guy who runs the place will get angry at you and force you to work there part time to work off the dept.

So throughout the game as you progress farther through the story, sidejobs at the Pumpkin will be added - one of them includes playing the harp with his daughter to entertain the crowd. I find it a pretty tedious minigame, especially if you don't like using the harp in the first place :/ Like I said, I still haven't managed to beat it, and it's kind of pointless now that my file has been deleted XD

-Uzuki Cheverie

I came in here thinking someone was using a harp as a dildo.


Well, it took me a while to realize that using the harp takes no musical skill. Just move your arm back and forth and follow the beat.

Originally Posted by Cor Sicarius

Well, it took me a while to realize that using the harp takes no musical skill. Just move your arm back and forth and follow the beat.

I'm pretty sure that's what we ALL started off doing, just depends how well it works depending on how you hold it, how you move it, and what quality your wiimote sensitivity is in, I guess :/

Originally Posted by Cor Sicarius

I came in here thinking someone was using a harp as a dildo.

wat.

Well, it took me a while to realize that using the harp takes no musical skill. Just move your arm back and forth and follow the beat.

Well... obviously. :p

If you're playing a real harp, you have to move your fingers a lot as well as your arms.

All it takes is wide open and clear arm movements to pass the mini-game. And make sure there's not much sunlight in the room while you do it as the reflections can disturb the sensor from picking up your movements.

Originally Posted by Eternal Legend

All it takes is wide open and clear arm movements to pass the mini-game. And make sure there's not much sunlight in the room while you do it as the reflections can disturb the sensor from picking up your movements.

The sunlight thing may actually be a problem for me considering there's a GIGANTIC WINDOW right by the TV that houses my Wii XDD lolol but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to do the harp thing even if I was on Shutter Island lolol I can never seem to follow the beat patterns when playing the harp (especially with those ring things when Fi sang with you . . .)

-Uzuki Cheverie

Originally Posted by Zecora

Don't know about you guys, but I've been having lots of trouble with using the harp, especially at the Lumpy Pumpkin.

For example, I for some reason, can't have Link's hand go from one end of the harp to the other in smooth motions. He'll go most of the way, stop, then go back the other way. Really frustrating when I'm trying to match one of the guys in the audience.

Indeed, the harp is the crappiest instrument in the history of Zelda. Not its difficulty, but its actual use. Terrible.
For some reason I was expecting a lot more, especially with harps having been in Zelda before so I was like "yes finally"...and then FI starts singing WTFFFFF

Originally Posted by WillZ4E

Indeed, the harp is the crappiest instrument in the history of Zelda. Not its difficulty, but its actual use. Terrible.
For some reason I was expecting a lot more, especially with harps having been in Zelda before so I was like "yes finally"...and then FI starts singing WTFFFFF

Well, Fi's voice is just annoying XD But yeah, notice how in other Zelda games that had instruments, the way to use them was a lot more precise (ex. Ocarina required you to hit certain 'c' keys, and Wind Waker was used to point in certain directions for certain time signatures, etc.) whereas the harp is kinda just -derp- lolol it's just moving your hand back and forth as if you were swatting at a fly XD

Clearly not a lot of thought went into the use of the harp for SS, and it probably wouldn't have made a lot of difference in the game if it wasn't there (except for the Song of the Hero, I guess :/)