me & my harps

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This topic has 11 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 7 months ago by mia-strayer.

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

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December 4, 2012 at 12:16 am #112035

mia-strayer
Participant

i love harp music

December 4, 2012 at 4:56 pm #112036

Sherri Matthew
Participant

Hi there Mia and welcome!
Tell us a bit more about what you play on your harps and like to listen to.

December 4, 2012 at 8:42 pm #112037

kay-lister
Member

Are we supposed to see pics here? I don’t . . .

January 9, 2013 at 2:02 am #112038

mia-strayer
Participant

i love christmas, classical & celtic harp music
i play lever or pedal harp & i sing silent night in irish & in english
some other song i like doing on my harps are
you raise me up lever or pedal harp & voice
this song is a tear lurker draw me close lever or pedal harp & voice
be thou my vision lever or pedal harp only
amazing grace lever or pedal harp only
russian lullaby pedal harp only
this is the newest song that i learned, the prayer pedal harp only
i sum times compose my own harp music for both lever or pedal harp

here are some cds i like to sing along to
all the celtic woman cds
my harp teachers cds
Kim Robertson’s cds
our daily bread hymns of grace cd
our daily bred celtic hymns cd
christmas moments the christmas harp quartet cd
the heart of christmas harp & strings cd

January 9, 2013 at 6:25 am #112039

Sherri Matthew
Participant

Wow, that’s a lot…. pedal and lever harp both. Also singing in Irish. That’s a pretty language – I like the sean nos singing. Wish I could do that.

How long have you been playing?

January 15, 2013 at 1:14 am #112040

mia-strayer
Participant

i’ve ben playing for 7 years
did you know that I’m legally blind in my left eye & blind in my right eye
so it makes things a bit of a calange & i also have CP

January 15, 2013 at 1:46 am #112041

Sherri Matthew
Participant

Hi Mia,
The old Irish harp was traditionally played by blind harpers, so even today, a lot of people who own replica historic instruments don’t color their wire strings. They play by what they hear and where they feel their fingers to be on the strings instead. So you’re in good company!

I think too, a lot of their tunes were passed down, one from another and improvised on, rather than relying so much on sheet music like we do today.

January 15, 2013 at 2:21 am #112042

mia-strayer
Participant

wow thats cool
i don’t have a wire harp
my lever harp is named emily & she has celtic designs on her soundboard
she’s a shamrock lever harp from Lyon & Healy
she has 34 strings 1st octave a to 6th octave c & natural in color

January 15, 2013 at 2:27 am #112043

Sherri Matthew
Participant

34 strings – I gather she’s a floor harp then? They have such nice resonance.
I actually have never tried playing a lap harp, but I know they’re popular.

January 19, 2013 at 12:14 am #112044

mia-strayer
Participant

your right
how did you know that she is a floor harp

January 19, 2013 at 12:35 am #112045

Sherri Matthew
Participant

Just the number of strings and octaves you mentioned. Tough to fit all that onto your lap! 🙂

Beautiful soundboard decoration, with the gold. I have laser carved celtic knots around the holes on my soundboard. Should try to photograph them some time when the light is good.

January 19, 2013 at 4:08 am #112046

mia-strayer
Participant

can’t wait to see that
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