tuning at gigs

Return to forums

Log in to your Harp Column account to post or reply in the forums. If you don’t have an account yet, you’ll need to email us to set one up.

This topic has 8 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 4 months ago by mr-s.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

Author

Posts
April 24, 2011 at 9:16 pm #148027

Misty Harrison
Participant

Has anyone had problems tuning at gigs? I was doing a gig today and tuning the harp before starting. There were some ladies waiting for tea to begin in about 10 minutes and I tuned each string once. During this one of the ladies said loudly to the other: aren’t you getting tired of listening to that? it’s been going on so long and the other said: does she even know how to tune?

April 24, 2011 at 10:08 pm #148028

catherine-rogers
Member

You didn’t do anything wrong, dear; those were ignorant people without class or manners. Tune your harp and tune out any tacky comments!

April 24, 2011 at 10:42 pm #148029

tony-morosco
Member

Wow, what rude people. Do they think a harp is a guitar? All those strings take time to tune, and you can be sure that if you didn’t do it and played with the harp out of tune they would have complained about that.

Some people are just unpleasant and you have to learn to ignore them.

Typically when I am in a situation where I have to tune in front of people it actually increases their appreciation.

“You have to tune all those strings every time you play? Wow, I never realized that.”

April 25, 2011 at 1:46 am #148030

David Ice
Member

Misty,

You did nothing wrong.

April 25, 2011 at 2:14 am #148031

Misty Harrison
Participant

Thanks for the advice and the stories. I know you’re right but sometimes you have to hear it from other harpists to feel okay.

April 25, 2011 at 3:46 am #148032

unknown-user
Participant

Yes I had this happen about 15 years ago when I was playing a regular gig at a country club in an exclusive private dining room next to the main dining room where there was a wine cellar and only 6 tables – the table was an older gent and the missus/girl friend and they had already been served when it was time for me to start playing – I started tuning and in short order he told me to stop it, that it was interfering with his dinner – I told him I couldn’t play without tuning – and he said he didn’t want to hear it. So I got the manager and explained that I wouldn’t be able to start until the harp was tuned – I ended up taking the harp back out into the main dining room for tuning and then moving back.

April 26, 2011 at 3:27 pm #148033

kay-lister
Member

Wait . . . WAIT . . . WAS THAT MY MOTHER-IN-LAW?

April 26, 2011 at 5:33 pm #148034

Jessica A
Participant

“I really think we should all write books about our adventures – LOL -”
Somebody DID write a book (actually it’s 2 volumes) about their harp adventures.

April 27, 2011 at 8:42 am #148035

mr-s
Member

Hi Misty , oh i had that situation many many times, now its my fourth year of playing a gig and many times i did tune the harp after finishing my playing and putted the harp in the trunk then the next day found it untuned because the harp located in a cold place the i play in a warm hall, the people was looking to me as if they want to stop it or do it quickly , i felt uncomfortable,but its better to tune and not to play with untuned strings, dont care,we should live with that.
Author

Posts