—by Charles Brungardt

When the pandemic started, I moved my harp from the spare bedroom into my home office, where it could be close to the computer used for Zoom lessons and performances. Soon after that, I noticed that the fifth-octave C buzzed every time I played it. Thoughts immediately filled my head thinking I had knocked something out of place when I moved it, even though I had only moved it 15 feet from where it had been. So I checked the usual suspects. 

Too long a tail on the string knot? No, it looks good. Is it coming from the bridge pin, tuning pin, or the disc? Doesn’t seem to be. I loosened the string and retightened it. That didn’t help. Please tell me there isn’t a crack in the wood somewhere! Doesn’t appear to be. 

After a week of living with the extraneous buzz, I had someone else play the string so I could listen to the buzz from a different angle. It was then that I realized the sound wasn’t coming from the harp at all. Positioning myself between the harp and my desk, I realized that every time I played that particular note, the paper tray on my printer rattled, producing a harp-like buzz. 

Now I’ve added a step to my pre-practice routine. Besides tuning, positioning the bench, and doing warm-up exercises, I also adjust the paper tray on my printer. •