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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Harp learning with Straight versus Extended soundboard

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Home Forums Forum Archives Professional Harpists Harp learning with Straight versus Extended soundboard Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Harp learning with Straight versus Extended soundboard

#146974
kreig-kitts
Member

I’ll try to find a link later when I’m on my home computer, but there is a paper or book (it’s now available on Google books, presumably/hopefully via a license agreement or public release) showing sound analysis of various musical instruments, and extended soundboard harps did have a more significant response in the lower notes, and the top couple octaves were not affected. However, this was comparing extended and straight concert grands, and the Clio doesn’t go as low as they do.

But anyway, I’ve played straight soundboard Clios that sound wonderful and some extended that didn’t sound as good. I’d suggest trying to make your way someplace that a) has a few different ones in your budget and b) offers a trade-up program if you later want a concert grand. Be firm about what you can realistically afford, then pick the harp that sounds best from those options.

The trade-in will give you flexibility later if you get a smaller harp and decide a larger one is needed. One consideration is if you get a concert grand now and later wish you had a more easily transported harp for playing I’m church, school, or chamber music, not many places let you trade in a concert grand for credit towards a semi grand or petite harp.

I’d also throw in consideration of Venus chamber and concert harps. They are quite affordable, sound nice, and my concert grand built in the 70s has held up very well.