Do rings get in the way?

[kristal-barlaan]

When I wear rings, I tend to wear nice and flat ones.
Does anyone find that their wedding rings get in the way of their playing? Is there a certain style that works better?

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

Even my simple gold band gets in the way when I am doing a muffle on the strings….bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. It’s awful. I have to remember to take it off. My harp teacher wears her wedding band on her right hand. Most Europeans do that anyway, so it doesn’t really make any difference and it’s easier to play….and she plays all the time.

Briggsie

[laura-smithburg-byrne]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate wearing my rings and never wear them for rehearsals or concerts and only recently started wearing a watch again because my schedule became so busy. However, I usually take my watch off when I play for extended periods of time. Rings are such an annoying nuisance whether they are turning so the diamond faces the string or just keep you from making a clean muffle. This is critical when you are recording, the last thing you need is an unexpected buzz.

It also feels heavy on my finger especially when I am doing a lot of arpeggios or big stretch chords. Even a skinny band makes a noise and I find it irritating to have to work around it. I find it interesting that some people don’t understand this.

[sherry-lenox]

My wedding band is flat and very narrow, so I can wear it when I play. It fits behind the pad on the palm side of my finger so it actually doesn’t ever touch a string.

It’s been on that finger for 31 years, so evidently there was some kind of harp Karma going on when I got it!

[Geri McQuillen]

I am one of those old-fashioned gals who refuses to remove her wedding ring.

[louise-vickerman]

I too refuse to remove my wedding rings when I play, I have a (rather large!) engagement ring I wear on my left hand along with my wedding band which belonged to my husband’s grandmother so I REALLY don’t want to misplace that! I know I probably would too if I were to keep taking it off every time I played.

To prevent the rings from sliding around & getting caught in the strings I have a roll of Nexcare waterproof foam tape (available from any drugstore or supermarket first aid section) & cut off a small piece that I stick on the underside of my ring finger & slip the rings over the top, this keeps them nicely in place and if I have a lot of LH muffling I add another strip over the top of the rings (like they are “sandwiched” in between 2 pieces of tape), it was a bit irritating at first but I am now so used to it I don’t notice it anymore, well worth it since I never have to worry where I put my rings plus I get a lot of compliments from audience members on my ring when I play since it sparkles under the stage lights 🙂

[laura-smithburg-byrne]

Well… I am delighted for you ladies who are comfortable playing your harp while wearing your wedding rings.

I am glad you found a way to keep them from interfering with your playing.

I would never suggest that you should take them off to play, especially if they are so personally meaningful to you as well as the traditional reflection of your marital status. I completely respect that and I am not suggesting otherwise.

However, not everyone else is as comfortable playing the harp with rings and I think it depends on the individual. My hands are small and muscular and they swell a little from time to time. I then find my rings and my watch to be very uncomfortable.

If you add the extraneous buzz issue, along with the weight and annoyance issue, it simply isn’t worth it to me personally.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE BLING, and I have some very special pieces of jewelry that I love, like old treasured friends.

I just can’t play my harp while wearing them!

[andy-b]

I’ll chip in with a guy’s point of view

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

I don’t want to wrap anything on my ring. I just slip it off and put it in my pocket and put it on again when done. It’s not the slipping thing….it’s the horrible buzzing thing. And I also can’t stand a watch, Andy. I’m with you on that. I can’t stand any jewelry at all …..even earrings and necklace bug me because I don’t want to think about anything except me and the harp as one. 🙂

Briggsie

[lydia-weaver-haywood]

Occasionally it buzzes on the bass wires, but I would never want to take my wedding ring off.

[Pat Eisenberger]

I’ve never had a problem with my rings, but I’ve also had the earring problem. I love long, fancy earrings – but I take them off when I play.

Another problem I learned the hard way was – don’t wear blouses with sharp beads and embelishments! I scratched the back of my harp that way.

[Christian Frederick]

I’ve been wearing my marriage/commitment ring on my right hand for 28 years. I was only playing piano back then, but since I place stride piano with walking 10ths and often play with a flat left hand to reach large intervals, I could not play with a ring on my left hand.

Now since I’ve been playing harp for 25 years, I do lots of 10ths and large intervals on the harp with my left hand, which flattens the left hand and a ring on the left hand actually hits the bass strings.

Soo…… it’s only a ring on my right hand, which works very well for both piano and harp.

[kristal-barlaan]

Wow, that was so helpful.. looks like when I go ring shopping I am going to have to be extra, extra picky.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Well, I was taught never that harpists don’t wear rings or nail polish, so I hold to that.

[Sid Humphreys]

What? Saul, that is a double negative.

[Author]

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