Harp learning with Straight versus Extended soundboard

[kreig-kitts]

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.

[J P]

Why hasn’t anyone here chimed in with the Lyon and Healy bounty program?? This is exactly what it is used for. My suggestion, forget the clio and go with the 85GP…in 5 years time you can trade it in towards a concert grand and the full purchase price you paid for the GP at that time will be applied to a larger concert grand. The bounty program takes the hassle out of selling the harp yourself and losing your shirt on it.

JP

[Denver CH]

Yes, the Bounty Program is great. But it is not available

[Philippa mcauliffe]

Can you try out any harps or are you going to have to import unseen? She is an average height for an 8 year old and would probably be very happy for well over 2 years with a smaller harp. She is still going to be quite short at 11 and would struggle with a number of the larger harps. Its not so much not reaching the bottom that matters but getting your right arm round the harp easily while sitting at a level that lets you pedal. Camacs are light and my child found them the most comfortable pedal harp to play when shorter. She still says that now at 5″6 but that’s more likely to be that she is accustomed to the feel. But she is 99th centile height for age so yours will be way shorter than that at 12.

You may well find a use for that Clio later too if she wants to play at school a lot or go to orchestra or ensembles. They are very easy to move. As for straight or extended it depends which one grabs her if you get to try. If you are ordering in I would go extended if money is not major factor but purely based on the fact that the nicest Clio I have heard was. In fact that particular one was nicer than plenty of Athenas i have heard!

Any one know how to turn off auto correction on an iPad? It’s a very bad mix with harp names!

[Denver CH]

Your input is

[Philippa mcauliffe]

Colour was

[Christian Chalifour]

The “extended” vs. “straight” soundboard is purely a matter of sound. There LH does not need to adjust or play with a different strength at all. It’s simply that you’re going to hear a bit more sound and a full tone from the extended board.

[tony-morosco]

Having tried out a few of both versions I would really have to say go with the extended. They really sound significantly better. As others have said, they often sound like some higher end harps, but for far less money.

[Denver CH]

Thanks, Tony! Did you try and compare

[tony-morosco]

I think the last time I played on a Clio it was one built in 2009, and it had a wonderful tone. One of the best I have heard on such a small harp actually. It also had remarkable projection.

[catherine-rogers]

If you’re going to play in ensembles at all, extended is helpful. Also more desirable for resale value.

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