How different are Latin American harps?

[Sophie Liebregts]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been playing lever harp as a passionate amateur for over forty years, with an emphasis on folk music. This year I’m thinking of travelling to South America, probably Colombia and I’d love to take some lessons just to get a taste of their folkloric harp tradition. Now, I realise their technique is very different to what I am used to, but I was wondering how different the harps are, as I won’t be able to bring my own. To me it looks like they are low tension? But, for example, are all the strings in the same place? Basically, are they similar enough for me to be able to play them and get a taste of the style. I don’t have any huge expectations, just to pick up some melodies and rhythms, just for fun. Is that feasible, or should I hunt down a European harp?

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