Lifelong pianist curious about pedal harp

[Janis Cortese]

Hello to all — happy to find this forum. I’ve been a classical pianist since I was a kid although never a conservatory-bound type, and am what I might call a pretty good amateur at this point. I also compose and definitely prefer a classical idiom although the older I get, the less trust I put in musical boundaries.

I’ve been doing some genealogical research lately and have discovered that I have many more musicians in my family than I previously thought — both my grandfather AND great-grandfather were harpists, and there are at least three others in that family line as well. This is making me somewhat curious about the harp, and after doing a bit of research, I like the idea of a pedal harp best of all because from what I can see, it would give me the near-total freedom of modulation that I already expect from a piano.

I’ve played a bit on the viola as well and still do from time to time, since it’s my favorite of the single-note instruments. (Well, single-note compared to a piano.) I’m also enamored of playing something portable; pianos are furniture, for pete’s sake. But I have little upper-body strength and extremely narrow shoulders, and violas are already injury boxes, so it’s painful no matter what I do, and I find it unmotivating to murder myself playing it only to make one sound at a time. It seems unsatisfying when you’re used to making gobs of notes at once, playing an entire piece instead of just one layer of it.

So anyway, I’m becoming curious about harp, but want to really take the time to think about this before any decision is made. I work a more than 40 hour a week job, and between that and the piano/composition work I do, I really have no free time already. I’m also a bit nervous about calluses that may interfere with my piano playing, and what physical discomfort might come from playing a harp (shoulder pain or whatever). I can’t even keep a handbag from slipping off me; I don’t see how I can manage an 80lb floor harp. But it’s got a lovely sound, it’s slightly more portable than a piano, it’s got a nice dynamic range, and you can play a whole piece on it instead of just one sliver of a larger piece.

I guess I’m just wondering if anyone has any feedback that might be useful for a classical pianist who has become interested in this new, strange beast. Can I rent a pedal harp? Is a lever harp doable for classical music (they’re smaller and much less expensive) without losing too much freedom of modulation? Will my fingertips crack and bleed, or will I develop calluses that will interfere with the piano? Will my piano experience be of any technical help? (It sure didn’t with the viola; pianos are probably the most ergonomically friendly instruments in the world, and violas are pretty much born with their eyes open and teeth fully erupted.) Am I completely out of my mind for even contemplating this?

Anyhow — thanks for any information, and apologies for the length of my ramble. 🙂 Nice to meet you all.

[kay-lister]

Hi Janis,

ABSOLUTELY you can play the harp. Your piano background will help a LOT and yes, you can play classical on the lever harp. Barbara Brundage has several classical books out there written for lever. There are others as well, but Barbara came to mind first.

You will get calluses which will NOT (should not) cause you any problems with your piano playing. Developing a good techinique will keep your shoulders and the rest of your body in shape for harp playing and there ARE many “Harp exercises” out there that will help you.

You can rent either a lever or pedal harp in many places and there are GREAT teachers to be found. It is REALLY important to have an instructor if at all possible as bad habbits and inproper technique can inhibit you from advancing in your playing as well as cause problems physically.

Hauling a harp around can be quite demanding and it does take practice and a good bit of “Umph”. I am 5’4″ and small and my pedal harp is 78 lbs. My husband has to help me get it up and down the steps, but after that I’m good to go. My instructor totes her harps around all the time and has NO problem and doesn’t normally need help.

I say if you have the passion to get into this wonderful world of harps then by all means, FIND A WAY. A warning though . . . once the harp bug bites you – well, you’re done for!

Keep us posted!

Kay 😉

[Tacye]

Beginning harp music does not modulate much so some lever harps are designed to make the transition to pedal harp easy – no point paying for pedals when you aren’t going to be using them. Also you can get started on one more cheaply while you take your time to think about this! There is some fine classical music being written for lever harp (Bernard Andres for instance) and many arrangements, but the older classical repertoire was mostly intended for pedals.

The harp can be very ergonomic, if you put enough attention into working it out and have the right teacher to help you. I play with mine tilted only just beyond the balance point so there isn’t much weight on me and it is on both knees – my shoulder is completely free and I can lean back to play the top notes. Blisters on the finger tips can be a problem but if you stop practicing when you feel them beginning they can be avoided.

[Alison]

you wrote “pianos are furniture, for pete’s sake”, well, make no mistake, as I don’t want to you to be misinformed, a concert harp is definately a large piece of furniture, huge; heavy, unstable and fragile and you have to move them every time, twice, there and back, wrap and unwrap them – takes 3 trips to get harp and accessories into a venue, you need an MPV or station wagon, can read all about that too here on this forum site….. I think a pianist would get frustrated with a lever harp, and you will probably struggle with your feet on the pedals to begin with on a concert harp, but eventually you’ll take off , so consider taking introductory lessons and renting for 6 months.

[Janis Cortese]

Thanks for the replies!

Yeah, I’m really torn about being attracted to yet one more instrument that needs a trolley to move around. Unfortunately, I really like musically complex devices that can play large structures at once, and that have the capacity to play low notes. There just aren’t any of those that you can lift with one hand, more’s the pity. 🙁 When I was deciding between viola and cello, I definitely was not willing to play something as large as a cello that couldn’t play many notes at once. I’m glad there are people who love them though, because I sure love to listen to them!

I’m thinking that I’m going to postpone any movement forward on the harp until I can finish recording/producing the piano pieces that I’ve done so far (I’ve uploaded demos of them to SoundCloud, but they are still definitely in the demo stage and need more time in the woodshed before they’re ready to be committed to FLAC/CD). Investigating the harp will be my reward to myself for getting my piano pieces down. In the meantime, I’ll probably remain here to soak up what knowledge I can so that I can move forward with useful information instead of just flailing when the time comes. Six months of lessons and a rental is probably the wisest path forward.

I hope I can find a good teacher near me — I live in Anaheim, so I shouldn’t have too much trouble, but freeway traffic can be a real bear in these parts.

[Gretchen Cover]

Salvi Harps is located in Santa Monica. When you are ready to pursue your harp interest, make an appointment with Salvi manager Alexandra Perdew. http://www.salviharpsinc.com

[Tacye]

Three trips to put the harp in the car! What are you carrying Alison? I once made it from the car to venue in one trip with three harps, stool, stand and music. Pedal harp on trolley, harp stool and music stand in bag over trolley handles, lap harp straps over harp neck, music in pocket of harp case and lever harp slung over one shoulder…

[Janis Cortese]

Looking through rentals, purchases, and teachers … I think the decision to wait until I get this album done is the best one. Even renting a pedal harp is more than I can do at the moment. I’m hoping I can play at least Baroque with a lever harp; lots of Haendel, Scarlatti, and Vivaldi arrangements should keep me happy when the time comes, but I don’t know if a pedal harp will ever be doable for me. 🙁

[shelby-m]

Just want to throw in my 2 cents –
I’ve been playing harp for nearly 3 years. My first harp was a Dusty Strings Ravenna 34. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a lever harp at this point with big range, great tone, yet a relatively small pricetag compared to some other harps. Very sturdy instrument, and I’ve only ever heard good things about the company. 🙂

I just got a Salvi Daphne 47SE as my pedal harp. I’m very much in love with it. It’s a semi-grand but has the same number of strings as a concert grand. So, the same capabilities in a smaller, slightly lighter package! The tone is fabulous and Salvi is a great manufacturer.

As far as actually playing the harp, the weight should mostly be on your knees. Your shoulder should only be a guide for the angle of the harp. Good posture is very important and you shouldn’t ever feel like the harp is squashing you! Also, I’ve never gotten callouses. A harpist friend of mine has been playing over 20 years and she has also never gotten callouses. The flesh in my fingertips gets tough and I can feel the skin is a bit tougher, but I’ve never had a callous. Some harpists – like my harp teacher – get callouses but I think it is individual, based on body chemistry. Your fingertips definitely should not crack and bleed. You do have to watch out for blisters, especially when you first start out. As you’re building up stamina, if you play too long, you will start to feel a blister start. You’ll learn your limits and not go to the point of getting blisters pretty quickly. 🙂

[patricia-jaeger]

If you go to dharps@juno.com you will find information about the lever harp most able to play more chromatic pieces. Arsalaan Douglas Fay, in Florida, makes small portable Douglas Harps with only 7 levers to provide this on a 33-string harp, instead of 33 levers. Any one with a fine piano background would appreciate this newer, patented technology than any other lever harp. Portable, reasonably priced, resonant tone.

[lyn-boundy]

Just throwing in an opinion from a lever harp player here. Because of some pretty major back problems I have always had to make weight and moveability a number one concern when choosing instruments. That, and the fact of living in a smallish house, made pedal harps a definite no-no for me.

Now, I’m still fairly new to harps anyway but I am really keen to eventually take on as many different styles of playing as possible and I’ve heard some lovely clasical music played on the lever harp. As far as I can see, the only real limitiation is the number of strings and they can vary enormously depending on the harp you choose. If size is a big problem for you I’d suggest taking a good look at some smaller harps before making a definite decision. To my mind, the versatility of the smaller harps is one of the majoy things that make them such wonderful instruments.

Btw, I’ve only been playing properly for a couple of years but I practise for a minimum of two hours every day (often quite a bit more) and I still haven’t developed callouses while playng two different instruments. Good luck with your choice – whatever you decide you are in for a wonderful time!

[Janis Cortese]

Oh wow, just heard about Heartland putting out a CF pedal harp at some point! That might actually be an option for me!

[Janis Cortese]

Minor update: I have since learned that not only does my cousin still have my grandfather’s harp, but it was indeed a pedal harp (how they afforded it, I’ll never know, because his playing that harp was all that kept the family fed during the Depression). Also, my aunt prized it and my cousin grew up prizing the harp as well, so the dear thing is still well-loved. 🙂 I’ve asked her to take pictures of it if possible.

Second minor update: I have pretty much resigned myself to slowly saving up, given that the piano/viola are sucking up all of my attention at the moment, and I’ve finally dropped the hammer on a 15″ viola as well. Until some unspecified day in the future, it seems I will have to be content with enjoying harp music as a spectator through YouTube.

[Sylvia]

Just 2 cents worth about the purse. I always use a purse with a long strap so it goes completely over my head (the strap is diagonal across me) and leaves both my hands free. It can’t fall off, and purse snatchers can’t grab it and run (as they can if the strap is just resting on one shoulder.

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