paraguayan harps

[unknown-user]

I’ve been searching for a harp forever, and was wondering what’s up with paraguayan harps? Many have told me they’re terrible, but I really don’t know.

[patricia-jaeger]

Hello, You need to make up your own mind, and I would suggest you listen on your computer, to some of the compositions and arrangements by Alfredo Orlando Ortiz. He is the most celebrated player in the United States, of the South American style of harp playing, and he uses a Paraguayan harp. Just put his name into your search engine, and you will see his web site; you can choose to click on many of his recordings, to hear parts of them. His address and telephone are also on his web site, and he is well qualified, with his virtuosity, to tell you

[patricia-jaeger]

Please excuse the typo above: the correct name is Alfredo Rolando Ortiz.

[jennifer-buehler]

I would second Patricia’s recommendation to listen to Alfredo Rolando Ortiz’s recordings.

[Fairy Reel]

I have never heard a Paraguayan harp or seen one up close, but from some harp research I do know that:

The are kind of an elongated shape, unlike most small harps. They kind of reminded me more of the old European harps in their shape (from the pictures I have seen).

Also, instead of a regular harp tuning pin, they have guitar-like tuning pins.

I do not know if they have levers, or what kind of strings they use, or anything. You’d probably want to look into that, too.

Best wishes!–Fairy

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