Should one play a harp outdoors?

[Marie E.]

I have a Ravenna 34 lever harp. I was wondering if it is a wise choice to play outdoors.

[tony-morosco]

Definitely keep it out of direct sunlight, and definitely don’t leave it in the car (without air conditioning or heat depending on the weather). But generally you should have no problems with it outdoors assuming it is a dry and stable environment. You might want to avoid beaches because even with levers you don’t want to get sand in your mechanisms.

Any weather or temperature change will effect tuning, but just give it about half an hour to an hour to acclimate to the new environment and then re-tune. Even the heat generated by an audience sitting in a concert hall can cause a harp to go out of tune. Harps are finicky when it comes to keeping in tune, that is their nature. But while you may need to tune again after the harp as adjusted to the temperature outside it should not cause any problems beyond that.

[Karen Johns]

Most definitely! I actually prefer to play outdoors, providing the weather is nice. One of my favorite things to do is play outside on my covered porch in the early evening. As Tony said, just make sure you re-tune after the harp is acclimated. And direct sun is definitely a no-no, even indoors (like through a window).

Happy Harping!

Karen

[michael-rockowitz]

Marie,

Tony, and I think Karen, have been playing harp far longer than I.

[michael-rockowitz]

Hi again,

Clarification:

[Misty Harrison]

Well those of us who gig for a living have to play outside in sunlight or shade for work and after years and years of this I haven’t noticed anything bad happening to my harps. If you have a lot of choice about where you are playing like it sounds like you do, then that’s great because you can choose a place where you and the harp will not be in direct sunlight. I worry more about my sun exposure than the harp’s since it is not just dangerous to your skin but also really exhausting to play in the sun for a long time.

Certainly I think you shouldn’t give up on playing at the market. You should play in public a lot provided that you are prepared (I’m sure you are!) because we need as much good quality harp playing out there for the public as possible. It gets peopel interested in the harp.

[jennifer-buehler]

Playing in sunlight also puts strain on your soundboard and strings so shade is better.

[Tacye]

Harp care is the same indoors and outdoors- if you are comfortable, the harp could well be too.

[Karen Johns]

Another concern with leaving a harp in the sun for extended periods of time is the effect the heat will have on the glue in the various joints. This can weaken the structural integrity of the instrument over time- one of those “silent killers” if you will.

Karen

[michael-rockowitz]

Karen,

There concern about glue joints in harps weakening under normal conditions (e.g., under 100 degrees farenheit) is one I’d never heard of.

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

Rule of thumb:

[Karen Johns]

In the direct sun on a hot day, temperatures can “build up” on the surface of the harp- just feel a wood surface left in the sun after a half an hour and you will see that it is a lot hotter than the air temperature around it. While temperatures at or under 100 F will not effect the glue, I would not trust leaving a harp out in the sun or in a parked vehicle. How would you be able to tell if you were in the danger zone? Better safe than sorry. Temperatures at 130 F can soften the glue, and with the tension of those strings, those little penny nails holding the soundboard to the sides of the soundbox need all the help they can get (not to mention the pillar/neck attachment).

I realize the construction differs from harp to harp- some are built with more stabilizing features than others.

I defer to the following links to emphasize my point about leaving a harp in the sun:

http://www.harpcenter.com/page/SWHC/PROD/8387B

http://www.hobgoblin-usa.com/info/stricare.htm

Karen

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