Stairs

[Anonymous]

Hi! So I want to move, I have just one problem…

I don’t have a lot of experience with moving my (pedal) harp up and down stairs with the exception of of tiny ones with 4 steps, so maybe this is something other people actually do manage and I just dread because I’ve never tried.

The place possibly available to me is on the first floor, and there is no lift.

My first reaction was to start looking elsewhere, but I haven’t found anything yet and it isn’t looking hopeful. I need my harp with me to be able to practice, and obviously I also need to be able to actually move it downstairs somehow. I don’t think I can do this. I am in a hurry to move but the only thing I can picture happening is my harp crashing onto the floor in a 1000 pieces.

So my question is… am I just that inexperienced and is it actually possible to navigate stairs like that often without some kind of disaster happening? Or would it just be crazy to move anywhere without a lift or on the ground floor?

[dorka]

Hi,
I use a Harpo trolley, and can easily move my harp on the stairs with it.

[charles-nix]

A few things to consider:

Do you have a proper harp cart _with_ straps? (or can you get one asap?)

Will you, each and every time you move, think ahead, not be rushed, and always, always take the time to properly tie the harp to the cart?

Will you wear shoes with non-slick soles so you will have enough traction to pull the harp up? This is especially a problem in wet weather.

Are you strong/fit enough to do it safely and by yourself? Having others help will, sooner or later, end up with you, them, the harp, or all three hurt.

What about the harp: concert grand? semi-grand? 40-string? And I’m assuming you have only the one harp, so you would be moving it in and out.

Are the stairs unusually steep or with narrow treads?

What about the turn at a landing (if any)?

I move weekly up and down six steps in and out of home. Doesn’t bother me, but I’m male, fit, and strong.

Hopefully, this may help you think it through. If you’re going to dread the move or be uncomfortable every time, think about a different place. Or read the article in this month’s Harp Column and assume it just “goes with the territory”

[Anonymous]

It’s a 47 string Salvi Orchestra. So pretty heavy. I managed to move it up the 4 steps leading to a stage by myself, but this is another story altogether. I do have a cart with straps!

There is no turn at the landing, but the stairs are fairly steep and though not very narrow not especially broad either, about 14 steps.

I’m not very happy about the situation, but if I know other people do manage a similar situation I could try to get used to it. Practice makes perfect! Unless it’s just a stupid idea, in which case I guess every round of practice just makes for one more chance to break my harp.

[catherine-rogers]

Fourteen is a lot of steps, even for an experienced harpist, and if it’s raining or the weather is bad you may be inclined to rush. It would be best if you can find a place that is on the ground floor. Otherwise take a short lease and keep looking. Good luck!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by catherine-rogers.

[charles-nix]

Great point: I guess I had assumed the stairs were inside.

I agree fully, fourteen is a lot. And saying you “managed” to get up four steps to a stage is not encouraging.

Are you strong enough to just pick the harp up and carry it across a room?

Steep steps, especially with narrow treads can be treacherous. There is _no_ stopping for a rest halfway, especially with narrow treads.

If you’re not fit/strong enough, pass. Damaging the harp is bad enough, but they’re replaceable. What if you fall with it down the stairs? How much will that cost?

[Sylvia]

Look for a different place to live.

[carl-swanson]

Having to move a harp up or down a set of stairs is one of the unavoidable downsides of playing the instrument. In a living situation, where you are going to have to do this on a regular basis, it gets really old really fast. Keep looking for someplace to live, and at the top of your list of requirements is: no more that 5 stairs tops to get in or out of the apartment or house.

[Tacye]

How often do you move your harp? How long will you live there? I lived on the first floor, with an annoying right angle half way up for a couple of years and it was perfectly possible but did get tedious. At that stage I was taking the harp out a couple of dozen times a year. Everyday would have been a very different matter.

[balfour-knight]

Good replies, everyone! I own the six-wheeled Harp Caddy in order to navigate our steps and stairs. I also have my sweet wife on hand to assist me, every time I move the concert harp up or down stairs! Happy Valentine’s Day, all of you sweet folks out there!

Best regards,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)

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