Tuning to Eflat

[harpnvermont]

I’m a few years into my harp journey and have kept my harp tuned to C. I’m now playing some pieces with flats and have been tuning down for these pieces (with the inevitable re-tuning when moving to other pieces). It seems to be a good time to “make the switch”
My question is this: when I sharpen a string it pushes the string back slightly (as it’s supposed to) from the plane of the other strings. My fingers seem to be sensitive as I really feel this.
I can imagine doing this with 3 strings per octave is going to feel strange at first to me.
Did anyone else feel this when they first re-tuned? Is it a pretty quick re-adjustment in the tactile sensations and once I’ve spent some time playing away it will feel natural?
Thanks for any insights!!

[Alison]

Well yes that is how the levers work and better back a little than to the side, if you are playing around the mid-height of each string the effect should be less noticeable.

[Molly]

When I started playing (only 2.5 years ago), I had three flats and had to sharp my B,E, and A levers to get to C, and that was just normal for me. I have found that this tuning is typical for many lever harpists. I would suggest getting used to the feeling, as it’s a lot easier to get more keys with that tuning. Especially if you’re playing ensemble or in a session with other musicians. I’d rather sharp my levers than have to retune to flats. It’s a huge pain if you have 34+ strings. It’s not a huge deal if you’re only playing for your own enjoyment, but even still I think you need at least one flat in order to get a better range of musical keys. But that’s just my $0.02 !

[charles-nix]

Yes, you will get used to it. Some lever brands move strings a greater or lesser amount, and some brands move out of the plane of the other strings sideways (Lovelands to the right, Truitts to the left), while others move within the plane (including pedal harp discs), effectively altering string spacing.

A proper regulation should leave a minimal amount of movement with any brand of lever.

One nit-picking educational point to think about: All harps with 7 levers per octave, regardless of tuning in C or Eb can play in the same number of different key signatures — exactly eight. For those instruments tuned in C, the more “levers up” major keys are B major, F# major, and C# major. Especially the last two are less commonly used, but are completely valid. There’s lots of piano music in F# major (and Gb major), and a lot of pedal harp music in Gb major and Cb major.

[balfour-knight]

Good answer, Charles! I keep my lever harp tuned in C, period. If I need to play in flat keys, I use my pedal harp. However, I wanted to mention one “trick” about using a C-tuned lever harp to play in “flats.” If you need to play a piece in F, you can tune the lever harp to F#, 6 sharps, and “pretend” you are playing in F. The same works for B flat–just play in B, and for E flat, just play in E. You probably will have some accidentals that need transposing, but for me, all this works very well. The one drawback is if you are playing with other musicians who want the actual key, not a half-step away from that key!

Harp Hugs,
Balfour

[Kim Vangsgard]

Removed

• This reply was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by Kim Vangsgard.
• This reply was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by Kim Vangsgard.

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