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It seems to me that a cross-strung harp with levers would be usable as either a cross strung harp or as a regular lever harp, and it would thus give a player a single harp that could be played in the more practical manner for a given piece.
So, if I wanted to play Amazing Grace in D, I could just set the levers to play in D, and play it as on a non-cross harp, but if I wanted to play The Entertainer, I could play it in any key, without having to be flipping levers mid-song, just by playing cross-strung style.
So, yes, a cross-strung harp is chromatic (so is a fully-levered single-strung harp) but a levered cross-strung harp is even more chromatic, or at least easier to use more chromatically.
As far as who makes them, I don’t know.
Yes. I have two harps, and I’ve counted the strings on both. In the case of one, I counted it hoping the maker had thrown in an extra. 🙂
Assuming the broken-in harp has come from a competent former owner, and has been well-maintained, I would be inclined toward it. The new harp will be “used” as soon as I get it, anyway, and it would be nice to have one that is already where it’s going to be, so to speak. I mean, you get to hear it as a mature instrument, up front, before taking the gamble.
It’s nice-looking. The first Latin American harp music I recall hearing was Mexican, and at first I mistook the sound for piano.
I’ve heard that some Paraguayan players have started using red C and blue F, in the interest of being more standardized with international usage.
Here are construction details and photos of a Gothic harp with a “sharping ridge.” http://www.nogy.net/harp/gothic26/
Here’s a description of fretting methods from “Practical Advice On Playing the Medieval Harp”:
(online at http://www.harpspectrum.org/historical/fulton_long2.shtml )Accidentals, particularly at cadences, may also be played by using the technique of fretting. Fretting is a technique that was documented in the 16th century and is a still used in many traditional harp techniques today. It is most definitely an option in the period under consideration, especially on harps built with light construction, a wide enough neck, no bridge pins so the string falls directly from the string pin to the soundboard, and light string tension. Fretting involves pressing the string against the neck of the harp under the tuning pin to raise the pitch a semitone. If playing on the right shoulder the harpist can use the following methods (22):
– Use the left hand thumb to press the string against the neck and pluck the string with the right hand.
– Press with the thumb of the left hand, play the raised note with the right hand while plucking lower notes with the third or fourth fingers of the left hand.
– Reach over the top of the neck with the right hand and press one or two strings against the neck and play the string(s) with the left hand.
Press the string with the index finger of the left hand and pluck the string with the left hand thumb.– Use the tuning key or some other devise to press the string instead of a finger
Another method of shortening the string to raise it a semitone is to push the string towards the belly of the harp just above where the string enters the soundboard. This technique can be somewhat more problematic and difficult than fretting on the neck.
Well, Carolan included accidentals in some of his compositions, I think. Probably he used pinching or something like that, I guess. I know some wire harpists have used sharping rings, recently. Some find it useful for accidentals and for effects, while others are less enthused about the buzzy sound they get.
Some Paraguayan harps have taquitos: bumpers for sharping. I also saw where at least some Gothic harps were made where they could be fretted on the harmonic curve, for sharps.
Yes, I had clicked the actual link.
I did eventually manage to get in later, but it was slow as molasses. Probably just not good for those of us with slower connections.
Kinbra, I don’t think that the advice not to refer to it as therapy was because those with certificates might get offended, but that if something goes awry you could, conceivably, be held legally responsible. For example, if a patient became agitated and suffered a heart attack, a family member might blame the harpist and say the music was inappropriately loud or jaunty, and file charges against the “self-proclaimed harp therapist.”
This really is an innovative harp design. I’m struck with how reminiscent some of these innovations are to the ones Orville Gibson did to the mandolin a century ago. They both seem to adopt elements of violin construction to their respective instruments. The bent rounded sides and relatively shallow sound box are especially reminiscent of the violin family.
I suppose production is also behind on the Fairy Harp. It seems to be a smaller version of the same thing, so I’m assuming there were the same delays.
Okay, I understand now about the parts. He was apparently hiring out the woodcutting to a mass-producer, so that he could then assemble them himself, customize the color and ship them out, but the folks he hired were unable to cope with his design specifications, meaning he didn’t just need to find another musical parts supplier, as it sounded at first, but needed to find a custom pre-fabricator, so-to-speak. And he didn’t want to make this manufacturing arrangement public knowledge, lest other makers take the idea and he lose the marketing lead of his idea.
