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Hi Evolene (and Biagio! Gosh it’s been a long time since I’ve been over here!)
I still haven’t been busking, since I do not live in/near an area where that would work (not touristy, not city, not enough foot traffic anywhere). BUT— I have done several background music gigs, and I think there is a little similarity between the two. People mill around and stop by to listen/say “beautiful music!”/ask questions while I play, and while that was distracting at first, it was good practice to learn to smile and say “thank you” in the middle of a tune without stopping. Don’t worry about being too shy— as long as you’re happy to say “thank you!” a bunch of times, and then talk about the harp and harping between tunes (or during one for a little bit while you drop out the left hand or something to save on concentration). I’m pretty introverted, and while I know that doesn’t always mean “shy,” I find that I can talk about harp to anyone, even when I certainly would NOT know what to say to them about anything else. 🙂
I hope you get a chance to try it, and have fun!
-AllisonHi harpist123,
Truitts are really easy to regulate yourself. All you need is that T6 star bit screwdriver, and your tuner. There are 2 screws on each lever. You just loosen the screws a little, adjust the position of the lever until it’s in tune, then tighten the screws again. 🙂Hi Jennifer, amstevick here. 😉 I love my double Brittany. I think the only “trouble” I had with it was getting motivated to get it done. I bought it in the white so I could decorate (and save some money) and it took me forever to get underway on the finishing…. That, and the bridge pins were frustrating to put in because they don’t fit quiiiiiiiite properly (see the Double Strung Harp Saga, and Double Strung Harp Saga Redux threads) but they work fine.
Edit: now I remember that I was really mad about the stringing/pins/zither-to-bridge pin angle for a while, but the harp has settled, and it’s not a problem anymore. And if you buy a harp fully made, you won’t have to deal with any of that.I just installed a few truitt levers a couple days ago! I’ll probably add some of that info to the redux thread. The top f and c levers do not function properly because it is not possible to get the lever close enough to the bridge pin. It lifts the note a whole step no matter what. Frustrating. But the other ones work fine, and the install process really wasn’t too hard. I only have them on Fs and Cs.
I will say that my Brittany has the least sustain of my 3 harps (but that’s not really surprising, as one is wire, and the other is a large Heartland) but that also works out ok because you can play more sparkly notes and double-Strung effects without muddy sound. 🙂
As to the tone of the cherry– I don’t think it will make much difference which wood the harp is made from. The soundbox is plywood with cherry veneer (I think so anyway– is that right, Biagio?) I like how the cherry looks, and that’s what matters in this one, I think.
Edit to add: If you like a big, warm, deep tone, this small double won’t deliver the same way a larger one would. As others have said, it only goes down to g below mid c. I do play the upper strings, but not everyone would need to. You’ve got 22 strings for each hand, so it’s not like you run out of room on either side. 🙂 I play mine often with a strap, so it’s secure and I can move around. I find it to be comfortable that way, and it takes away the need to find a stool or bench that’s just the right height.
So there’s some fragmented rambling. 😉
Choosing a harp really comes down to what each individual person prefers in sound and feel, etc. I love that there are so many option out there to choose from.
ps- Congrats, Brook! It’s beautiful!
I have one of James’ newer narrow-spacing harps, and I LOVE it! Please follow all of Biagio’s advice– he knows his stuff on wire harps. (Hi, Biagio!)
Also, if you’re on Facebook, James Skeen is very responsive and helpful through messages. You can also join the Wire Strung harp group, and/or the Celtic Harp group- both of which have been really helpful to me.Many instructors give lessons over skype, so you wouldn’t have to travel if you found someone who would do that. 🙂
I taught myself early on with some of those beginners books, YouTube videos, and Laurie Riley’s teaching dvds. wil-weten has some great suggestions above.
Welcome to harping! Have fun!I have a wide guitar strap for my Stoney End Brittany. I don’t know if that would work for yours or not, but I like it for mine. My harp is only about 9-10 lbs, so I can play it for quite a while before it starts feeling heavy.
Thank you, Elettaria! I hope to make a new video or two sometime soon, but it’s been crazy busy around here for the past couple months. 🙂
EDIT to add: I know you saw (and commented, thanks!) on Both Sides the Tweed, but don’t know if you saw my versions of Twa Corbies and Auld Lang Syne–so if not, then there are some new-ish videos on my channel. 😉
I hope your harp design comes out just how you want it! I’m sure we all look forward to seeing pictures and videos once your friend gets it built (and I hope they get well soon). I enjoyed playing my little cardboard harp when I had it, and I bet you’ll have fun with yours, too.
I’m not the one to answer if bridge pins are truly necessary, but I do know that the Waring with a straight neck (I know, not as attractive as a curve) uses a straight piece of wood glued to the neck in place of bridge pins. So it’s not that there’s nothing, it’s just that it’s one thin piece of wood instead of 19 more pins.
I like the shape of your model!
Welcome, evolene_t!
I’m afraid I don’t have any tips for purchasing double harps in Europe, but I can say that doubles are not harder to play than singles. Also, mine certainly isn’t “too loose” to play. It definitely isn’t pedal tension, but it’s not like playing rubber bands, either! Don’t let your teacher discourage you if that is the direction you want to go, as it may just be that she isn’t familiar with the double-strung. You can play any music you like on it, not only renaissance music.
Have you seen Laurie Riley’s website and/or YouTube videos? Her information is really, really helpful for any folk harpist, and she is one of the leaders in modern double-strung harps. http://www.laurierileymusic.com
She has posted her entire double-strung tutorial video on YouTube. I’ve watched it a few times, and it’s great!
Another person with double-strung tutorials on YouTube is a channel called Smilingharp. (I think her real name is Carol?) Anyway, her videos have been helpful to me, too.
You do not absolutely need to start with a single harp, since it is very doable to start out on a double, but I would say just go ahead and start with whichever type you can find. With the challenge of finding an affordable double near you, it seems you could get started playing sooner with a single that’s available while you search for your double. The hand positions, plucking, posture, and general musicality are the same (or at least very similar) between single and double. There are some techniques and tricks that are different, but that adds to the fun and won’t cause any problems when trying to learn one or the other. I switch back and forth easily between single and double all the time. 🙂
I hope that’s at least a little helpful. Maybe someone else knows of some double-strung sellers in Europe. Happy harping!
-Allison
Thanks, Biagio and Balfour!
Those wire harps are strangely addicting, aren’t they? 😉 Sounds like design time well spent.
I think harp decoration can be great! I haven’t painted on a finished harp, but I did watercolor pencil on my own unfinished harp before finishing with a lacquer. I did a light outline of the design beforehand, as Biagio said, and it worked well. Have fun, and do let us know how it turns out!
Hi again, all. Reviving this old thread again… 😉 I have recently decided that playing this harp with fingernails sounds better than finger pads, and I made a new video! I’ve also added a wide leather guitar strap to the mix, but it doesn’t really show in this video. It’s actually pretty comfortable, since it’s 3″ wide and padded. Anyway, still enjoying the little double and happy that when I play it with nails, it’s easier to switch back and forth with the wire harp. 🙂
Here’s the link from one of the emails
http://virtual-harp-summit.thinkific.com/courses/virtual-harp-summit
Thanks, Biagio! Yeah, I’ll probably go with a guitar strap, though I can see the real benefits of a harness. I’m not going to be wild or playing for reeeeeally long periods with the strap, so I just need to decide how wide to get.
