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Alyson,
Congratulations! Your new baby will bring you so much joy. I am truly happy for you. 🙂
I think what you are experiencing As far as lack of focus and energy are caused by the pregnancy. Even when it’s no bigger than a jelly bean it takes a lot out of you. Hormone shifts can do crazy things. There may be some supplements you can take to help offset this somewhat (with your doctor’s supervision of course!), but as far as I know, it’s pretty much par for the course. It doesn’t last forever though! You’ll get your energy back eventually. I always felt much better during the 2nd trimester.
I also love that you are choosing to stay home to take care of your baby. There may still be room for some gigs, etc. maybe not for a few months after baby comes, but you have some time to work your budget now to prepare for a time without the income from the harp. But more than any amount of money, your child needs YOU!
Have you considered teaching, and do you feel like you could teach? It would bring in some income, but you could build your schedule around your life. If not with harp, then maybe something else; there are plenty of moms who find ways to bring in a part time income without sacrificing their kids.
My experience is more on the kids side (I have 5), less on the harp side (I haven’t made much money with harp). Take it for what it’s worth. I just want to encourage you to feel like having a baby doesn’t mean you will have to put your harp or your Dreams on a shelf for 20 years. I bet you are feeling overwhelmed about it all (don’t all new moms feel overwhelmed?) but I know that if you try, you will find a way to keep your harp and stay home with your baby.
I wish I had some more specific advice for you, but I just feel like it will all work out! Sometimes things end up happening in ways we didn’t imagine, but it’s better than any of our plans would’ve been. :). Keep us posted. If I think of anything else I will come back and add it.
How an instrument sounds is affected by so many things. I don’t consider my prelude to be sharp or harsh in the upper register. I have played one or two other preludes also, and didn’t have a problem with how they sounded up top. :). But this is all subjective; in the end it’s about what you like.
did you check the tuning before you played? Perhaps it actually was a little sharp? Also, if it has not been played much recently, that could be a factor, especially if it sat out of tune for a long time. Changing the strings is most likely to change the sound for the better.
one thing to be aware of is the room it is in, and even the placement of it in the room, as well as what else is in the room. For instance, I recently moved to a new house. In the old house I kept the harp (a prelude with 38 strings, built in late 90’s, so probably very similar to the one you looked at) in the larger front room, which has a vaulted ceiling. In my new house I have put it in a bedroom, a much smaller space. It sounds very different! I would suggest you bring the harp to the biggest room if the house, if you didn’t already, or if they are willing, they may even bring it to your house so you can try it in the room you usually play harp in, to get a good sound comparison to the harp you currently play on. ( they may or may not be willing to move the harp, but I don’t think it’s asking too much for such a large purchase, assuming it’s close and they are able bodied enough to transport it.)
or, or, it could simply have seemed loud or sharp because it’s so different from what you’re used to hearing.
best of luck in your decision! Let us know if you decide to buy it. 🙂
Is there a brave soul willing to make a youtube video on how to do this? I am not sure I fully understand based on the description and picture…I would love to know how to do this!
does untying the bottom end knot and retying the figure 8 lower down mean the string is weaker at the bottom? I always thought that once the string was bent (especially the larger gut strings) it wouldn’t hold up like before. Am I mistaken?
carl, thanks for sharing this! I did a search online and didn’t find any info on this anywhere else.
What about skin changes? I’m finding my fingers are squeaking on the strings a lot more now than they used to. I’m not sure if it is “aging” (ok, I’m not what most would consider “old;” it’s been a good while since I was a teenager, but I don’t want to give away my age), environmental factors such as low humidity, hand washing or soaps/products, etc. or if it’s because I’ve played more in the past year and a half than I did in the previous five( or perhaps more). Callouses Are there, but not overly pronounced.
It happens on all strings, new and old, so I don’t think it’s affected by the age of strings.
thoughts?
to the original question, I’d say it is different for everyone. Some will develop conditions such as arthritis, while others may have problems with their back instead. Perhaps you saw the thread that mentioned yoga/Pilates. Exercises are certainly good for all of us, but I expect the effects of not doing them will be more pronounced the older we get.
I hope this was helpful, but perhaps someone with more life/harp experience can give a more specific answer. 🙂
I would try an upholstery type shop. They will probably have the heavy-duty tools needed for a job like that.
Or or perhaps you can do all/part of the work yourself? A local fabric store should have the materials you need, or you can look online.
I haven’t figured out how to add the little diamond note in musescore. But I also haven’t put much time into trying. I think I might know a way to do it, but it would be nearly impossible to explain it in a post. But I’ll try. In the top right there is a set of colored boxes numbered 1,2,3 and 4. I usually only use 1 (blue) for all the parts. I would go through and use 2 (green) to use a second part to add lever changes in. This way you’re not messing with the notes already there. In the palette there is a note head section. Find the note head you want.
there is a way to make extra rests invisible, and I assume you can also make the stem of the note invisible. You uncheck a little box in the inspector. If you tried to use a whole note it would always want to be put in the position of beat 1. So you’ll want to use quarter notes, thus requiring to hide extra rests.
Anyway, I’m pretty sure this made no sense, so sorry I can’t be of better help. Maybe some day i will take the time to sit and figure it out. You can also consult the musescore help section. But for now, it may be simpler to write in the lever changes. :). Once you are sure where you want them you could use a dark colored pen to make them more visible.
I’m interested in checking out the selections you mentioned. :). If I figure out the lever diamond thing for sure I will let you know.
I haven’t been able to find the right name for mine…and after all these years it’s almost been too long. Like you wouldn’t wait 15 years to name a child, you’d name them right away. Maybe her name is “the harp.” Not very original.
I just want to say, I feel your pain! I want a pedal harp so much, and have wanted one for many years. I wish they were easier to get. There aren’t too many harpists in my neck of the woods. I don’t know of any programs to help get pedal harps into the hands of talented children, unfortunately. I’ve seen harps being sold as “rarely played” or they were bought by a wealthy person to be used as a decoration. It kills me! (That, and seeing musical instruments being destroyed on TV…I make myself feel better by assuming they were fake. Lol)
is there a professional harpist nearby? Is there an american harp society chapter nearby? That is a good place to start. If there’s a harp gathering dust whose owner may allow it to be rented or loaned, that’s where I would start.
What does your daughter do besides play harp? Does she make bracelets, cook, sew, etc.? Perhaps she could start an etsy store or sell things locally on craigslist or farmers markets. Or maybe she could play her harp for events and earn money that way. In certain places she may be able to put out a jar with a sign with a clever statement expressing her need for a better instrument. There are plenty of kids who have found ways to fund their own dreams. Maybe she can be one of them. :). It takes a little creativity and some hard work, but how much more she will appreciate it if she worked for it herself. Not to mention the life lessons she will learn along the way.
best of luck!
There is some great advice already suggested.
I share your frustration. I have a piece I’ve been working on for about a month, a piece that is not very difficult, but there’s one spot I mess up on every time. I need to memorize that spot so I can play it without having to look at the pages. I think that will help.
Another thing that helps is taking that part slow–painfully slow. So slow that you absolutely can’t make a mistake. Keep it at that speed until you have it memorized. Start with only a measure or two at First. Then add a few measures before that part, and practice the transition into it. Speed it up very gradually (metronome!). Eventually you will get it. If you do the same mistake every time, it sounds like you have learned it incorrectly, and so will take many repetitions to relearn that section.
Also, if you were to tell us what piece, and what measure(s) of it you are having trouble with, you may get some more specific advice on how to practice that particular spot.
I like the idea of putting it aside for a while if it’s driving you nuts. Maybe pick up a piece that is simple and can be learned quickly, or find something you learned before and haven’t played in a while, but that wouldn’t take much to get back into your fingers. It can be a good confidence boost. 🙂
Karen,
I can completely relate with you on the ‘goldilocks’ comment! I may be buying a pedal harp later this year, so I’m trying to learn what to look for. I am not a very big person (5’3″) so size will factor in. I drive a suburban, which is high off the ground, so weight is a factor. (Someday when the kids are grown I will get a better car for moving harps!)
Then there’s the aesthetic factor–you must love how your harp looks! But they are all beautiful, so even one not in your preferred color or style is easy to get used to.
But the #1 factor, for me, must be sound (assuming it will fit in the vehicle). My husband recently called me a “Sound snob” because whether pianos, violins or harps, I am picky. I know what I want, or more precisely, I know what I don’t want. I am just holding on to the thought that when I go to pick out a harp, I will find one that will stand out in every category. ;). It’s ok to dream, right? There must be a perfect harp for me out there. :). And Karen, there’s a perfect harp out there for you too!
Jodi,
Have you tried the “import PDF” feature in musescore? (I think it’s in the ‘file’ drop down menu.). I haven’t tried it, but I saw it yesterday when I was working on a project, and thought of you. It’s worth a try, at least.Alyson,
Thanks for sharing your experience and advice. I hadn’t thought about the chance that harps listed online might be the ones no one else wants. That’s a good thing to consider. I was also thinking about ones advertised by individuals, not a music store. But then you can’t really try them out, so I can’t seriously consider buying one. It’s still fun to see what’s on ebay now and then. They are so beautiful and once in a while you see something truly unique.I may end up taking a trip out to Chicago after all (assuming I don’t find one closer). We went to lyon and healy west last summer. Unfortunately the used harps they take in there are all sent to Chicago; they don’t keep them to sell from there. When we went, the selection in my price range was a little slim (they had sold a few harps the week before) but perhaps they will have some more in the next time we can make it out that way. I hope so.
If a harp is restrung as described, can they also change the pedals to match? Or do you just have to get used to a different pedal layout?
I have been there. 🙂 I have a few ideas.
I find inspiration by just talking with others who also love what I love. Do you know any other celtic harpists you could get together with for an afternoon of comparing repertoire? Or “meet” via skype, if meeting in person isn’t possible. It doesn’t even have to be a harpist. You can find duets for your harp and any other instrument. My harp playing was accelerated by forming a little trio last year, a harp and two violins. I find it so fulfilling to play music together.
Do you/did you have a teacher? Can you contact him/her and ask for some song suggestions? Or perhaps have a lesson with a teacher you’ve never met with before. You might be able to find one who will give you just one or two lessons, if that’s all you need. Accountability is a good motivator.
I also usually find motivation by buying a new piece/book of music to play. How long has it been since you bought new harp music?
It’s ok that you are focusing on violin right now. If that’s where your passion lies, that is where you will find joy. Your passion for harp is still inside somewhere, and it will surface at the perfect time for you.
Do you have any recording equipment? I think it’s awesome when people play ‘duets’ with themselves by playing both parts. :). I have no idea what you would need to record and put both parts together…. You can, at the very least, record something on one instrument to play along with on the other, using most any device. 🙂
You mentioned playing celtic music. Perhaps try playing a style you have never tried before. For example, I was recently introduced to “pistache” by Bernard Andres. It is very different from anything else I have ever played. I would have immediately dismissed this piece if I had discovered it on my own, but after hearing someone else play it, and after trying it a bit, I am having a lot of fun with it. (It is playable on lever harp, no accidentals or key changes.) Or maybe try your hand at improvising/composing/arranging, if you’ve never done that before.
I think that’s all I have. I hope you found something useful. Good luck!
