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Hi Lydia and Gregg!
That’s good advice about starting back and gradually letting your fingers get used to playing again. Keyboardists have no problem with this like harpists do. If I miss playing the harp for even 3 or 4 days, my fingers can tell the difference. Also, since I take my Dusty FH36S lever harp on vacations and family trips, I only play it for the duration of the trip, being away from my pedal harp at home. Upon returning home, I immediately start playing the pedal harp again, to re-toughen my calluses. It is mainly the larger bass wires on the pedal harp that bother me, as I utilize the full range down to 7C as I play. Those wires are large gauge and have pedal tension, that’s for sure!
Aloe Vera gel is a soothing natural ointment to apply to your hands after marathon playing. I use it at night to give my fingers plenty of time to heal.
Happy Harping!
BalfourThe posts and thread regarding the new Aquila NGH (NylGutHarp) strings is titled Nylgut Strings by Aquila, if anyone is interested. Aquila USA is great for all of us here in the states, and contact Curtis there.
Oh, now I understand better, Sidney! Salopian will gauge the strings custom for the harpist! I don’t think the other string makers deviate too much like this. However, regarding the New Nylgut NGH harp strings from Aquila, many gauge options are available. I have done a lot of research on these wonderful nylgut strings which sound just like gut. Only two of them have ever broken on my pedal harp in these last two years, the 0G and 0F, which is to be expected on these highest, thinnest strings. If anyone is interested, search for Aquila new nylgut strings here on the forums, and my research and posts from other harpists should come up.
Have a nice harping day, all!
BalfourHello Eugene,
In harp notation, the term “mediator” (or sometimes “plectrum”) is an instruction calling for the harpist to use a pick or plectrum to pluck the strings instead of their fingers.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
BalfourPhyllis, it sounds as if you are in the UK. I looked at Salopian’s website, but didn’t try to see if I could order anything. What would be the advantage of their strings over someone else’s? There may be a retailer you could get to send you some of Salopian’s strings, just a thought. Here in the USA, a good choice is the Virginia Harp Center and the Atlanta Harp Center. They feature pedal harp bass wires by D’Addario that are very nice and are very reasonably priced. These harp centers are prompt and reliable, and they usually have a good string sale once a year in the Spring. That’s when I stock up on my wire and gut strings!
Best of luck with this adventure,
BalfourHi William,
If you’re talking about Quarter Notes at 120, repeated on the same string (or different strings like a scale or arpeggio) I think most harpists could do a clean pluck and flat-hand staccato. However, at Eighth Note tempo, twice that fast, it doesn’t give time for the note to be plucked and heard, then dampened. This would be much more effective written for the piano. Staccato does not bring about the best sound for a harp in general.
It of course depends on the skill of the harpist!
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
BalfourPart 2—check to see if Andrew pasted a small stringing chart inside the back of the harp, like Dusty Strings does. Hope he did!
Dear Sidney,
I hope there is an orchestral harpist here who can help you with your questions. I’ve never played the Mahler. Dividing notes between harp 1 and 2 sounds good to me!
Best wishes,
BalfourSorry, I’m not familiar with these harps. Maybe someone here will see this post and reply to you. Good luck!
I have not personally had any experience with either of these harps, but I would suggest that you play both of them a lot to determine which one “speaks to you.” Also, have another harpist play them for you, so you can hear them at a distance. Sight unseen, I would probably go for the 40 strings of the Pilgrim, rather than the lesser number of strings on the Troubadour IV. This is coming from one who prefers a full-size concert grand pedal harp, 47 strings. However, I do also own a remarkable Dusty Strings FH36S in cherry that is my favorite lever harp of all time, a very special instrument. Good luck and best wishes on your journey!
Balfour KnightHi, Isabel,
I used to play a Lyon & Healy 85 semi-grand in our local community orchestra, without any additional amplification. It projected very well, and I think your Daphne 47 SE would, too. Once when I was visiting the Atlanta Harp Center, I played a harp just like yours that sounded even better than a brand new L & H 23 that was standing right beside it. We were amazed that the smaller Daphne projected so well compared to the 23. Obviously, the 23 had not come into its full tone yet, which sometimes takes two years! Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
BalfourHi Jerusha,
I think you can enjoy knowing that you are one of the few lever harpists who are playing jazz and pop professionally. I think that the rest of us who do this use pedal harps. It is so much easier! On pedal harp I can play and improvise in any key I want to, and do such neat things as pedal slides, pedal glissandi, fast chromatic changes, etc. You are brave to do this type of music on a lever harp, and I truly admire that. Keep doing what you are doing. The harp world needs more harpists like you.
Very best wishes,
Balfour
