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I am reviving this thread since there is good information here about the spacing of pedal harp strings. On William’s new thread “Finger spans in 3- and 4-note chords” there is a discussion about string spacing, depending on which range you are playing in on the harp.
Have a great day,
BalfourGregg brings up an interesting point–the string spacing is wider at the lower end of the harp, and gradually gets closer together as you move up, unlike a keyboard instrument, where every octave has the same spacing. The bass wire strings are also harder on the fingers when you attempt large chords.
Add to this problem the fact that some pedal harps are equipped with “extra large spacing,” meant mainly for male harpists who have very large hands and fingers. Those of us who are smaller and have small hands have a real problem when playing a harp with this kind of spacing!
Going back to your original post, William, I would say that a 10th would probably be safe, preferrably alone or with only one note in-between. But, like I suggested earlier, you could show us an example of what you would like to write for the harp part and then we could let you know if we think it would work well.
Thanks for all these posts, my friends!
Have a great harp day,
BalfourHello Sarah,
How exciting! Yes, definitely record yourself, so you can compare that with your harp at home. Try out a variety of things, that you can play with ease, so you are not struggling with technique, etc. Be able to concentrate fully on the harps you are test driving.
Wishing you the best of luck,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)Harpists will have different opinions about this. It depends on how large the harpist’s hands are, and the spacing of the strings on a particular harp, since it is not entirely standard. Also, most chords are “rolled” on the harp, or “arpeggiated,” so it is like reaching those notes on a keyboard by rolling a chord, as opposed to a “blocked” chord.
If in doubt, post something here so we can try it out and see if it is a comfortable reach for most of us. Hope this helps.
Best regards,
BalfourAll great posts, friends! When I saw and played that very nice Daphne SE, I liked it better than the full-size Daphne that was standing right beside it at the Atlanta Harp Center. Part of it was that the size suited me better, and it was more comfortable to play. The SE also had the full 47 strings range of the concert harps, even though the lowest strings did indeed sound better on the larger Daphne, because they are longer. But, each individual harp is different, so it is better to try them out first before you make a decision to buy. It would be well worth the cost of the trip to a harp center or festival, since you want a harp to keep “for life.” You can also take possesion of the harp right away, if you take your harp-carrying vehicle, and you can enjoy taking the harp home with you!
Have a great day,
BalfourPhilippa, those are all good points. Also, I forgot to address the question about the walnut versus the mahogany finishes. If it were me, I would prefer the walnut. I found that the Salvi mahogany finish looks a little purple/pink in good light, especially sunlight. I’m not sure how that changes with age. My pedal harps have all been in natural maple, and ebony. Now, if you would like that purple/pink tint, there is nothing wrong with that, of course!
Harp Hugs,
BalfourHello, “Littlebuster,” you don’t say where you are located, so I don’t know what kind of harps are available where you live. I prefer Camac harps for that “rich, big sound” that you mentioned above. My only pedal harp currently is an Atlantide Prestige concert grand 47-string harp that I “lucked into” back in 2017, but I owned two nice L&H 85’s before that. I have played many Salvi’s in my long professional career, and they are nice harps, but heavy, similar to Venus harps. To me, their sound is more mellow, blunt, and traditional compared to the brighter, fuller sound of my Atlantide. I have to “work harder” to get a full tone out of a Salvi or L&H than I do on my Camac. Also, the shoulder end of a full-size concert grand Camac is a little lower, making it more comfortable for me to play. (I am 5′ 6″ and suffer from arthritis in my hands and shoulders, so I need comfort in a large pedal harp, ha, ha!)
I love the looks of the Salvi harps, especially the Iris in a natural maple finish with the blue accents worked into the gold soundboard artwork. I did once play a very nice Daphne SE 47-string harp at the Atlanta Harp Center, if this helps you at all. There was also an Aurora there one time I visited the AHC, but I liked the Dianna and Apollo models better than that particular Aurora.
All of this is just my personal opinion, of course, and others may post here who differ with me, ha, ha! Hope this helps.
Best regards,
BalfourOkay, guys, here’s Balfour chiming in, ha, ha! I would suggest tuning the harp in C Flat, all seven flats. That way all flat keys and the key of C Major are possible, and to get D flat, all you would have to do is raise the F and C levers. Also, the harp would benefit from having less tension on it, rather than forcing it to go up to the C tuning. I do prefer the C tuning for my lever harp, but I do miss being able to play in flat keys on it. I have to use my pedal harp to do that, which is always a pleasure, I may add! When I used to own two lever harps, I kept the largest one in C flat. That way, I could play in ALL keys with the two lever harps. Of course, having to take two lever harps to a gig is almost as much trouble as taking ONE pedal harp, ha, ha!
Good to hear from all of you, my harp friends!
Harp Hugs,
BalfourHi Savanna,
We were just wondering if you bought the Merlin and how you like it, if you did buy it.
Charles, my friend Gregg who regularly posts here, has a L&H Prelude, and he can tell you more about it.
Have a great harp day everyone!
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)Hi Christy!
Thanks so much for letting us know. That is a beautiful harp, and how wonderful to have 36 strings instead of 34. It even has a gorgeous staved back! I have never heard of that harpmaker, but he obviously does nice work. We wish you much enjoyment as you and your daughter play this instrument. Who knows, maybe your newborn will end up playing it, too!
Best wishes, with harp hugs,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)Way to go, Gretchen! We loved Louise Trotter, and I am so glad to now know that some of her arrangements are available, written down! I loved to listen to her play by ear. That is a great memorial to her, to have the notated music.
Best regards,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)Hello Chiara!
One of the best sources of information on this subject is my friend, Angi Bemiss, in Atlanta, GA. You may get on her website at Simply the Harp, and contact her. I know that she would be willing to correspond with you and help answer your questions.
Best wishes,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)
