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Good questions, Charles! If I were Carl, I would set this up as a “lab experiment,” with the actual strings stretched out on a board with tuning pin, end holder of some kind, i.e. hitch pin, and moveable “bridges.” You could check out the mathematical formulas this way. Then you would need some sort of way to apply the forks of the discs to the strings and hold them that way, to sound out the actual pitches and make sure they work, since the action of the disc makes the pitch rise somewhat. It would be terrible to just rely on the math and rebuild the harp to the wrong dimensions!
Best of luck, Carl,
BalfourWilliam, I have not meant to be “silent” on this post, but I have no tools to measure in metric. I could give you the measurements in inches, if you would like, but on my French Camac Atlantide Prestige, like Charles said about other harps, the strings fan out. In the bass, they are closer together near the soundboard, becoming farther apart at the string nuts at the top of the harp; and in the high treble, they are the opposite–they are farther apart at the soundboard, becoming closer together at the top string nuts. This is done to make the harp more comfortable and ergonomic to play. Once one is used to this arrangement, it is difficult to play other harps with the same degree of ease! Pedal harp, or concert, string spacing means that the strings are spaced gradually closer together as you go up the scale of the harp.
My best to you,
BalfourHi, Bill,
It is interesting how harp models vary with regard to string length! One would think that all concert grands would have basically the same scale, since pedal harp strings are considered to be “standard.” I used your length of C5, 102.7 cm to get the equivalent of 40.43″. I then measured that same string on my Camac Atlantide and it is 41.75″. Gregg and I have enjoyed doing this sort of string comparison between his L&H Prelude and my Atlantide. It is all very interesting!
Cheers,
BalfourHi, everyone!
I agree, for anyone wanting a lever harp that is as much like a pedal harp as possible, you could not do better than the L&H Prelude. I, too, do not understand why the Salvi Ana and the Camac Mademoiselle are not strung exactly like pedal harps. There are enough other models of harps being made in the folk-harp or Celtic style.
Harp Hugs,
BalfourHi, William,
I just checked on my Camac Atlantide Prestige. It is no problem at all to glissando down to that low G with my right hand thumb. I could indeed go down as far as the C below that G, but that would be my practical limit.
I hope this helps!
Best wishes,
BalfourThis is a great thread, guys! I’m glad you all know what you are talking about. My sister has a Master’s Degree in math, and she helped me figure out all the formulas when I built my pipe organ. I agree with Carl, I know “very little” about all the math, ha, ha!
Best wishes to you all,
BalfourHi, Nancy,
This is not my field of expertise, but I do not see any reason that you would need to take the recorder apart at that tight joint. I used to play the regular flute, and it came apart so that it could be fitted into its carrying case. Many times I would only take apart what I needed to in order to clean it out and dry it after playing, then reassemble it so it was ready to play the next time. Does your recorder need to fit in a case?
Good to see your post, too, Wil.
Harp Hugs,
BalfourHi, everyone!
Jerusha heard back from George Flores and he doubts that the Paragon ever had discs on all 47 strings. So far, there is no evidence from any source except Roslyn’s to support this claim. Just thought you all would like an update. If anyone else turns up anything, please post it here.
Cheers and harp hugs,
BalfourI think flash cards would work well with this book. I always used them with my students and had great results.
Harp teaching hugs,
BalfourThanks, Gregg and Carl! In every photo I have ever seen of Paragons, this is the case–no discs on Low C and D. I wonder if the prototype of the Paragon could have had those, the “one and only” and that the idea was not supported by harpists in 1981 when that model came out. Another explanation might be that Venus actually said, “the discs go all the way up to high g,” and Roslyn thought that meant that there were discs on all 47 strings. This is very interesting!
To quote from Roslyn’s book, p. 216:
“the largest harp, Paragon, with an extended soundboard and a handsomely carved column designed in French Gothic style had forty-seven strings (g to seventh-octave C), with full mechanism action on ALL strings, and a weight of 76 lbs.” “The Paragon was available with capital, column base and pedestal gilded in gold leaf. The woods traditional to harp making, curly and bird’s-eye maple, Sitka spruce, and beech, were used in the production of Venus harps and the instruments were given extra reinforcement at stress points.”Thanks, Carl! I guess then, if Venus had mechanism on all 47 strings, they added more discs at the top.
Jerusha, have you heard anything from George? I am hoping he responds.
Thank you all so much,
Balfour
