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Thanks so much, Jackie and Gretchen, for “going off-topic” to wish me a Happy Birthday! I always love this Harp Column website and forums! Kim, it seems to be working well this morning. Thanks for all you do for all of us!
Harp Hugs and blessings,
Balfour
Hi, Kim–I have experienced the very same problem! Thanks, Sylvia, for reporting it. I have limited access to a real computer, so I have just been hoping the problem “fixed itself,” ha, ha! Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!
Best wishes,
Balfour
Thanks for sharing that, Sharone! Last year when I found and purchased my new Dusty Strings lever harp, I played her so much that I indeed did have sore fingers! That is saying a lot for a concert pedal harpist who practices a lot, like I am used to, since I hardly ever have sore fingers! I found that Aloe Vera gel did the trick for me, and I slathered it on from the actual plant leaf every night before going to bed. It dries smooth and silky, giving a protective coating which also heals the blisters on your fingers.
Have a great day!
Balfour
Hi, Gretchen–sorry I do not know of an arrangement of the Ave Maria with other instruments to suit your need. Is there some reason you cannot amplify your harp?
Now, now, Gretchen, please bear with us, ha, ha! I love the interesting way this thread has branched out, and hope it has been entertaining for Mariah!
Jackie, thanks so much for all your kind words. Your wonderful daughter, Amy, is so talented and it was such a pleasure to hear her play my harp! She has a great harp future ahead of her, and she is so special to share it with her family and all of us who have heard her play.
Biagio, I always love to read your technical expertise postings, and I think they should prove helpful to Mariah, to better understand that aspect of the harp. There are so many different harps out there, and it is difficult to know what to look for in the instrument that is right for “you.”
Mariah, we also hope that the Troubadour or some other harp will be a fine Christmas present for your daughter! I told my sweet wife that my two gorgeous harps are sufficient presents for all my birthdays and other holidays to come, for the rest of my life, but I will say, she just baked me the BEST cake I have ever had for my birthday, which is today!
Harp Hugs to all of you,
Balfour
Hello, my dear friends!
Jackie, you must be my friend from Tennessee whose daughter is Amy, right? What a nice posting from you! I am so glad you have joined Harp Column.
Brook, I am also glad you chimed in about the Troubadour. I have no experience with this model, so I bow to you folks who do!
Jerusha, it is so good to see your post, too. I had no idea that you and Brook have this connection concerning your beautiful Gabriel maple Dusty FH36S. I sold Brook my gorgeous Musicmakers “Bella” harp after I found my Cherie (FH36S). My Dusty is brighter than Bella, which I love, and I think that Brook probably prefers the mellower tone of Bella and the Troubadour harps. Now, Brook, Bella is quite jealous of the fine remarks you made about your new Marion, ha, ha! You need to go and play Bella and reassure her that she is still your favorite, you know! Too funny, my harp friends! 🙂
Mariah, we are all a “crazy bunch,” and I hope we have not strayed too far off topic. Hope all of you are having a wonderful day.
Harp Hugs,
Balfour
Hello, friends!
What a wonderful response to Mariah’s thread! I have been too busy to catch up with Harp Column the last few days, and what a pleasure it was to see all these replies just now.
Gretchen, thanks for informing us about Dusty Strings’ newsletter–I did not know about it, can you believe it, as much as I love and champion their harps? Well, you learn something new every day, I suppose! The Ravenna 34 that I owned before I found my Cherie (FH36S in cherry) was a very special little harp, and Biagio, I totally agree that this model is one of the best values in harps that I have ever seen.
I, for one, am not fond of lever harps that sound and play like pedal harps. I want a lever harp to be more Celtic, with brighter tone and lower string tension. I do use all 36 strings, and that was my only problem with the 34-string Ravenna. I glissando up to the high C very frequently when I play in the Key of C, so the top string ending on A was a shortcoming, in my humble opinion. I use the high B and C often in my regular playing, also, not just for glissandos. I was delighted to receive the new Musicmakers catalog and to see that they once again are offering a 36 string harp. If building from a kit is an option for you all, Mariah, I heartily recommend Musicmakers. They have top quality products and customer service.
Now of course, I am a paradox, ha, ha! I am very content with a 44-string L&H pedal harp, and I know that there are pedal harpists out there who absolutely MUST have a 47-string harp! Every harpist just has their own preferences, thank goodness, and we have a huge selection of harps to fit every personality.
Mariah, the Southeastern Harp Weekend in Asheville, North Carolina, is also a great gathering of harps and harpists! Unfortunately, there wasn’t one this October, but we are looking forward to next year.
Have a great day,
Balfour
I totally agree, Tacye! Some of us have gone through quite a few different harps, both lever and pedal, in our lifetimes! I have always lost money on the trade, but the benefits of having each harp to enjoy during the time I owned it totally outweighed the unpleasant loss of money. No harp has to be “forever,” when it is time to move on to the next one that is perfectly suited to one’s needs at that point in time.
Very good advice, my harp friends! Biagio, I have been clinging to my resolution to only own one pedal harp and one lever harp, and so far it is working out beautifully. With the same string-spacing on my L&H 85 and my Dusty Strings FH36S, I can go from one to the other seamlessly. Of course, the lower string tension on the Dusty makes for more effortless playing than the L&H, but no problem! I have four Christmas concerts coming up on the pedal harp, so I will keep in practice, ha, ha! At least, Christmas Eve it is back to the Dusty, my “Cherie”, for a pre-service “mini-concert.”
Mariah, thanks for posting this thread. I am so glad that you care about your daughter’s harp interests and that you have joined us on the Harp Column forums. You will learn a lot about harps and harpists here, no doubt, on an International level. It is so much fun!
With best wishes and harp hugs,
Balfour
Thanks, Kim. “Happening Now” is not responding right now, it just says “no activity found. Please try another filter.” It is a mystery to me why it worked last time I was online, but now it is not. I appreciate your kind attention to all these little “quirks in the system.”
Harp Hugs,
Balfour
I agree with Gretchen! Thanks for posting this latest video. We can enjoy keeping up with Davy’s progress!
Best to you all,
Balfour
Thanks–“happening now” is working well this morning! A happy Sunday to all of you!
Best wishes,
Balfour
