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Hello everyone,
Some friends and I were discussing how to pronounce Tournier. Since none of us are French, we came up with at least three different pronunciations–Turn-year, Tone-yay, Turn-yeh. Does anyone know what is the most acceptable version in English?
Thanks in advance!
Balfour
Hi, Andelin and everyone,
How exciting to be designing and building your harp room! (and your new house!) Does this mean that you have purchased a pedal harp finally? I have thought of you this summer, and just said to Carol Lynn, wonder if Andelin has found a pedal harp?
I agree with all the posts–go with a hard surface, wood if you can. My harp/pipe organ room has a hardwood floor, plaster walls and an acoustical-tile ceiling. I feel like the sound in there is perfect! Just the right balance of live acoustics without too much echo.
Best wishes to all,
BalfourRunemist, you live in a beautiful part of the world! My wife and I love living in a small community, too. We are in western North Carolina, 40 miles west of Asheville, which is the closest city. We vacationed and toured through your area in 1987 with my parents, and thoroughly enjoyed our time in British Columbia. My dad turned 60 there, which is our age now! We all said that if we did not love the mountains of NC so much, we could live where you do!
Have a great day,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)Aria, my Dusty Strings Ravenna 34 and Music Makers’ Large Gothic 36 have pretty firm tension, but less tension than my L&H pedal harp. When my fingers “need a break” from the pedal harp, either of my lever harps suffices. Also, have you considered the Thormahlen Swan? They are very nice harps, also, with 36 strings.
Patricia, do you know a source on the Tyrolean pedal harps, single action? I have heard one on a YouTube video, but when I searched for information to see if these harps are still produced, I came up with nothing! I would be interested in the Douglas harps, but they don’t have enough strings to suit me for the great expense of them. My Ravenna has more strings than the Douglas, and I always wish for 36, going up to the High C like my Gothic harp does!
Best wishes to all of you,
BalfourHello again, Runemist,
I wondered as I read your last post if you have ever sought out a good harp teacher. Most times a gifted teacher can see things that you haven’t even thought of, and can help you get out of a slump and “over the hurdle.” It can be like “going to the oracle!” Even if you could arrange for an occasional lesson, you would have the assurance that you are doing the right techniques, learn a lot of new music, have a good reason to practice for the next lesson, etc.
You haven’t mentioned what area of the world you live in, but maybe a good harp teacher is not too far away. These days, people use Skype and all sorts of things that were not possible a few years ago.
I think you could learn to play harp very well along with your friend on guitar and your boyfriend on bass. I do that all the time with friends and family, and enjoy “jamming” at every opportunity! My first cousin married a classical guitarist, and what a treat it is to play harp and classical guitar together! Also, our “son” is a wonderful musician on guitar and vocals, and I have played often with him and his college friends, with much variety in our choice of music, ha, ha!
Wishing you all the best,
BalfourWelcome to Harp Column! It sounds like you will have plenty of time to realize your dream of playing the harp. One of my three harps is a Ravenna 34, and I love this little harp. I know your 26-string must sound beautiful, as all Dustys do!
Happy Harping, new friend,
BalfourI agree, Gretchen! I often play harp along with other musicians at my concerts, and when there is a good organist/organ, it can be very nice! Check out the harp-organ duets of Diane Bish and Susann McDonald.
Best to you all,
BalfourBiagio, I do not miss the sawdust in my nose and throat, the abrasions or the bleeding, either! My pipe organ was all made in red oak from a single tree. I absolutely grew to HATE the smell of red oak sawdust after the twenty years of building the organ. Of course, the pipes and manuals (the two keyboards) I hand-made are done in poplar, a welcome change from the oak. I have made several built-ins for Carol Lynn in our little house since the organ, and I enjoyed using pine and fir for a change, and liked the smell of the sawdust much better than oak, ha, ha!
Now, enjoy playing those beautiful hand-made harps! I love playing organ keys that I hand-crafted, and I didn’t sell my band-saw, either. (Most of the keyboard sawing had to be done with a very fine jigsaw! Never again!) I bet Laurie can make your harps sound gorgeous–get her to play the new one for us and post it–wow!
Best thoughts,
BalfourDuckspeaks, I was just curious to know why you thought that “boys” could not play the harp. I encountered this sort of thing at a recent wedding I played for. There was a 10-year-old girl there who had taken a couple of years of harp lessons. After the wedding was over, I let her play my harp and she was very good at it. Her older brother was standing nearby, and I asked him if he had ever played the harp, too. He answered, “I thought it was only for girls!” Then he added quickly “of course, you are a man, and my sister takes lessons from a man harpist, so I guess it is ‘okay’ for men to play the harp!” I was astonished and amused, all at the same time.
I do hope that more boys will find out that they can play the harp, and of course, any other instrument they would like to learn how to play.
My best to you all,
BalfourHello, dear friends!
Sorry I have been so busy that I completely missed this post! What a beautiful little harp, Biagio! Jerry Brown at Music Makers would be so proud of you for doing this!
Now, if you are serious about not making any more harps, these last remaining harps of yours should become collectors’ items. I was thinking of Steen harps, which sadly are no more.
Every time I swear off doing any more woodworking, something comes along that I either need to make for the house, or just simply WANT to build, ha, ha! So, good luck, Biagio!
With warmest wishes to you all,
BalfourBiagio, I think that all of us are “boys,” ha, ha! Just ask my sweet wife–she always says “boys will be boys!” Marco, maybe Duckspeaks can use his right-hand nails, at least. I never learned how to do that, and it would bother me too much while playing the piano and organ. I think everyone has to find his own special technique of playing.
I also enjoy playing “by ear” and have done it since I was five years old. But my parents insisted that I would get a good musical education, all the way through a Master’s degree. I am glad that I can read and write music, but my true joy is playing by ear and improvising!
All of you have a great day,
BalfourAdd to this thread Leon Boellmann’s “Priere a Notre-Dame” from SUITE GOTHIQUE. It is not easy on pedal harp, but is well worth the effort!
Brittany, this is “Part Two,” ha, ha! I forgot to tell you that there is a recent forum called “Softer, Slower Show Off Piece” that has some great recommendations that might be helpful to you.
Warm thoughts,
BalfourOne of my favorites is “Priere a Notre-Dame” from SUITE GOTHIQUE by Leon Boellmann. (Prayer to Our Lady) Although written originally for organ, I play it on the pedal harp and people love it. It requires numerous pedal changes, and is not easy, but there may be transcriptions or arrangements available for harp solo. I just play it from the organ score and adapt the double flats (B double-flat is A, and so on) and incorporate the organ pedal notes as leaps in the left hand. (It is written on three staves for organ.) It is very beautiful and worth your time if you are interested!
Best wishes to you,
Balfour
