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Ha, ha, Biagio! In this area of NC, older people often refer to a harmonica as a harp, or mouth-harp! I have always marveled at this, because if one says “he plays the harp,” there is no telling what the instrument really is! (It can also be the Auto-Harp!)
My sweet wife has told people that I should have played the Piccolo, so that I could have had as many of them as I want, all placed in one drawer, ha, ha!
Thanks for the chuckles!
BalfourHi, Emma!
So glad to hear about your healing wrist. Now we will pray that your fingers come along, too, and recover completely. You have such a wonderful attitude. Our hearts go out to you.
Best wishes and prayers for continued healing,
Balfour & Carol LynnThanks for the chuckles, Allison & Biagio! My sweet wife has a weakness for all forms of needle-work, so we have plenty of that around our tiny 1000-square-foot house, too. With a large grand piano, nine-rank pipe organ, five-octave clavichord, hammered-dulcimer, mountain dulcimer in addition to my three harps, we have little room for anything else, really! And all these instruments do have personal names, Biagio!
This thread is TOO GOOD, ha, ha!
Best thoughts to all of you,
BalfourOkay, my friends, you are going to get me in trouble with my sweet wife, ha, ha! She says, “he really doesn’t need any more harps!” Seriously, the wire-strung Limerick of Jerry’s is very tempting, and I look forward to playing another one at SEHW if they bring a wire-strung this Fall.
Thanks everyone!
BalfourThis whole thread is very fascinating! Thanks for starting it, Allison. Jerry Brown, Music Makers, had one of his lap harps strung in wire, and I played it at the Southeastern Harp Weekend in Asheville a couple of years ago. It had a beautiful, magical tone, and could be played with just the fingers, no nails. But alas, like Janis, no more harps right now!
My best wishes to all of you,
BalfourTerry,
Jerry Brown at Music Makers is a good friend of mine. They have a toll-free number, so why not give him a call? Do you know if the harp was constructed by the company or by an individual from a kit? The ones made at Music Makers are excellent instruments–I have one of their Large Gothics (36 strings) that just can’t be beat! Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
BalfourSid and Caroline (and all the others),
I use a cleaning solution of one tablespoon of Dawn dishwashing liquid in a gallon of water, well mixed. I use it on my grand piano, harps and other wooden furniture as needed, and yes, you can rinse it off with a cloth dampened with just water after you clean with the Dawn solution.
I arrived at this solution quite by accident for the purpose of cleaning wood finishes! This is exactly the proportion one uses to spray on roses to kill such pests as aphids, mites, etc. Since I have never used harmful insecticides on my roses, I have found this to be the sensible and effective solution to that problem. It has worked well for me over many years. One day when I was spraying the roses, some spray fell on a wooden chair that was on our deck near the roses. I noticed when I wiped it away that it really cleaned the chair! We have used it to clean with ever since.
Wishing you all the best,
BalfourGreat point, Saul. I also use the double loop for ease of putting them into the harp. The thick nylon string seems to last forever, too!
Hello, friend Emma!
I hope your wrist is healing well, and we continue to remember you in our thoughts and prayers. I love your posts in Harp Column!
Best wishes,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)I do what Marco does, play for someone else, especially if I feel like I am having a bad day. The other person usually cheers me up, I feel better, and the playing improves! Just thinking about wanting to play WELL for the other person makes a real difference, too!
I was being introduced to the audience before a concert I did on pedal harp at a retirement center, several years ago. The theme of the program was “Isn’t It Romantic.” The sweet lady thought that it would be nice if she opened with a joke. She said, “you know, the harp is actually a NAKED piano, ha, ha!” That was the first time my wife and I had heard that, but it certainly was not the last, ha, ha!:)
I use string anchors made from the thickest diameter pedal harp NYLON string, 5th-octave A. Cut them into one-inch long pieces with diagonal pliers. To me, these are easier to deal with than the gut anchors, and is longer lasting. I have used the same ones over and over again when I have restrung my harps over the years. They are thick and hold up very well.
Happy Spring, everyone!
BalfourWill,
Did you order it, and if so, how is it coming along? It is difficult, but keep working hard–you will get it!
Thanks to all of you for responding.
Best,
BalfourThanks, Donna and Andelin! I was too busy to get on line until now, so I just found your posts. Those are all wonderful tips. One more–be sure to start with the highest, thinnest diameter wire string, which is the easiest one. Just take the old ones off one at a time and install the new ones the same way, so that only one is off the harp at any one time. This is better for the entire wood frame of the harp, as Biagio said, less warping and flexing of the soundboard, etc. As you work down, your “learning curve” gets better so you can deal with the longer, thicker wires. If this is a pedal harp, the lowest strings can be more dangerous, like coiled snakes, my sweet wife said! (I do get her to help me hold the loose ends of the strings to keep them corralled.) Do wear eye protection, and rubber gloves would also help. I have the scratched fingers to prove it, ha, ha!
Good luck, Sonya! Those videos are great, too.
Best to all of you,
BalfourHello all,
If anyone is considering changing their bass wires, I heartily recommend it. I finished installing the other seven wires on my pedal harp this morning for a total of eleven, and they are just wonderful! This harp sounded so good, even with the previous strings, but she is even better, now. So, don’t be afraid to change strings–it is well worth it!
Sincerely,
Balfour
