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It’s been an interesting thread and we often discuss tone in terms of strings, since these are the most “visible”. At the risk of being a buzzkill I’d like to comment that harp makers strive for a signature sound and the strings are only part of it: second or equally important is the SB material and shape.
That is somewhat more difficult to predict just by looking but there are a few things to observe. Taking a 5 octave harp as an example: some make the SB quite wide at the bass compared to other makers, the result being more sustain, sympathetic vibration and volume. Others achieve this by putting actual sound holes in the bottom (those in the back are more for string access.
Dusty harps signature sound (in the FH series) have a combination of SB and string design: mahogany in the top 3 1/2 octaves, spruce below, and the bass strings are bronze core with nylon windings.
Many others (following the pedal harp lead) use spruce all the way and steel core metal wrap bass strings. For those who want the bass to sound as close as possible to gut may use fiber core silver wrap.
Small variations in the SB wood, how it is tapered and the string lengths can make an audible difference even among harps of the same model.
The point of this little rant being the often repeated suggestion to try a particular harp out. The model and design can be a guide – but each may sound slightly different despite the makers’ considered intentions.
Biagio
I’m moving away from the original thread a little so apologies. But I can’t resist one more comment:
Ray Mooers over at Dusty is in my opinion and many others one of the smartest harp makers in the business. Ray perceived that the Ravennas could be viewed as lower quality entry level and also (I’d bet) was concerned about them cannabalizing FH sales. Hence the Allegro and Crescendo – hardwood box, laminate board.
Ain’t it fun?
Biagio
A note on the Dusty Ravenna and similar harps:
It is something of a misnomer to describe their sound boards as “plywood” and to thus infer that they are poorer quality than harps with solid wood boards. Different tone and easier to build certainly but….
For a long time harp makers used spruce almost exclusively partly because many of them came from the violin tradition. Totally different instrument in terms of dynamics. I might add that both violin and concert harp makers tend to be bound by tradition.
With the explosion of interest in “folk” instruments during the seventies, “folk” harp makers began to experiment with almost every aspect of design. In fact, you can thank Chris Caswell and Rick Rubarth among others for the introduction of fluorocarbon strings – which were (and in some cases still are) Japanese fishing line. Savarez came up with some patented variations on the formula, but some of us still prefer the original for reasons I won’t go into here.
Such experimentation also led to different sound board materials and means of construction (you will probably not see a board covered with a thin hardwood veneer on harps 20 or more years old). Cypress, cedar, redwood, some species of pine are all used on folk harps today. Along the way some bright spark discovered aircraft grade laminates, which you now find on harps such as the Ravennas, Rubarth Merlin, Boulding Oran Mor, and all the Musicmakers (among others). This is NOT plywood in the sense of outer hardwood surfaces covering softwood inner layers. The laminates are entirely hardwood – typically birch – with each about 0.6mm thick (or, rather thin).
As such these react rather more like a very thin hardwood than the softwood boards but are very impervious to shrinking/swelling. Savvy makers can tune the instrument by making the the vibrating surface wider, tension higher, and tuning the sound chamber. They will not develop more color over time as will a spruce board but on the other hand they sound fine right out of the box and are a good choice if you are not intending to play in concert – or even so if you intend to play outdoors – and if you are economically constrained. Some pros in fact like them for tours – Mark Harmer and Harper Tasche for instance.
Incidentally, when Wil refers to “Dusty Ravenna…quality plywood which is covered with vinyl” she is referring to the sound box. The board is aircraft grade laminate, the box is vinyl covered baltic birch ply. They cost less partly because the materials cost less than hard woods and softwoods (as with the FH series), partly because the construction is much faster, and partly because of the market perception/preference of traditional materials.
Whew!
BiagioHi Wil,
Yep, damping what I was thinking of – and related special techniques that work better with higher tension. That’s advanced stuff, mostly: sliding the finger on the string, using the back of the nail for a “rattle” and so on.
Biagio
Hi Wil, what you write is of course true. One cannot be more specific without knowing the harp in question but between our three comments (yours, mine, and Charles) I think we provide a start on the question of tone. As to levers in particular, some are more forgiving than others regarding acceptable diameters. If the harper does not know this stuff it is best to consult a harp luthier and/or string maker.
As a baritone I personally like a deeper bass and more sustain than one often finds (e.g. I’ll give up some tenor strings to get a bass A instead of a bass C). I’d also offer the thought that for jazz especially one might prefer a fairly high tension and levers one can flip rapidly. Or a double strung for that matter.
The field is wide!
Biagio
On the question of string types in particular: it is important to understand than one type may be substituted for another if the tension for which it is designed is maintained. As to tone…a harder material will sound brighter than a softer one – in order of hardness nylon (hardest), fluorocarbon, then gut. A denser material string will give more tension: fluorocarbon denser, than gut then nylon. Longer strings usually provide more sustain than shorter ones. Bearing all these in mind, it is also possible to change the range to some degree – I think it is best to consult a professional string maker if thinking of making any changes.
Afraid I don’t know of any books along those lines, Kelsi, and am unsure if any would be all that useful. I’ve been fortunate to have had several excellent teachers but have to say that each approached conveying instruction in different ways.
One was all hands on, insisted that her students learn not only technique but the harp’s unique design as well; she regularly took students to concerts/recitals and had them take notes of the players’ posture, technique and so on.
Another was quite the opposite, concentrating on musical expression, rhythm development etc. A third started out with a thorough introduction to music theory with the harp used to demonstrate those principles (e.g. how does a third sound different from a fifth and why – with the added benefit of learning hand position wile finding out!).
So i guess it is a matter of your own personality and style. I’ve been asked a number of times but declined, not feeling prepared or sufficiently advanced. I did agree to get them started though – demonstrating posture, hand position, the “harpist fist” using a metronome, and lent them a harp along with certain selected books.
Those included the Beginning Harpist series by Stephanie Curcio, 1,2,3 – Play by Ray Pool, Play the Harp Beautifully by Pam Bruner, Metoda Arpa by Maria Grossi, On Playing the Harp by Yolanda Kondonassis, The Harper’s Manual by Laurie Riley, Trouble Shooting Your Lever Harp (if that’s what they had) by David Kolacny). Grossi and Kondonassis in particular follow a logical instruction protocol. Riley has a chapter that may help as well: “So You Want to be a Teacher”.
If I may toot my particular ideas: I’ve noticed that even some excellent harpists understand very little about harp design – some even totally lacking in understanding string theory (not the modern theoretical physics but in the older sense of of Brook Taylor) or harp construction. I can’t tell you how often I’ve been asked such basic questions as “Can I substitute gut for nylon?” (or vice versa). Not saying one must be a harp maker, of course! But being prepared to guide a student in selecting their own instrument with more than “this is a model I personally like” (and what to avoid) seems like a good idea!
For the practical business aspects – Anne Roos writes a regular column in the Folk Harp Journal (The Harper in Business) which often covers such matters as business software, scheduling tips, dealing with parents and so on.
Hope that’s helpful and best wishes,
BiagioGretchen’s suggestion is a good one, i.e. listen to a number of different genres – a lot are on Youtube, then home in on sheet music. Soothing seems a bit vague to me but here are a few pieces and players that are definitely not part of the classical repertoire but sound great on the harp: Jonathan Fanagiello (heavy metal, Frank Voltz (Jazz), Alfredo Rolando Ortiz (South American), Deborah Henson-Conant (Blues), The Harp Twins (Pop).
A check list or questions for buying a used harp:
Was it made by an established harp maker and when?
Who owned it and how often has it been played?
When was it last regulated and how old are the strings?
What else comes with it – string chart, tuning wrench, etc.?
Are there any visible, cracks especially at the neck?
Is the pillar straight as viewed from the front?
Are there any cosmetic imperfections?There could be perfectly acceptable harps and yet be negatives to these questions. So as I believe Wil suggested, take a teacher or some other knowledgeable person along with you.
You might also consider the Marini Travel harp..
If you mean a crack along the liner running up one or the other side that would be a definite negative unless the price is very low and you e who could replace the sound board. That in itself is not expensive in terms of materials but the labor cost could be prohibitive. Figure on about $200 US for a new SB but perhaps up to $1000 labor.
If the damage from it seemingly falling over is simply cosmetic, that is not a big deal.
Sometimes though you really do find a great deal. One person I know recently bought a 40 year old Triplett Axline in excellent condition for $200; with fleece lined case, spare strings and more. She will give it feet (about $35) which the old Axlines did not have for increased stability, and as long as she is OK with blades that’s a great bargain. Those could be replaced with the smallest Truitt lever bases at a net cost of zero assuming she sells those blades.
Biagio
Would it be possible in this piece to tune that one D to flat? If so, raise it’s lever so it is a natural until you reach that point, then flip the lever down. Alternatively, sometimes one can “fake” and accidental by playing a second – in this case C and D.
Just some thoughts as I don’t know this piece. If that Db is a passing tone, just skip it altogether, of course.
It has been shown that one learns and retains more when relaxed – that so called Alpha brain wave state. Whatever works for you depending on your experience and proclivities: meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, crystal rubbing for those so inclined, or simply visualizing the score – whatever.
Just don’t do a hard physical workout or focus on personal problems.
I agree Tacye, if the strings are wound carefully around the tuning pegs. That is not too difficult, just finicky. I don’t particularly like Lovelands in any case; for a wire string the tolerances are too tight in some ranges for my taste.
