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I wrote an article in the Spring 2015 Folk Harp Journal on how to make the stands that I use. They’re like a desk top artist’s easel, fold for gigging and cost less than $50 to make. People have used them on anything from light Harpsicles to pretty heavy wire strungs. You can see a picture here:
https://harpcolumn.com/members/biagio/media/262/
No I don’t make them for sale anymore, but it’s pretty easy to do:-)
Biagio
I store strings of the same size coiled, in zip lock bags with the range and size written on the bag – e.g. “0.025 C7-G6”. If they are cut to length I’ll label the individual strings too and if any are metal I also slip in a bag of desiccant. Rice works OK in place of the desiccant.
Since I have several harps the entire set is sorted by harp, with dividers, in a plastic box. You can usually find all of this stuff in a large office supply store.
Biagio
Speaking as a student and a harp maker….my teacher insists that students bring their own harps if at all possible. The exceptions are: if these are early lessons on basic technique and theory; if the student’s harp is out of commission for some reason; or if it is a very large harp that would be difficult to transport. If a beginning student does not yet have their own she will arrange to rent them one and help them find the model that best suits their style and desires. Her reasons are the same that you have given.
Hope that helps.
Biaigo
That sounds awesome. Unfortunately, my lever harp is tuned in Eb Major, which means I can’t do that without retuning some Es and Bs. (One advantage a pedal harp has.)
Clinton, I may have confused you by referring to a C major tuning. For ANY major scale those half steps are the 3rd and 7th. Thus if you’re in Eb major, sharp your G (now you have two Abs side by side); sharp your D – voila, two Ebs side by side. Pentatonic, with two sets of paired strings per octave.
All this jargon, I admit, is annoying but that’s the language we’re stuck with. Could be worse: if you aspired to classical you would have to know some Italian – grin.
Biagio
Both great observations my friends, Balfour and Tacye. Let me add another: unless the piece is specifically scored in one and only one way, you’ll likely encounter many interpretations. For one example, I mentioned “Beach Spring”; I’ve always heard it in a major key (Ionian mode) but just picked up one by Harper Tasche – Mixolydian that one. So choose one interpretation and don’t necessarily try to mimic it exactly; that gets too confusing and takes a lot of the fun out.
Biagio
Have you searched the usual outlets for comparative pricing? A recent model used harp in good condition typically sells at around 65%-75% of retail new. Laurie Rasmussen recently sold one for $3850, which is in the ballpark.
Hi Clinton,
Great post! Here are a few thoughts/reactions in no particular order.
Mountain dulcimer: still pretty much a cottage industry, even for concert quality ones (yes, there are such things). A decent one will cost between $200 and $400. If you have glue, clamps, a hammer and patience Music Makers sells kits for $160 or $200. The $200 one costs more because the sides are steam bent; there is no difference in tone so go for the teardrop shape. Getting the frets exact and the action level are the only critical elements to making one from scratch; the kits have pretty much done that for you.
Chords/Theory: Here are two good books that take most of the mystery out: The Everything Music Theory Book (mainly oriented to guitar but that’s not a problem) and another Ray Pool: “3’s A Chord.”
Isolation a section for repeated listening: some notation software such as Finale and Sibelius will read in a PDF or MIDI file which you can then edit and “loop play.” You can also regulate the tempo – I learned Carolan’s Dream and a few other tunes that way and it is actually kind of fun.
The Score: I used to get intimidated by the accompaniment (all those notes!) until my teacher pointed out that they were mostly chords broken up into individual notes. The most basic however is a triad in root position: root, up a third and up another third i.e. C-E-G, F-A-C etc. “So”, she said, “Just play the melody and a simple triad”. Some Scottish tunes are just a drone: same chord all through the tune. “Inisheer” is one like that, it’s also a simple tune and very pretty.
Improvising: Try this, it’s quite amazing. Choose a chord sequence, I IV V for instance, and just keep going around and around. For example C F G, C F G, C F G…..keep going andwithout looking at your other (“melody”) hand just start fooling around with that “melody” hand – you will soon discover what is working and what doesn’t. Intuitive, which is how I learn best.
Exploring: Any major scale is composed of two whole steps, a half step, then four more whole steps and another half – then the octave. So let’s say you are in C – those half steps are E and B. A mode is just a different arrangement of whole and half steps, that’s all. Now let’s have some fun and try a different sequence! Sharp those two half steps – now you are playing in a pentatonic scale and anything you do will sound good. Lots of tunes are actually pentatonic: most shape note songs like Beach Spring, some Scottish like Farewell to Tarwaithe (which you might recognize as Dylan’s Farewell Angelina). Anyhow, just play around in pentatonic and start adding any old chord. Some will sound good some not so good but none of them will sound awful. Intuitive again but by paying attention to what you like you will develop your own approach to arranging.
Cheers,
BiagioThanks Hearpe, great suggestions! Here’s another – as opposed to a keyboard, get your hands on a mountain dulcimer. That instrument’s fret board is laid out as a major scale (7 tones) rather than chromatic like a guitar or piano. So whatever note your keytone is tuned to, that’s the key you are in.
You can of course “mix things up” but typical open tuning is with the tonic, or keytone, on two strings an octave apart, with the remaining string a fifth away. Playing a fourth, third, etc. is thus straight forward and intuitive.
A decent one does not cost too much and it’s a very nice accompaniment to the harp. Of course so is a hammered dulcimer but those cost a lot more:-)
BiagioHi Clinton,
I’m not the best person to respond but since no one else has and I’m working on the same, I’ll take a shot. First – there are no how-to books; that’s the bad news.
Here’s the half-full: people have been playing the harp (and everything else) by ear for thousands of years before notation came about, and for a few thousand years after that too.
Now for a quickie:
Let’s stick with the diatonic scale (there are others of course). The “trick”, if you will, is to learn tunes by interval i.e. 1 is the tonic note, 4 is the subdominant, 5 is the dominant for the major notes in the scale. So if you are tuned to C that’s 1, F is 4, G is 5 (and of course the next C is an 8 or a 1 take your pick). Sound like babble? Well, yeah, but bear with me.Now choose a well known tune, hum the opening phrase – let’s take Amazing Grace. It opens 5 1 3 1 3(G C E C E if tuned to C). What if you’re tuned in D (C# and F#). Same intervals but different notes: A D F# D F#. If you learn that interval 5 1 3 1 3 sequence you can also (almost) play Minstrel Boy in any key – I’ll leave it up to you to figure out what comes after 5 and 1 in that tune.
So that’s the main idea – train your ear to recognize what intervals sound like. Eventually you will also begin to recognize the actual note name, especially if you tune your harp every time you sit down to play.
There IS one book I can suggest, and it’s great (but also a lot of work) – Ray Pool’s “1 2 3 Play”.
Have fun and good luck!
Biagio
Interseting question Harperkat, and surely there will be different opinions. Here’s mine: buy that first harp after you have a) thoroughly researched various designs b) understand the basics of how harps are made so you can compare untried models (several excellent makers – Thormahlen, Blevins, Kemper, Dusty describe in greater or lesser detail) c) settle on general parameters and choose one you can afford.
Here’s the thing about “first a teacher”: to play well and progress one must develop good technique for the style you play, and that is very difficult entirely on one’s own, what ever that style may be. As well, a good teacher will help to guide you to the harp that best suits you.
Of course, ANY harp is better than none – if it is well made:-)
Biagio
Congratulations Hearpe, I’m glad to hear that you like the Mikel!
As strings get longer and the frequency gets lower you pretty much are looking at wound strings of some kind after a certain point. What that point is depends on the designed tension and tone of the rest. People will discuus for an agreeable way to pass the time over exactly what kind of strings, tone and so on. And you should hear makers debate sound boards, wood, and everything else!
Biagio
Hearpe, what you suggest may work but first you really should do an analysis – it will save you a lot of trouble! Some people find the maths intimidating but thanks to computers you really don’t have to crunch through those with a calculator or even remember the formulas. So here’s a handy FREE Excel spreadsheet from Music Makers:
http://www.harpkit.com/blog/string-analysis/
For an excellent nontechnical discussion of string theory, I encourage anyone and everyone to read Rick Kemper’s at Sligo Harps:
Just click the String Theory link and you will come away with a good idea of what goes through a harp maker’s mind, haha. We ALWAYS start the design with the strings.
LOL, I always have thoughts. Some of them fairly bizarre, admittedly.
Biagio
Andrew uses Piastro strings on some doesn’t he? They’re a bit hard to find in some places but not too much. Really gorgeous and innovative instruments!
Blessings al,
BiagioGreat advice Kathleen, thank you! Yes, those fluorocarbon strings are stretchy, so maybe not the best idea for some situations.
Wire is a pretty different beast and a lot depends on how the harp is made. Some are very loud and when a string does break…kaboom! They can also be pretty heavy. On the other hand…..
I made a 3 octave wire strung specifically to drag around to fairs – one of several (the others are nylon) that kids could play around with. That’s always a big attraction and the parents love it too!
Biagio
Hur hur hur, Adelin I absolutley agree: if at all possible it’s wisest to try as many different models as one can. And there’s the dilemma for many beginners: there are a lot of excellent models and often the player can’t try very many! Hence my constant admonition:”first find a good teacher, THEN start looking for the first harp.” Which I always follow with the suggestion: “The first harp probably will not be the last unless it is really junk. So get something you won’t mind keeping later on (or can easily sell.”
I must have gone through a half dozen or more designs PLUS numerous “tweaks”over the past 10-12 years and have only now settled on what I want to keep for the duration. And those were my designs made just for myself – never mind the custom jobs!
Laurie Riley says that after 30 years of professional performance she only NOW has exactly what she wants. There are four in her house (at last count anyway). Harper Tasche must have at least as many and maybe more, I’ve never counted – every time he sees a new one he can’t wait to try it.
LOL,
Biagio
