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Good point! That happens to my kids all the time. One thing in particular that relates to both computers and harps: your wrists. Make sure you are not arching them into a “swan neck” which strains tendons and also reduces finger agility. You want your wrist to be very slightly dipped, but not to an extent that shows your arm as being at a markedly different angle from your hands. The two should form a more or less unbroken line, with the back of the hand generally a bit higher than the wrists. NOT the other way around!!! Do mind this, because it’s an easy habit to fall into, whether playing or typing.
Unfortunately, the situation Saul refers to happens everywhere. I teach, and get a fair few number of callers who ask if I have “a student” who could do gigs I’d be perfectly happy and able to take on myself. But they don’t say “a harpist”: they specify those still in study or just starting out on their performing life – even if their skills & repertoires are not as developed – because they think they’ll come cheap, or else be thrilled to just play For The Experience. So be sure you don’t undersell yourselves – if you do, you’re letting the whole side down, including other young people.
It could be some form of R.S.I. (Repetitive Strain Injury – a general term which you can google for more info). But no, it doesn’t sound normal and I am afraid you’re just going to make it worse if you carry on playing through pain, because that is likely to only aggravate it. Playing should not hurt, and if it does, you need to stop until it heals. It’s probably being caused by some sort of wear – and the only cure for wear is to stop doing whatever’s causing it. That may mean figuring out a different method of playing.
Not a very positive answer, I know – but RSI can become seriously disabling if it’s ignored and allowed to go on getting worse. (That’s not to say that yours *will* – but I wouldn’t take the chance.)
If your hand position is correct, check your sitting position, and also the height of your stool: make sure the harp is balanced properly and not putting too much weight on you and throwing you out of alignment (asymmetrically-played instruments are notorious for that). See that you’re not sitting too high and having to bend over uncomfortably, etc. You might also investigate Alexander Technique for how to sit and bear loads properly. Sometimes tension in the shoulders or spine can take it out on other parts of you, in surprising ways.
But DO research this, and don’t play if it hurts. That’s your body telling you something and you do need to listen. Really wish I could help more –
They’re nice harps, though, so it seems worth getting it sorted out (re-strung & serviced, as Tacye says), or at least having a professional tell you what would be needed. If it’s playable and hasn’t been damaged in some way, you could then sell it for a decent price. You will want to get someone who knows what they’re doing to look at the levers* to see if they all work properly, and also advise you as to what price to ask. I played one of these when they first came out back in the mid-80s, and liked it a lot.
Even if you don’t care to spend out money getting it done up, it’s as well to at least know what the score is, so you can pass the info on to whoever you sell it to (and adjust the price accordingly). But the LH’s are good-quality – it’s a lovely gift! Good luck
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*Any of you guys recall what levers LH were using back in those days? My best memory-shot is that they were those brass lift-up ones, with the little V -indent that displaced the string outwards instead of to the side as blades did.The BBC Symphony does – but make sure *you* carry the bag of spare strings & bits yourself, because it can (and frequently does) get lost in the shuffle. Then you could be left without that vital 3rd A when you most need it.
It would have to equal a LOT of extra pay to induce me to ever take on the responsibility of moving a harp in and out of concert halls, orchestra pits, etc. And don’t forget the parking issues around venues like that, which are often in crowded city centres, where traffic is plentiful and spaces rare. If the harp is their property, so is the responsibility (and the repair costs).
I agree with the others – get the Snark (SN2 model, all-instruments chromatic tuner, comes in red). I have both it and the Korg, which I find is SO sensitive that it responds to all the overtones in the strings as well, making the needle fluctuate wildly, so it’s often hard to know where the settling-point for the fundamental pitch is. The Snark does this somewhat too – it’s in the nature of harp strings – but it’s less volatile and much easier to read. Funnily enough, I was just writing to a student’s mum about this very subject this morning. She emailed back that on her own Korg she was driven demented trying to distinguish where the actual note was, and finally went back to just tuning to the piano.
The Snark will clip to the shank of your key, so its display face sits right next to the tuning pin which means you can see everything in one go. Also you can easily re-position it with your thumb so you don’t need to interrupt the flow of your movements or shift your eyes back and forth.
In addition it has a built-in metronome (it only displays a visual pulse and doesn’t sound) which can be useful if you want to determine a tempo without anyone else hearing (e.g. before a performance). There’s further discussion about the Snark in the Coffee Break section (“New Dusty Key with Tuner”).
Keep a close eye, and ear, on your harp – conspicuous scratches are the least of your worries. I don’t know how “all out of tune” you mean, but if it really is considerably out, it means the string tension has altered dramatically. And that is a sign of movement of some sort in the instrument’s frame, which in turn could signify a crack or disturbance in a glue-joint.
So keep it tuned to concert pitch (or whatever you normally use) and check it once or twice daily to see if it holds. Also look *and* feel underneath the neck for hairline cracks. That’s a vulnerable area. You can’t be sure there’s no damage until you’re satisfied the harp is behaving itself consistently.
And yes, as the people above have already said, get insurance! Especially if others are playing your harp, or if you take it out of the house. Accidents happen in a split second and you never see them coming – so be prepared in advance.
I just bought one of these, based on what I’ve read here, and agree with the others – I love it! Very easy to use, and it makes tuning go much quicker because you can see everything at one glance. It works both as a contact and via a tiny acoustic mic.
I also like the built-in metronome (which only displays a visual pulse and doesn’t sound) because being able to monitor a tempo without anyone hearing it has some great advantages; particularly when – under pressure of nerves – you’re in danger of starting a difficult piece too fast. Stress can distort our perceptions of speed and time, so it’s a useful “reining-in” device as well as a tuner. The risk of starting pieces too fast is one of the main bugbears a nervous or inexperienced performer faces, so it’s a great boon to have this. I always warn my kids to set their “tempostat” internally before they begin, and having a silent metronome on your key is a great aid.
I see that Dusty have affixed it to the end of their key, which you can do with the clip-on Snarks as well because its face rotates. But I just attach it to the shank of the key, so it sits right next to the pin, faces the correct way around, and is clearly visible.
The model that harpists will want to get is the large-range “SN2 Chromatic All-Instruments Tuner” (the red one).
Thanks for the heads-up everybody! I’m now passing the info around to all my students and harp buddies.
So sorry to hear this, Basel. I’ve just seen your message, and can’t add anything to what the others have already said, but you’re in my thoughts and prayers. Stay safe!
B xxxIt makes perfect sense. It really depends on the musical range you want – the smaller the harp, the fewer bass notes. A 30-string range normally goes down to 5th-octave G (bottom line on the bass staff) or sometimes F, which still gives the left hand a decent amount of playing to contribute.
The next common size above that is c. 26 strings, which normally extends down to 5th C (an octave below middle C). Just remember, the smaller you go, the more bass you’ll lose (though the treble range is affected somewhat too, but less limitingly). This can get a bit tinkly and monotonous after awhile. But if you don’t miss those deeper bottom notes, then I can’t see why you shouldn’t. I have a 30-string and I use it all the time, though it’s not my only lever harp and the others are bigger.
I’m not sure why your husband doesn’t like the idea…? (Mine frequently gets dragooned into carrying my harps, so he would find it delightful.) Is it because you are thinking of getting rid of your 36-string? I would hang onto that one if at all possible – you never know when its greater range would come in handy in a recording session, or some situation where portability isn’t such an issue.
So, bottom line – If you see a 30-string you like, which has the bass range you want (and don’t forget, *good* semitone levers) then go for it!
So glad you like it – thanks for posting that link! I know she also publishes the score to this piece, though it doesn’t seem to be that easy to find in the shops, for some reason. But they do sell it here*, through an outlet based in Wales (whose son, Ben Creighton Griffiths is a stunning harpist and has been ever since he was a little child; and he’s still only in his early teens). Anyway, this piece is playable on lever harp, link is below, and no, I’m not getting a commission!
*
http://www.creighton-griffiths.co.uk/acatalog/am_ofarrell_sm.html
I don’t know about “flashy” but certainly lovely (and rather Mozartian) is Anne Marie O’Farrell’s setting of the Bach chorale Take My Life And Let It Be Consecrated.
I do wish that competitions wouldn’t focus so much on flashy attention-getting pieces – particularly with hymns, which are meant to be spiritual, sensitive and introspective. A huge amount of music loses out simply because it’s not gymnastic by nature. But there are some interesting suggestions in this thread which bear following up. Let us know what you finally choose!
Yes, go for it. This is not advice I would give every beginner, but you are clearly old enough to know what you want, your piano background will stand you in good stead because of the many similarities in treble/bass hand coordination, score layout etc; and you want to focus on classical music. Lever harps are too chromatically limited to handle much of this repertoire (though you can do a surprising amount on them), so you might as well begin as you mean to proceed. Also you’re lucky to live in Boston where there are some very fine teachers and a wealth of cultural outlets. So, do it!
These are excellent choices – but even if someone has played both of them and formed a personal judgment on the matter, it can vary from harp to harp. Musical instruments are organic, so no two are ever exactly alike. One “Model X” by a particular maker can sound like something straight from the Heavenly choir, and its identical twin, in the same model, can be good but nothing special. There’s no real way of deciding, short of trying it out yourself. People are most likely to respond to your question with, “Well, I own a — and love it” which won’t tell you much. Certainly you’re on solid ground with both of these makes.
Since they’re based in the same city, can you get up there and try these harps out for yourself? Make sure to write to each of the companies beforehand and explain clearly what you’re looking for (they may also have other possibilities to show you) because they’re only going to have whatever’s in stock at the moment. DO, by all means, TRY TO BUY ONE YOU HAVE PLAYED if at all possible, so you can judge firsthand. (Sorry for the shouty caps but this browser doesn’t seem to support rich text.) That means the manufacturer would need to have one available, so give them plenty of advance warning. Bottom line, with two high-quality harps so similar in price and spec, you really want to compare them and base your decision on your own direct experience.
You also need to make sure you’re happy with the “egonomics” of how the instrument feels when you sit at it (both playing AND not playing but just resting it on your shoulder), how it balances, string spacing and pull, etc (also you must determine how high you want to sit, and make sure this is the same for both models). These aspects are largely a matter of individual preference and body-build: among the reputable manufacturers, one harp is not “better” than the other just because they may differ in these areas. People’s tastes and needs cover a wide range, so you do need to be familiar with your own. I know a trip to Chicago is added expense, but I would say it’s well worth it. Good luck on your search!
Don’t forget there’s also a good chance of finding a secondhand harp that would suit you – though get someone experienced to check it out for you before committing yourself.
If you can give us a general idea of how much you want to spend, and also roughly where you’re located, we can post suggestions or links if we see any. Also, how important is size? Does it need to be as portable as possible, or is that not a vital consideration?
Sorry for the April Fool misunderstanding – I keep falling for those jokes, and this time thought AHA! I’ll be wary. Too wary, I guess. Thanks for taking it in such good humour!
