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You might enjoy a biography of jazz pianist Marian McPartland titled “Shall We Play That One Together?” I thoroughly enjoyed her learning process from classical to jazz. I also loved “Notes From a Battered Grand” by Don Asher.
I have heard that it is extremely difficult to cancel membership in the Knot once you’re in. Membership is automatically renewed every year. I did pay to be on WeddingWire one year (it was very expensive) and got nothing from it, whereas I had gotten one job from it previously when I had a free listing. Lately there don’t seem to be very many leads that actually book from any source, so I wouldn’t suggest paying for them, but maybe it’s different in your area. Try googling vendor complaints for any site you’re considering before you decide. Good luck!
I have bought this book and it is amazing! Beautifully done and meticulously researched. Lots of pictures and diagrams. I’m thoroughly enjoying it, and it will take some time, as it is a large book! Thanks so much for this! A great addition to my harp history collection.
Carl, this may sound really old-fashioned, but I keep a little notebook by the computer, and I write in it how to do certain things that I may do only occasionally. It saves me the time and hassle of trying to find the info I need in the Finale manual the next time I have to notate whatever it is.
If you can get the serial number of the harp, you can contact Lyon & Healy. They can tell you when it was made and what it cost then. Many people do check the serial number before buying a used harp to see if it’s had any major repairs, etc., that Lyon & Healy knows about. Of course they wouldn’t have info on any work done by independent harp techs.
I’d seriously reconsider that. Safer to rent a harp in Europe than risk shipping your own. Maybe you could (very carefully) rent yours at home to defray your rental cost in college?
Also some countries are difficult to import an expensive instrument without tons of paperwork or a tax. They assume you’re bringing it to sell it.Carl, this is great news! I think you will enjoy it once you get started. Just be sure to save your work frequently LOL!
Balfour, thank you for your kind words about my arrangements. I’m working on more but it’s become very difficult lately to get permission from the copyright holders for print versions and very expensive for digital downloads. So I’m on hold for now.Dear Balfour, perhaps at the American Harp Society Conference in 2016? I was in charge of registration. Always good to be with friends!
Carl, I would just add that, whichever software you choose, it’s always easiest if you have a friend you can contact (call, email, whatever) who is comfortable (if not proficient) with the program when you have a question. That is what I did when I first started and still do if I am really puzzled. I’m sure anyone here would be more than happy to help if you need assistance. However, I think once you get started, you will find it all fascinating and enjoy the process. Best always!
I use Finale but some people prefer Sibelius. They are both very good. There is a bit of a learning curve, but there is also a lot of good help on the internet, and Finale has an online manual (which is part of the program) that I consult when I don’t know how to do something. There may be classes available online; there are lots of online user groups for Q&A.
Finale does not have anything I would call autocorrect, although it does not allow you to put more beats into a measure than is proper. There are ways to force that, though, if you need to. It will play back what you’ve written so you can hear if it’s correct.
Finale is kind of expensive but once you’ve bought it, the software upgrades are usually free or cheap. All you need is a computer (desktop preferably, and the larger the monitor, the better to see what you’re doing, plus you can zoom in for closer view) and a printer. I’m a Mac person, but it’s available for either system. My biggest problem has been knowing what I want to write but not knowing the correct term for it, which makes it difficult for me to search the manual for help. You are much more knowledgeable than I, Carl, so you probably won’t have any trouble.
Look at Finale’s website and read about its features. Many famous composers and arrangers love it.
I was able to create a similar symbol using two shapes from existing articulation fonts and the smart shape tool. It isn’t an exact copy, but you can try it. If you like it, you can add the two shapes to your personal articulation library (which I use for pedal markings, etc.).
Bring up the articulation tool and choose “create.” Look for “Finale percussion font” and choose #190. It looks like a chime symbol; as close as I could find to the one at the bottom of the real whistling symbol. Then “create” and choose “Kohinoor Bangla” and #515. It’s a black dot. You may want 18 size as opposed to the default 24 that comes up.
Once you’ve placed these on your score, connect the (two) dots with two straight lines from the smart shapes tool and use the angle shape to indicate the direction to swipe the strings.
As I said, it’s a make-shift solution, but maybe worth a look. Since you want to do this, I’m assuming you’re pretty experienced with Finale. If any of this doesn’t make sense, contact me privately and I’ll try to explain further. Good luck!
Camac pedal harps tend to have a bit more vertical separation between the soundboard and the action in the top octave because the design is similar to the early Erard harps. That might be helpful if you have large hands. One also sits a bit higher at a Camac than with other brands, which I find makes it easier to see the higher octave strings. What is most important is to find a harp in good condition which meets your needs and budget. Perhaps your teacher can help you find a good used instrument to get started. It’s good to have a harp technician check out any used instrument before you purchase it, if possible.
Regardless of the maker, it’s the condition that matters. Only way to determine that is personal inspection by you or a knowledgeable and experienced harpist or (best of all) a reputable harp tech. It may be worth the trip to see it just to satisfy your curiosity even if you don’t buy it. Also consider what it would cost to put it in playing condition if the strings are old, neck is warped, action frozen, etc. Caveat emptor.
The size of the harp has nothing to do with stiffness or looseness of the pedals. The feel of the pedals varies from harp to harp depending on how the pedal springs are adjusted, and the tension can be changed by your harp tech or yourself if you know how. I have two 44-string Camacs and the pedals are firm on one, soft on the other, and that’s just the way they were when I bought them. On my L&H 23 they’re somewhere between those two in feel. You become accustomed to whatever you’re using. It’s like some cars have a tight clutch and others have a loose clutch.
