[CelticKnot]

Hi, Elizabeth! Thank you so much for your post! I’m sorry it’s taken me so darn long to respond! I came back to post one day, and the sight was super different to what I remembered! I couldn’t figure out how to log in! Anyhow, I finally got everything sorted out now.

I really appreciate you chiming in, even if it has been a while since this topic was first started! 🙂

Wow! I had no idea that the Braille Music code was being updated to match the UEB standards, as well. I learned the BANA literary code, so I have some transitioning to do with the UEB update. I have one of those free guides on the changes from BANA to UEB in hardcopy Braille.

Do you think I should go ahead and learn the Braille Music code as it is right now, or wait until the updated code is released? I was thinking of starting the Braille Music Reading course that Hadley offers sometime soon. They require you to have a keyboard with 61 keys. I have a friend who wants to get rid of an old 61-key keyboard of hers, so that works out well for me.

Thanks for your suggestions on how to mark the harp! I think I’ll use tape. Or maybe those sticky-backed dots, like Bump Dots. Do you think those would damage the finish, if I ever wanted to remove them? I don’t know what sort of glue or whatever they use to make them sticky. The last thing I want to do is leave a mark on my awesome instrument, so maybe the tape would be a better idea in the long-run.

Thank you so much for your info on Braille Music! It was super helpful!
I have a few questions.

1. What happens if you come to the end of a line, and you’re in the middle of a measure?
2. If you have more than one line for the left-hand part, how do you know when the left-hand part is actually starting? Are there signs for left-hand and right-hand parts?
3. How do you know which lever-changes correspond with which notes/hand part?
4. Not Braille Music-related, but where is the soundboard? Let’s say I’m sitting at the harp, for purposes of your answer, so we both have a relative position with which to work. I know the neck is the wood running from front to back, from the back to the piller; it’s where your levers and tuning pins are. I also know that the piller is the wood running perpendicular to the floor, opposit to the back, which is where the sound holes (I think that’s what those ovil-shaped holes are called) are–and at a 90-or-so angle to the neck. So, where the heck is the soundboard? 🙂

Sorry for all these questions–they must seem silly to you. 🙂

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Oh, wow! I’ll definitely check them out, then! Now I’m excited! 😀 Thanks for the info!

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Hello, Wil,

While that course sounds great, I’m worried that they’ll be using the staff to demonstrate things–and the staff is of little use to me–because Braille music is liniar, not … well, however the staff is written–I think it’s sort of like a tree? Lol see? 😀 I have absolutely no concept of what the staff looks like. Is the course free? Maybe I’ll get something out of it, but I’m worried about paying for it and then finding out that it will be useful, but only in theory. Lol I so did not mean to use that pun.

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Hello Will and Biagio. Thanks for all the great advice! I definitely plan to get a teacher. Sylvia’s Teach Yourself to Play the Folk Harp book has been transcribed in Braille, but it’s quite pricey lol! There’s also a set of books out there designed to help your teacher teach you Braille music. Those are quite expensive as well, but I’ve heard good things about them. I think I’ll need to learn Braille music before diving into any theory books. I plan to look for Sylvia’s theory book, as well.

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Hello, Biagio. You wrote:
A full chord (we’ll choose a C here) would be C E G and the next C. Counting from and including that first C you have a third a fifth and an 8th (E G and the next C).
Huh? Lol I can tell that It’s going to take me a while to get my head around that.

Sad to hear that Caswell has gone out of business.

Can you recommend some good music theory books for harp? I’ll find them; I actually do a lot of my reading on my iPhone, so ebooks would be more preferable, actually. Lol Braille is big and bulky. There are also Braille transcription services available if it would be better to read these books in hardcopy Braille, do to a mix of straight text and music notation. If they’re all just straight text, however, I can read them on my Braille display, which is a piece of tech that raises and lowers pins which are layed out in a row of rectangles, with 8 pins to each little rectangle; each rectangle consists of 4 rows of 2 pins each. Anyhow, the display raises and lowers these pins based on what is written, say, on a computer screen. Of course, you need to be running a piece of software called a screen reader, which talks to you and tells you what’s on the screen. The screen reader can also be silenced, so that the only way you know the output on the screen is to read the Braille display. The screen reader drives the Braille display–if you weren’t running a screen reader, the computer wouldn’t know what the heck to make of the display. I can also connect the display to my iPhone, which is awesome! Anyhow, that’s a little beyond this topic.

Thanks for the answer about the spacing on the DS harps. Good to know. 🙂

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Biagio, thanks for all the info. I went and checked out Caswell harps, and realized that I’d heard of them before. I saw a video of the Sweetharp on YouTube, and that’s how I learned about Chris’s passing. I assumed that the harps were no longer being made, and never looked any further into things. I may actually go and check them out, now that I see Caswell is still in business.

Thanks for answering all my questions. 😀 My friends tease me because I’m always asking questions. 🙂

I’m a little confused. You wrote:
Spacing gets wider as you go lower since the strings are thicker and longer so you need more room for them to vibrate without bumping into each other. Most lever harps are near or at what you would find on a pedal harp, though. Four to four and a quarter inches would be typical from middle C to the next higher C. But it might be a tad closer depending on what the maker decided. Are you saying that string spacing is measured not by how much space is in between two strings that are right next to each other, but by how much space is in between two notes, in two octaves, say C and C? That seems weird to me, but whatever. That’s one of the things I’ll think about later lol.

I hear people talking about fifths and fourths. What the heck does that mean? Is there some book or website that can teach me all this basic music stuff, like fifths and major and minor and dominished cords and whatnot? Lol there were a lot of “ands” in that sentence. 😀

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Biagio, I actually got to try a Triplett Eclipse, and I liked it. I’d like to stay with 34 strings, though. I want this thing to be somewhat transportable. I’m still not sure if I’m going to be able to get it into our 2009 Handa Civic lol. And I just looked up the Caswell Rhiannon, and the same thing applies–too many strings. I might want more strings later on, but 34 sounds good for now.

By the way, I’ve heard a lot on Harp Column about string spacing. I have no idea what any of this means, except that some harps have narrower spacing, and some have wider spacing. What’s normal for lever/pedal harps? Is there even a standard? What would I be getting with the DS FH 34? I don’t plan on moving to a pedal harp, so I’m not too worried about anything there, but I am curious. And what’s it like playing on a concert tension verses a “normal” or lower tension, such as that on lever harps? And it seems that there’s a wide variation in tension even between models of lever harps–I’m not sure if the same holds true for variation in pedal harps, but I’d imagine so.

The only way I can describe the Ravenna–especially in the bass range–is sounding like a child’s toy stringed instrument. It just sounded too fake and sort of damp. I don’t know if I’m making any sense–I hope I am. Lol as I told the lady who was helping me in the shop–I’ve just been spoiled by the sound of the FH line. 🙂

Is sustain how long the sound of the note plays even after you’ve taken your finger off the string? Also, is overtone how … I don’t know … how complex the note sounds? I guess full might be another word? Not loud, but rich? Again, I don’t know if I’m making sense.

Lol Biagio, I have no idea if this will be my only harp. It probably will be, though, at least for several years, since we’re just starting out finance-wise and all that. We want to get a house and get our feet under us and start moving forward with our lives. I’ve felt sort of in a rut in terms of my life–I so need a job–but that’s another topic entirely.

Wil, I played a cherry Fullsicle. I was surprised I liked it as much as I did. It wouldn’t be the harp I’d get at first, but maybe if I wanted a travel harp later on down the road. Lol and Biagio is right, maybe the DS FH 34 wouldn’t be my last harp. 😀 I also played the Sharpcicle and the regular Fullsicle, and they didn’t sound too bad either. I definitely liked the cherry Fullsicle better, as the sound was a bit more punchy, but I think I’d like to hear the walnut Fullsicle before getting any Fullsicle.

jennifer, I’ll definitely check out Fiona’s website! Thanks for that! I’m super excited! I also plan to write to the Virtual Harp Circle (I’ve been getting distracted by all the stuff on Harp Column lol) and ask questions of blind harpers there.

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Balfour, while I agree that the price of the Ravenna would be easier to swallow, I fiddled around with it some while I was in the shop, and I just didn’t like it, especially the bass strings.

I might give the Boulivard and the Crescendo. a try if they have them in the shop the next time I go.

Weirdly, I actually liked the special edition Fullsicle over the Ravenna, which I was not expecting, since things I heard on-line made me think I’d like the Ravenna over the Fullsicle. Of course, I wasn’t hearing the special edition one in the videos, so that could have something to do with it, but still.

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Hello, Biagio and balfour. Good points about the case being a bit stiff at first. I wasn’t worried about that so much as I was about lifting the harp out of the case, making sure I had a clear space to place the harp upright, then getting the case out of the way. Lol I’m sure I’ll manage. I just don’t want to accidentally fumble the harp while getting it out of its case.

I think I’m going to be picking something from the Heralds of Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey to name my harp, as I really enjoy those books! 🙂

Interesting note about the strings you can get on the FH 34. I think I might stick with DS’s original configuration for the strings, as while gut sounds very nice, I’d be worried about keeping things in tune and having to fiddle with things too much. Maybe I’ll get the harp restrung after a year or so when I hope I’ll be more confident with the harp and playing it.

On a related note, I did think about the Boulivard or the Crescendo. I did get to hear the Crescendo, but I might take another listen when I go back to the shop, just in case. I heard a YouTube clip of the Boulivard and loved it, but I’m really not sure about gut. Or concert tention, either. I might just have to see if the shop has a Boulivard and check it out. How do you all think the Boulivard or Crescendo sound compares to the walnut FH 34?

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Biagio, I think I’m going to have to take a really good look at the harp when I go to the shop again. I didn’t really explore it thoroughly when I went before. Lol I got too distracted by the sound of the harps I played. I did, however, get to practice taking the legs off a DS FH 26, as well as taking it out of it’s case. The removal of the harp from its case is going to take some practice, especially since I’m getting the FH 26’s big brother.

Kind of a random question, but do you find that people are still naming their harps, like people used to do way back when?

balfour, I’ll check out Henriette Renie. You all might want to have a look at a singer called Jezebel Carol. Lol I accidentally wrote loot in that last sentence instead of look–then I would’ve had a interesting play on words there–loot, lute. Anyhow, I believe she plays harp.

Wow, balfour! You have three harps?

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

balfour, I understand that you can’t play in the dark because you can’t see the strings–but I don’t have that problem. Or rather, I do, but all the time lol. I will figure out how to do this, though lol. At least I’m not trail-blazing. I wish I had perfect pitch. According to my tuner app, I don’t lol.

Thank you all for all the encouragement! It means a lot. 🙂

Biagio, wow! I think I’ll have to reread your post a few times to absorb all the info you gave me! I’m going to look at the article you pointed me to. I’ll definitely be hunting around for those books in some sort of electronic format, too. If the only way I can buy them is in paper form, I can scan them, but I’d rather not have to do that. It takes too damn long lol. Time to go a-hunting! 😀

So, is the soundboard parallel to the neck, then? And is it true that higher-tension harps need less force put on the strings to play? Does anyone know what sort of tension DS’s FH 34 has?

What are (Salzedo and Granjany?

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Hello, Biagio, here are the specifications of the Dusty Strings FH 34.

Range
• 34 strings
• 4¾ octaves
• Low: C, two octaves below middle C
• High: A, 2¾ octaves above middle C
String composition
• Treble and upper mid-range: nylon monofilament
• Lower mid-range: nylon core with nylon wrap
• Bass: steel core with metal wrap
Levers: full set of Loveland levers. Camac levers available.
Woods
• Sides, back, neck and pillar: sapele, walnut, maple, figured cherry or bubinga
• Soundboard: solid mahogany in the mid and upper ranges and spruce in the bass, overlaid with book-matched figured hardwood veneer and bordered with purfling and edge binding
Dimensions
• Maximum height with stand: 53 inches
• Maximum height without stand: 48½ inches
• Maximum soundboard width: 13½ inches
Weight
• Sapele: approx. 21 lbs. (24 lbs. with stand)
• Walnut: approx. 19 lbs. (22 lbs. with stand)
• Maple: approx. 22 lbs. (25 lbs. with stand)
• Figured cherry: approx. 19 lbs. (22 lbs. with stand)
• Bubinga: approx. 25 lbs. (28 lbs. with stand)
• Case adds 7½ lbs.
Note: the weight can vary by up to 2 pounds, depending on the density of each piece of wood.

Questions:
1. Is there somewhere I can learn about the different types of strings on harps, especially the synthetic types? I’d like to learn what nylon monofilament and how it’s different from, say, carbon fluride (or however you spell that) or nylon core with nylon wrap. I know you went over a bit of that in your post, Biagio, in terms of which strings are used where, but I want to know what exactly they are.
2. What the heck is purfling and edge binding?
3. This is going to sound stupid, but is the soundboard the back of the harp–the part that sits between your legs and rests against your shoulder?

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Hello, Biagio. I think what Janis is trying to say is that it would be easier to jump octives and find your place on a piano during a piece because of being able to run your hands over the keys and know where you are. For example, if you hit a pare of black keys, you know that C is just to the left of the second black key, if going up the keyboard. This makes sense, but seeing as there are blind harpers out there, I’m sure ways can be found to do this on a harp.

I just had a thought. Do the bridge pins stick out on the right-hand side of the neck? If so, I can also put rings on them which correspond to the ones on the leavers on the left-hand side. Maybe that would help.

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Hello, Biagio,

I just subscribed to the Virtual Harp Circle group. I think I managed to do everything correctly, so we’ll see how that goes lol.

As for the backpack straps, I am a little nervous about carrying the thing around, but we’ll see how I get along.

I’m glad to hear that I won’t have to do much leaver-flipping in the beginning.

In regards to piano, even if I couldn’t see the keys, I would probably memorize how far I’d have to move up/down the keyboard when moving around while playing using time management / a little finger gliding. Obviously, this is just how I imagine I would do things on the piano, having not played it long enough to get a sense of how things progress the further you advance. Of course, on the harp, you probably shouldn’t touch the strings with one hand while playing with the other hand to find your place. I wonder what else would work? I don’t want to put anything on my harp that would leave marks. I’m thinking that finding my place with the left hand might be easier than with the right, as I have leavers on the left-hand side of the neck that might be able to help with this, but not on the right.

I’m rather proud of myself. I was managing to pick out the beginnings of some celtic tunes while at the harp shop, as well as quite a bit from a Christmas song. Lol now I have Eleanor Plunket stuck in my head. I’ll definitely be asking other blind harpers how they handled learning music, either by ear or with Braille music.

Lol harperist. 😀

I think I’ll look around for something similar to the stool released by Dusty Strings, but for a bit cheaper.

Yeah, I know what you mean about the shoulder strap. I slung the FH 26 onto my shoulder in the shop, and was glad I wouldn’t have to carry it anywhere. It wasn’t crazy heavy (although I’m sure I’d start to feel it after a while) but it definitely felt unwieldy I would be afraid I’d knock into the harp into things while using the shoulder strap. I feel a bit the same about using the backpack straps, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. I’m sure it’s just the thought of potentially wrecking an expensive instrument that has me a bit on edge about transporting it. Luckily, I won’t have to do that for lessons, if I don’t want. The shop that I’ll be getting my harp from does lessons, and while they won’t have the model I’ll be buying, they have other models from Dusty Strings that I can use for lessons if I don’t want to bring my harp to lessons.

Thanks,
CelticKnot

[CelticKnot]

Hello, Carl,

I actually do have some piano background. Not much, I’ll admit, but I do know that notes can either be natural, flat, or sharp. You know more about the harp than I do, so you might be right that learning piano might help me understand music concepts better, but I also pick up things well. I like to learn how things work and why things are they way they are. This needing to understand the logic of things has served me well over the years. I think I’ll pursue harp first, though. I also have a friend who’s blind who’s learning piano, and I’m sure she can help me with music concepts when I get stuck. I don’t want to spend a year learning an instrument I don’t have much interest in playing. Thanks for the advice, though.

Thanks,
CelticKnot

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