[daniele-di]

Just be careful about the FH36S…I don`t know where are you buying it but I`ve never seen in my life a “very good priced” FH36 😛 the usual sale price is really high, so double check that it is allright! and of course it would be so much better to be able to try it 🙂

Anyway, it`s a wonderful harp, I have the same!

[daniele-di]

“It is supposed to be done gracefully, appropriate to the music”

Yes and I love it, it`s like a sort of dance with the arms, if not exaggerated it looks so graceful!

I also like when people move a bit with the harp, like they are dancing with it, but I don`t see it so often, does this particular movement/technique has a name?

thank you

[daniele-di]

if you want something reeeally nice go for Briggsie advice…but if you are just doing it for yourself even a built-in mic of a laptop setup correctly can work well.

I use this http://www.amazon.com/Samson-C03U-USB-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B000QDF3G2/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1349566502&sr=1-1&keywords=samson+c03u because it`s usb, and record with the logitech software (because it also record a video), otherwise I use audacity

But I really didn`t needed something so powerful just for recording myself, I just happen to have it.
I can send you some audio piece if you are really interested.

Or you can get a good webcam with mic if you also want to record yourself 🙂

[daniele-di]

I`m quite sure that most of the shops can send the harp to you…well it`s quite expensive but it`s the only way if you live far from them (like I did).
And if you are planning on keeping it for at least 6months, I believe it`s worth it!

The Edimburgh harp festival is awesome for trying all kind of harps, last time I`ve been trying harps non stop for two days eheh 🙂

[daniele-di]

Hi Biagio (are you italian? 😀 ),
Is that book good? I really would like to learn how to arrange

[daniele-di]

Hello Maya,

I never tried the Triplett Exlipse, but I have an FH36S and it`s beautiful! but be aware that the wood makes an huge difference, I really didn`t liked the maple one, sounded so different from the Bubinga one (which is also more expensive)
Another wood I loved was the KOA, but I only found an FH34 made with that wood

[daniele-di]

Hi Rae,

Interesting, don`t they have audio samples?

If you`ve never played an harp the thing everyone would suggest is to rent one…I`m also from UK and I started renting a Ravenna26 from Morley Harps.
You can also rent a Ravenna 34, so have a look…

Then if you really fall in love with the harp, trust me that you will want something better than a beginner harp (even if they sounds nice).

[daniele-di]

wohooo nice 🙂 It`s really cool that you can upload audio samples from your instrument in your profile (I just uploaded a few pieces!), but is it possible to listen to other people audio samples?

[daniele-di]

Hello,

eheh I understand how you feel, one of my dream is to be able to play Aerith Theme from ff7 on the harp 😛

I play almost only anime/videogame songs from piano sheets, I`m not good at all in music theory and that`s my advice based on my little experience:

Since you just started you have to keep practicing on the basics, then you can start from really easy piano pieces and slowly you will start to understand by yourself if something does not sound right on the harp even if you are following the sheet, and you will be able to make your own changes…it comes automatic but you have to start from simple pieces

About final fantasy songs, most of the ones you find around are from the official piano scores, but for the most famous ones you can usually also find easy-medium level arrangements (even though they can still be hard), like To Zanarkand, Aerith Theme, Melodies of life and lots of others.

Probably you already know this website… http://ichigos.com/ you can find tons of videogame/anime sheets.

Daniele

[daniele-di]

wow it really sounds beautiful, but how can you learn outside Finland?
I found this lady which is amazing: http://www.youtube.com/user/Olgagusli/videos?view=0 …it`s also the only reference I found about this instrument

[daniele-di]

Hi Hanna,

the only harps I tried for a bit (at an harp festival) are the Ogden and the Hermine, I don`t know about the others, so I can only share some thoughts with you.
First, why did you sold the Livia? 😀 I tried it and it sounded really sweet.
I know some people say that an used harp sound better than a new one, but If I had to take a new harp that I will keep for a lifetime, I would go for a new one (like I actually did).
Lots of people praise the Ogden and also the Troubadour, but I wasn`t so impressed when I tried them.
Probably because -as far as I know- those harps have the same string tension and spacing as the L&G pedal harps, which is a good thing for people that want to go for a pedal harp, but I found it a bit unconfortable, and the string tension is just too much for me, even If I suppose you`ll get used to it at some point.

I remember the Camacs sounded lovely, but I don`t remember exactly the sound of the Hermine, the one I tried and liked the most was the Melusine, but in the end I felt in love with the Dusty String ones which I believe they have the most beautiful sound 🙂

Daniele

[daniele-di]

Hi John,

sorry If i go a bit off topic, you can reply via private message if you don`t want to reply here, but may I ask you wich kind of music do you play at the hospital?
At some point I would like to do exactly what you do, playing in the hospital without doing any kind of harp therapy…the fact is that I almost play only sad song, and I guess they don`t fit quite well in the hospital!

[daniele-di]

Hi John thank you for your reply,
I do not have a teacher and the music I`m searching is not something that you usually play on harp; it is mostly anime/videogame music.
I`m playing with a Dusty String FH36S and I`m now living in Cambridge (UK)

I would like to play pieces like this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwh3W1TwPTo but the original has lots of lever changes I cannot afford to make so I would like a simpler one for the harp

Also this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGqTA2Uae3s
There is a beautiful version of this one played on pedal harp:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml2kR-6mipM but she said she used the piano arrangement.
I found an super easy version for piano but it doesn`t really sound good 🙁

So I need to find an harp arranger!

[daniele-di]

yes, but she usually does not reply 😀

Joking apart, I do pat her when I`m able to play some piece so

smoothly and beautifully that it feels like the harp is playing by

herself…this is how I want to play, without worrying about looking

at my hands, at the strings or at the sheet…

And quite often I`ll just rest my head on the curve at the top of the sound box, like David said!

But that`s happening only with my FH36, that`s because I`ve been through a lot to obtain it.

[daniele-di]

still waiting for it 🙁

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