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I live alone so no help. Ever. A decent trolley with pneumatic wheels makes the harp easy to move from A to B and getting it into the car is simple once you know how. I’m 5ft 6″ and play Lyon and Healys – styles 23 and 11. I’m not very strong either! I guess I’ve got used to it because I have no option. It would be nice to have someone to do it all for me. If you have such a person then let them know how much you appreciate them by giving them a big hug!
I love this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J9u1FAffGk&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I marvel not only at the performance but at the fact that the size of the platform he is on didn’t totally freak him out. One wibble and you’d be off!
Hi Lou!
Lyn you should DEFINATELY go on the Retreat. Keziah is an amazing tutor and incredible harpist. Keep an eye on the Two Moors festival website because she often takes part with 4girls 4harps as well as solo harp. xHi Lyn. This is the real difference that the harp has compared to other instruments. #s are #s and flats are flats. G sharp and A flat for example are not the same note even though they sound the same. They are played on a different string and, under certain circumstances can both be played at the same time. On a lever harp you can only get two notes from every string. Either natural and flat or natural and sharp. (On a pedal harp you get three notes from every string. Flat, natural and sharp so pedal harps can play in any key.) With a lever harp tuned in C you can get all the natural notes and their sharp versions. You cannot get any flats, so cannot play in any flat keys. In order to play in the maximum number of sharp and flat keys the harp is most commonly tuned into E flat major. This means you can get 3 flat keys, F, B flat and E flat. With the B,E and A leavers set to natural, the harp is in C major. From there you can then get 4 sharp keys, G D A and E. Hope that helps a bit. It’s tricky to explain without demonstrating on a harp!
It’s not really designed to let you actually play, rather just keep your fingers in playing condition, but this little practise harp seems quite useful for the well travelled harpist!
http://www.niebischandtree.co.uk/harp-accessories.html
Down the page on the right hand side.Thanks Jerusha, I am going to check out that book ASAP! Apparently my brain didn’t compute the words “give up the harp” I just can’t imagine not playing at all. They might as well have told me to cut my own head off!
Hi Lyn. Whereabouts in Devon are you? I’m just outside Exeter!!! I’m a professional harpist and teacher but I have lots of adult pupils learning the lever harp. If you are around Exeter on the 11th March there is an afternoon of harping at the Devon Performing Arts Festival. Morley harps will be exhibiting harps and music etc. Many of my older pupils will be taking part so do feel free to come along and say hi and meet us all. Details of the festival are here.
http://www.dpaf.org.uk/wp/I have had several bass wires break on me at various points in my harping life. It does happen. I usually have them all replaced when I have my harps serviced but I have also changed them all myself. My worst moment for a wire breaking was at a wedding just as the registrar asked everyone to stand for the entrance of the bride. The groom went white when he heard the bang – I think he thought the harp was exploding!
Hi Jerusha. Repetitive Strain Injury! Three years, a gazzilion doctors, physios, specialists etc and no one can find anything physically wrong so I should “just give up the harp”. I’ve got it to a manageable place, but sometimes I just want to crack open Grandjany’s Rhapsodie and go for it!
I’m looking at the duet parts for Salzedos suite of dances and Song in the Night plus Après Un Reve and Handel’s Firework Suite – all duets. Solo wise I’m loving Patrick Hawes’ How Hill and Ibert’s Ballade. All depending how good (or not) my RSI is. 🙁
How horribly frustrating. My few thoughts, for what they are worth!
Are you using a gut string? I thought Salvi Concert Grands were strung with nylon in the top octave? Have you used the same string when you replace it? i.e. the leftover string. I know you can get several strings out of one packet length in the top octave but if the string is somehow faulty it might be worth trying a completely new one if you haven’t already.Thanks everyone. My car is not tall enough to column load and my partners car is not wide enough for two side by side! Looks like we will need to look into rental!
I have two. I have a Monarch and an Etude 45. They are excellent harps for the money. Both mine are rented out to pupils and have certainly not had any structural problems or warping. I am in the UK. Both harps have a really clear, bright even sound. I prefer the tone quality and string spacing of my Lyon and Healys but they are very different harps and it’s not really fair to compare them. Aoyamas have quite a wide string spacing so if you have small hands they can be quite a stretch for bigger chords. If my Étude is at home I often use it for weddings at a venue that has a spiral staircase of 32 steps. It’s light and easy to move and despite its straight soundboard the sound carries perfectly without amplification. Remember that sound is a subjective thing. What one person may like from a harp may sound hideous to someone else. If you find one you like then I wouldn’t be put off just because it is a cheaper make.
I now avoid agents except for a handful of very trusted ones who I’ve worked with for years. Others usually take a large chunk of fee for doing next to nothing. I still have to liaise with the bride, fix meetings, discuss music choices etc but I then have to keep the agent updated with everything I’ve arranged. In the past I’ve just taken the booking because work is work but I’ve had several occasions where brides have contacted the agent and asked if I will play for an extra hour (for no more money) or play outside or accompany the brides sister etc. the agent has agreed without even asking me. I’ve arrived at a couple of gigs to find that the bride has requested music but I’ve not been told. I’ve also had to really chase them for fees on more than one occasion.
My duet partner recently arrived at a wedding only to find that the agent had got the date wrong. Although there was a wedding at the venue that day, not only did the bride not want a harpist, she didn’t want the magician or the disco – all booked by the same agent and who all turned up on the wrong day. My friend had done a two hour round trip to get to a non existent gig and the agent is still refusing to even pay her expenses.Find out exactly what the agent will be doing for you before you agree to work with them.
