[Fairy Reel]

I visited my relatives last summer and brought my Celtic harp, Maeve, up with me. My favorite cousins (both a year or two younger than me) are very musical but don’t play instruments. They loved my harp! I tought them how to tune and let them play with the harp. They were so happy. My mother always wanted to play the harp but never got the chance. I am, however, the only one in our extended family who plays the harp.

[Fairy Reel]

Thanks so much, everybody! You’ve all been a great help. I’m looking forward to learning these great pieces. Thanks, Tony, also on the improv advice. I do a lot of chordwork in churchwork (easiest way to learn

[Fairy Reel]

(Well, even though this post is a year old, might as well put my two cents in since someone resurrected it…)

I certainly do have a busy schedule. I’m homeschooled, which helps, but I hope to be attending an arts school next year (so extra harp time to work for my audition). In addition to my harping, I have Irish Dancing (three hours a week plus practice) piano (principle musician for two churches plus gigs plus practice), schoolwork, horses (I ride and train), 4-H (the best thing since harps and horses), as well as competitions. In spare time (haha) I’m also trying to teach myself guitar, run my website (Keeping Fairy Reeling at http://www.geocities.com/acthappy–not

[Fairy Reel]

Thanks, Josiah! I take it you have a Camac….sounds pretty cool!…

[Fairy Reel]

I have a similar instrument that I have had for two years (Named Maeve, after an Irish queen). My Pakistani-Irish harp will never have working levers (sniff) but there’s still a great variety of music in one key. I’ve adjusted some of the levers to make up for poor string placement (really twangy).

Maeve does, however, keep tune better than my 6-yr old Prelude (hahaha) and has a very…interesting…sound. Nice. I will always keep Maeve, but I am looking to upgrade to a better Celtic.

She’s a good size, just hold her in my lap. Little awkward, but it’s the music that matters!

~Fairy

[Fairy Reel]

My brother has the same issue. He and I both can play by ear (he can play the complete score of “Pirates of the Caribbean” on the piano), but he has issues with sight reading. He’s good, just not great. Flash cards are a great tool (concentrate on getting the notes FAST). I’m also a church musician, so I would open my hymnbook to a random hymn and start playing, melody one verse than melody and chords the second. That helped me with chord structure, sight reading, and hymn work all in one go!

Hope that helps…

[Fairy Reel]

Hey Christy,

Piano may be common, but good pianists are not. I have a very musical family and started playing the

[Fairy Reel]

Oh, wait. I just re-read your message and realized you were saying Venus is best (sorry). The thing is, most dealers seem to deal mainly in Lyon and Healy, Salvi and Camac. The dealers near where I live also give better deals on L&H (for example, the trade-up program). The Venus’ look beautiful (and cheap!) but nobody seems to deal with them. Anyone know why?

(Also, is there a significant diff. between Lyon and Healy, Salvi and Camac? Salvi’s look better–that’s all I can tell…and I know the Camac have a special pedal action. Any advice?)

[Fairy Reel]

Harp sightings:

I, too, love “I Love Lucy”, and have seen harps in other very unexpected places. Harps have appeared in lots

[Fairy Reel]

Thanks, George! I’m Celtic/Classical harpist who has been recently wondering where I can get the best harp for my money. It’s good to know the Lyon and Healy is the best out there.

[Author]

Posts