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Hi Wil. I will have a look at her Christmas collab. Just managed to do some reasonable sounding broken chords with my right hand so feeling pleased with myself. Now have to teach my left hand to do the same. Two of the Christmas Carols I’m learning are starting to sound not too bad. The third one – O Holy Night, has arpergios in the left, 1-5-8. I’m sure I should be using fingers 4, 2 and 1 but find it easier with 3, 2 and 1 (long middle finger and has a wide span). Would you say that makes a difference as despite having very small hands, I have a fairly good span – can span a 9th on the piano.
It’s all down to practice but playing the harp is so nice, practice really is a pleasure.
Must give my piano some love – I think it must be feeling neglected and I have a lesson on Tuesday.
Hi Wil. I’ve watched a couple of Heather Downie’s videos. I’m Scottish myself. Originally come from Aberdeen. I’ve lived in SW England for the past 26 years. Oddly enough, I’m not keen on Celtic music. Same with the piano. I don’t like Baroque and avoid it like the plague. At least the piano exams have a much wider choice now, including one piece of your own choice. They also cater now for older, returning students so my line up for Grade 8 is:
Black & White Rag
Laura (from 1940s film)
You Don’t Bring Me FlowersNot fully decided on own choice yet but I like The Moon Represents My Heart, an arrangement by Matthias Dobler who is on YT. It’s a lovely piece of music but parts of it are really quite difficult. My teacher puts it at Diploma level. I’ve got a few other pieces of music to work on before I finally decide to settle on one.
If I pass my Grade 8, I’m looking at Diplomas next but then it reverts back to Classical but still allows you an own choice piece. Will be doing the Performance Diploma so I have to choose pieces of music that altogether will last for 45 minutes.
At least with the harp I won’t be doing any exams but I intend to learn it to the best of my ability. The good thing is, being older I have a lot more patience to work things out than I did when I was younger.
Balfour. Unfortunately, there are no harp teachers anywhere near me. The nearest being in London which would mean an almost 200 mile round trip, paying the London congestion charge and I’ve noticed the prices teachers there charge are astronomical. Some are charging £60 an hour or more. I did take a few lessons from a teacher we used to have here but that was some 15 years ago when I first got interested in the harp. She gave up teaching to concentrate on playing at functions. She no longer teaches and I don’t even know if she is still with us because she would have been in her 50s back then.
I was quite surprised to see there are no harp teachers in the Bristol area either which is only 40 miles from where I live. It’s not really surprising because of this that the harp is an underrated instrument. Just glad we’ve got the internet and some really good online teachers.
Happy Harping
Fiona and DesiHi Balfour and Carol Lynn
Rolled chords. No problem on the piano. On the harp, not so easy but time and practice I’ll get there.
I’m going to phone Clive Morley Harps sometime this week to see if they know a harpist more advanced than me who would be willing to give me a few lessons in the New Year, particularly in finger placement. We used to have a harp teacher here but that was a long time ago and I think she’s retired now.
I still can’t believe my luck in finding Desi. I think we were meant to be together.
Happy Harp Hugs
Fiona and Desi
And the good news is my money was refunded on Friday so I can’t fault G4M. Not sure what happened with the lady I spoke to but the young man I spoke with got things moving there and then. I’ve left them a good review on Trustpilot and thanked Pablo for his assistance. It was a shame the harp had a manufacturing defect and I definitely think I’m not the only one who’s returned a harp to them.
That said, I’ve got a much better harp now and I’m practicing a few pieces – two Christmas Carols – In the Bleak Midwinter/First Noel – they’re a set, one of Anne Crosby Gaudet’s arrangement and Carol of the Bells which I ended up rewriting myself on Musescore. Learning another of Anne’s arrangments/compositions which is Just for You. That’s starting to sound reasonably good.
Also learning the first page of Feed the Birds. Not happy with the score on that one as there’s no fingering guide. The arranger is Cynthia Boener. Strikes me that there’s an element of laziness there. I’ve used both Musescore and Sibelius and fingering can easily be put in with both. Also she plays rolled chords in her video but that is not reflected in the sheet music. I know you can put in the wiggly line on Musescore so, again sloppy work. That is also the most expensive piece of music I’ve bought for a long time, cost £7.99. I played her video last night and read the music along with it. She doesn’t quite play what she’s written and plays a major chord where there should be a minor chord. I’ll work out my own fingering and this one has a few lever changes which are easy with Desi. No way could I have done the lever changes on the G4M harp.
Tonight was the first time I’ve had to tune Desi since I got her. Didn’t take long. Temps and humidity have been up and down here, mainly on the cold, damp side. It’s such a pleasure to play a harp that sounds lovely. Been playing 2 – 3 hours every night. Time flies when I’m playing her and what a lovely way to spend these long, cold, dark winter evenings.
Wil. I did have some problems with Musescore. When I played back what I had written, it played in the wrong key. I had to shut down the programme and restart it. It worked after that. I’m using the latest version.
In other news, I had a piano lesson last Monday. My music teacher is starting up his Saturday piano workshops again in the New Year. They’re good fun where we all come together and play various pieces. He’s asked me to bring the harp along so it looks like I’ll have to get a carry bag for Desi – and do a lot of practicing. There is a duet I’m interested in that can be played with either two harps or a harp and a piano. Fun times ahead I think 🙂
Bit of a late update.
YAY! It’s gone!!! Courier collected it on Wednesday and it’s been received “in good condition” at G4M. I’ve taken screenshots of the Courier’s tracking just in case. Just waiting for them to refund my money now. They said 5 – 10 working days which is usually about right.
Been busy learning a couple of Christmas carols. One is Carol of the Bells. There’s a lady on YouTube who has a simple version (which actually sounds quite nice) but her instructions weren’t very clear in places so I wrote down A-A-B-B and so on then wrote the proper notation on Musescore. Took me 3 hours to get it right as I’ve only used Musescore a couple of times before.
I confess I have bought a piece of music that is way advanced for me at the moment but one I’ve loved since I was a little girl – Feed the Birds from Mary Poppins. There’s a lot of lever changes in it so one I’ll have to work on in the future.
Hi Molly. Yes, the Ravenna has a wonderful sound and lovely to play even for a beginner like me. I find she inspires me to practice.
G4M didn’t send any documentation and hadn’t even booked the Courier to pick up the other harp today. Had to phone them again. This time it was a young man I spoke with. He didn’t know why nothing had happened but did go and speak with his manager for some reason. Said it was probably a bug in the system but why the need to speak to his manager? I wonder if the lady I dealt with on Friday perhaps walked out and left a lot of work not done? The young man also didn’t seem surprised that the harp was defective so I think they’ve had a lot of complaints.
The Courier is booked for Wednesday and this time they’ve sent me all the documentation for returning it.
One problem I do have is the harp arrived in a plywood and wooden box which was very large. We only have a small house so had to put it outside. Of course, the box is unusable due to rain and every insect in my garden taking up residence in it. The harp is in its carry case which is quite thick so we’re going to bubble wrap it then wrap it in plastic. There is a clause on the return form that says if the item is inadequately packaged and gets damaged in transit, they will deduct that cost from the refund.
We shall see what happens shortly.
Hi Balfour and Carol Lynn
It is 2.53am here so you can see I’ve done it again.
That’s the good thing about being retired – I don’t have to worry about being late for work. I’ve always been a night owl anyway. Even when I was young I used to sneak a torch into my bedroom so I could read a book under the covers. I nearly got caught one night. My mother always used to check on us before she went to bed. This night I was so engrossed in my book I almost didn’t hear the door open. I flung myself on the torch and book (ouch) and stayed really still. I’m sure my Mum knew as she seemed to linger much longer than normal. Phew! Got away that time.
Years later we were talking about the things we got up to as kids and me reading under the covers came up. My Mum knew about it all the time LOL.
Best wishes and harp hugs to you both from
Fiona and Desi
Hi Biagio.
Loving the Ravenna. I have a habit of playing late at night. I wear headphones when playing the piano so I don’t disturb my heighbours. The harp is a lot quieter. Last night son popped his head round the door to tell me it was 1.30am. I wondered why the notes on my tablet were beginning to blur. I’d been practicing for about 2 1/2 hours. Time passes really quickly when you’re enjoying yourself.
Pieces I’m learning are “Just for You” by Anne Crosby Gaudet. She has a YouTube video with concise instructions for the right hand. I bought the music which comes in 3 levels. I went straight to level 3 as I can already read music. That’s coming along nicely.
The other piece I’m concentrating on is In the Bleak Midwinter/First Noel, again Anne’s arrangement. It is a little more advanced and has low C and G played together. No buzz from the low C. To get the low C to buzz, you have to pull it really hard, as if you were about to fire an arrow from a bow!
Another carol I have is O Holy Night. It is mid intermediate but I’ve had a dabble with that too. It has a lever change. On the G4M harp, I would not be able to do that as you need two hands to move the levers because they are so stiff – cheap and nasty. Of course, on the Ravenna, nice and smooth, no problem.
Do I think I can learn to play the harp well? Yes. The Ravenna inspires me to play her. It’s just a shame I can’t get proper tuition as the nearest harp teacher is 100 miles away so will be self-taught with help from the YouTube videos.
I might book a Zoom lesson or two with Anne Crosby Gaudet at a later date. Her prices are very reasonable too.
As for G4M, let’s see what they have to say for themselves tomorrow.
I’m sure we will have many happy hours harping. Learned the right hand on one piece of music. Now have to learn the left hand. I’m taking great care to get the finger placements and technique right from the start.
My son is disappointed the G4M harp didn’t work out as he bought it for me but as he said last night, I’ve now got a much better harp and one I’d wanted for many years.
Still no documentation from G4M. I bet they haven’t even ordered the Courier. If nothing is forthcoming by 9am Monday morning, they are going to get a rocket lit under them.
Our Laws state that an item must be “fit for purpose”. This harp is not fit for purpose.
Looks like I might have to get tough with them. How their standards have slipped in 6 years.
Hi Balfour and Carol Lynn. At the time of writing this I am still waiting for G4M to send the return documentation. Hopefully it will arrive before the Courier gets here on Monday. I have read on Trustpilot reviews since getting that harp that quite a lot of people have had problems returning/getting refunded so I hope this will not be the case.
As for Desi, she and I are a good pair Both of us have suffered accidental damage. She with her slightly rounded soundboard and me with a bit of a “dowager’s hump” due to being born with a slight curvature of the spine made worse because of an accident just over 2 years ago and age. I think we’re two of a kind and well matched 😀
I think we were meant to be together.
**UPDATE**
I contacted G4M this afternoon, explained the problems and requested a full refund. The lady I spoke to was very nice and she immediately said two telling words – “Manufacturing fault” so I think they’ve had more than one complaint.
They’ve arranged with the Courier to collect it on Monday so I should have the refund within 10 days from collection.
Hi Wil-Weten. Morley have stands but I felt I didn’t need it as I am only 5ft tall so the harp sitting on the floor is perfect for me. I will order a carry bag at a later date from Morley but they are very expensive at £475. That said, they are Dusty Strings bags so will be top quality.
I spent a good two hours last night playing her and what a joy it was. When I finished playing I felt happy and relaxed, not frustrated and disappointed. I think we have bonded already.
I have named her Desi. The D-S because she’s a Dusty Strings and the fact I desired a Ravenna for over 15 years.
Maybe I will be able to play a Carol or two in time for Christmas 🙂
Hi Balfour and Carol Lynn
We had a nice run out. The trees here are quite stunning at the moment. The sun was shining after the heavy rain we had last night. Shades of gold, russets and the red berries. Where Morley Harps is situated is really beautiful countryside and they’re in a quaint English village called Filkins. You can see it on Google Maps.
We were surrounded by all kinds of harps, lever and pedal harps but the only one I was interested in was the Ravenna.
I let it acclimatise for a few hours and it’s still in tune. Plucked a few strings on the Ravenna and the corresponding strings on the G4M. Absolutely no comparison. The G4M is again slightly out of tune and the strings sound dull. The tension on the G4M strings is now such that I believe the middle section won’t take much more tuning before they start to break.
I wanted to tune the G4M to Eb but was worried that might be the last straw for it.
The Ravenna on the other hand is already tuned to Eb. I also find the Ravenna to be much more comfortable, is better balanced and sits nicely on my shoulder without digging in. Probably because the soundbox is a different shape. The stand along with the carry bag was never returned to Morley Harps but I don’t really need a stand anyway as I’m very small. A carry bag I can order later but for now the harp’s not going anywhere. I have a lot to learn. It’ll certainly keep me out of mischief! Just the thing to keep me occupied on these dark, winter nights.
I went to see the Ravenna this afternoon – and it now has a new home with me.
Examined it thoroughly, played it and what a difference. The levers all work smoothly and the sound is well…that famous Dusty Strings sound.
The soundboard is raised towards the bottom of the harp but the ply has not sprung apart, something Biagio kindly told me to look out for. The low C string can vibrate against the pillar but only if plucked really hard – and I mean REALLY hard at the top of the string. I couldn’t get it to vibrate.
The soundboard as it is could last many years – even outlive me but the good thing is the soundboard/box can be replaced. Cost would be between £500 and £800 depending on the exchange rate so even if I had to replace the soundbox at a later date would still be considerably less than buying a new Ravenna 34.
The harp is already tuned to Eb. At the moment it is sitting in my living room aclimatising.
Big question now is what to do with the other harp. I spent about an hour tuning it (again) last night and could hear some of the strings going out of tune while I was playing it. Spoke to Morley’s technician about it and he thinks the same as me – the tuning pins are slipping probably due to the holes being reamed too wide.
I will probably try G4M for a full refund. If not, I will sell it for whatever I can get.
I think I’ve got a bargain.
Hi Molly. I’m keeping open minded about the Ravenna at the moment. Biagio gave me some good advice on what to look for. If it is worth buying, my credit card is going to get an airing. I keep it for that rainy day that occasionally crops up. Does a harp qualify for a rainy day? Well, I suppose I can bend the rules.
What I am going to do with two harps I’m not sure yet as we have quite a small house and my baby grand piano already takes up 1/3rd of the living room. I’m trying to get my son interested. He was learning the violin but had an operation and can’t play it now but could learn to play the harp.
We’ll see what Thursday brings. In the meantime, the G4M has still kept tune except for the E6 string which is still stretching. The G4M is not making decisions easy for me. Murphy’s Law I suppose.
