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Emma, how do you adjust your pre-amp? Do you find someone to listen or have you figured out a pre-set? I have not been able to figure out proper settings on my pre-amp to get an even sound out of all the strings on my concert grand. I end up relying on my guitar partner, who is also more tech savvy than me. I have only used my amp set-up when playing as a duo, but at some point a solo job will come up….
BTW, l looked at your amp online. It seems to be the same as the Schertler (including the price).
Slightly off-topic: Biagio and other geeks, do a key word search”blue box dial tone” and/or “phone phreaking.” Very interesting history and tech info about dial tones you will find fascinating. What I wrote about is true.
Biago,
I will add one little trick for tuning by ear. You can pick up a telephone (if anyone has a landline anymore) and hear a 440A. Those of a certain age will remember when it was just the A but the other tone was added – (this may be urban rumor, but it is what I was told eons ago) – when the blueboxes came into use to hack the phone line to make free long-distance phone calls. Anyhow, with the university renaissance ensemble I belonged to, we used the phone A so we at least agreed upon one note.
Well, for me I watched the finger fitness video on this thread and found it helped my playing immensely. I even did a test in which I played a piece once, put it away and came back to it after doing finger fitness for a couple weeks. I was amazed how much better I could play the piece just from doing these exercises.
I have tried a number of tuning apps, including Cleartune,and by far the Peterson is the best. However, to really make it effective, you should buy the add-on that picks up the bottom notes on a pedal harp. It is not inexpensive…I made a just-released recording with a classical guitarist and every note had to be perfectly tuned at all times and with each other during our recording sessions. I tend to hear notes on the sharp side so as much as I also try to tune by ear, too, I need to rely on a tuner.
PS I have had the Peterson tuner simply go wild on me in which the strobe and notes are all over the place so I also have an inexpensive Seiko handheld tuner in my gig bag.
I bought my amp, preamp and pick-up mic through Dusty Strings. Their prices are competitive with anything else on the internet. I play with a classical guitarist so we use a mic for his guitar and a built-in pick-up mic for my harp and share the same amp. Sometimes he uses his own amp. However, in looking at my LR Baggs pre-amp, I see that only one line can go to and from it. Are you talking about amp or pre-amp? Are you talking about plugging in an electric guitar as well as the harp or harp pick-up mic? I would check out the information on the Dusty Strings website and also call them. They are very, very helpful and patient.
Clinton, how do you deal with music that is out-of-print and not available publicly by any means but still under copyright? I am sure in your career this must have come up as an issue. I am not trying to break the law, be disrespectful to a composer, or simply be too cheap to buy the music, but sometimes this type situation causes a dilemma about performing the music or having it disappear from the harp repertoire. No one can wait 70 years after the death of the composer for the music to get into the public domain.
I tried to send you a message via your website but it is not working. Miami harpist Kay Kemper and violist Scott O’Donnell played this piece in a fairly recent concert. You may want to contact them about your missing part.
I respect copyright but in a situation in which the music is no longer published or avaiable, it might be useful to put the score on ISLMP. Otherwise, the music could disappear forever.
I bought an almost new semi-grand harp just for rehearsals, practicing and small gigs. I decided to dedicate my good concert grand that I used for a recent recording for big occasions. Why have someone else put wear and tear on a harp that is special to you. I would have a teaching harp unless you are playing on a harp you don’t care about.
I like the Salvi transport cover. Easy to use and secure plus about $1oo less than LH. I have a Syle 17 which came with a LH cover. I sold the cover. The base did not attach to the main cover. Plus, you had to lift the harp to get it adjusted into the solid bottom base cover. It was difficult to use. I like the two-piece Salvi base cover much better than the one-piece LH design. In addition, for the semi-grand cover, the LH base does not attach to the harp cover which makes it difficult to get out of the car. The Salvi cover is better padded and has stronger material. I am not sure about the design of the concert grand cover for LH. I believe the base is in two pieces.
If I had a gold harp, I would be sure to get the column wrap, too. It is available at Lyon Healey West. I would not move any harp without a transport cover. I have an ebony concert grand and you have to be careful about that finish (but not as much as a gold harp.)
If you go to http://www.folkharp.com, you will find an easy arrangement by Angie Bemiss. The title is “Keith Green Medley.” There are three Keith Green pieces in the medley.
Knowing that you have a passion for the harp will give motivation to release your inner musician and find your musical path to follow. As an adult, you now musically only need to answer to and please yourself. You are free to play any music you like and however you think it sounds best to you. You are now the performer, instructor, audience, and critic. And, as you get back into this and realize that your lessons and hard work made you a good harpist and musician, you will appreciate what you achieved when you were a student.
Go to YouTube and listen to clips to find music you like. With a couple months of practice, you will be exactly where you were when you stopped playing.
I would suggest you look into taking one of Deborah Henson-Conant’s on-line classes, http://www.hipharp.com. Her speciality is getting harpists to free themselves from themselves and learn to become less inhibited. Also, you will learn that it is ok to make mistakes.
As for your hands, I find playing downward arpeggios works wonders. Recently someone suggested watching on YouTube Greg Irwin’s Finger Fitness videos. I started doing them and cannot say enough how much those exercises have helped me,
