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I am unfortunately one of those individuals that was cursed with a fantastic ear. (Not trying to brag because it really is a curse being able to hear what pitch the electricity in the walls is running at. I hear the power surge coming before it actually gets here **the pitch changes**). I always tune with a tuner first starting with the lowest C (lever, I don’t own a pedal harp yet). I proceed with all octave Cs, and then move in a progression of 5ths. I then retune the whole thing by ear starting on middle C. I generally do very little adjusting, but I do adjust some things. I check certain intervals within the key that I will be playing in, and then that’s it.
I am pretty sure that as I go lower I generally tune things slightly on the flat side, and as I go up on the sharper side. But never change it more than a few cents. Having had a background in flute playing with various ensembles that regularly played with fixed pitch instruments we almost always tuned/adjusted to those instruments and rechecked our pitch between every piece (we had regular piano and harp parts along with pitched percussion). That kind of environment helped my ear go from being quite good to being a pain in the behind.
So is this stretched tuning? Not sure. It sounds correct to me.
I don’t really feel that it is relevant to say which company has the ‘most full sound.’ All reputable harps make great instruments and all reputable companies make lemons as well. You have to try them in order to decide what you like.
One of the best harps I have ever heard was a Salvi Diana. That harp was one of the earlier ones produced in that line, and it was simply glorious.
I once performed a piece by Eric Whitacre (not quite a symphonist but still a fantastic composer) who asked for ‘as many harps as you can get on stage.’ The harp part was impossible. I had to do a reduction. Even the pianist (who doubled the part) had to reduce it because the chords were so big.
Jershua: It’s hard to say. In terms of technicality, the Jolivet is FAR harder (it’s often considered the most difficult concerto in the flute literature. I’ve been working on it for almost two years now). But stylistically, the Mozart is a beast. It’s never EVER good enough. My practice time fluctuates for flute. Some days it’s only an hour, other days it’s four hours. I used to have a full schedule of ensemble rehearsals and on those days I sometimes played 8-10 hours a day. But I’ve cut back on those things because I have a lot going on as I get ready to graduate, get married, go to grad school, etc.
As for harp, I generally only practice when I want/need to. When I sight read literature (like right now) it will be for a 1/2 hour to an hour a day. Harp is generally one of my ‘fun’ instruments that I sometimes end up making money from. Seeing as how this Faire doesn’t open until June, I’m not worried. When I’m getting ready for something specifically harp related I up my time to about 2-2.5 hours.
Karen: I will (most likely) be playing at the Highland Renaissance Faire in Emminence Kentucky. They had a call for performers on their website and I responded with pictures and recordings. They said that they’re lining up their performers and that I’m on ‘the list.’ They asked how much I charge daily and whether I would be doing a full run or a whole run (full or part season). So I assume I’m performing… If not, I’m familiarizing myself with a lot of great music! As for pay, I don’t know how much or how I will be paid. I know that I’ll get tips at least. From what I’ve seen, performers generally get $20-50 in tips. Multiply that times 3 and combine it with whatever I get paid daily, free admission, concessions and entertainment, it seems like an okay deal to me. I’m doing it more for fun anyway!
For harp: various collections of celtic/folk music. I’m choosing music for a show I’ll be doing at a permanent Renaissance Faire this summer. 3 concerts/day on the weekends, for 6 weeks.
For flute: scales, orchestral excerpts, Mozart Concerto, Jolivet Concerto, 1st flute book for a production of Sweeney Todd that I start rehearsals for soon.
my favorite harp related video:
Loreena Mckennitt’s Stolen child. Great shots of her harp, and she performs it FAR better than her original recording. It just gives me chills. And, if you keep an eye out, you should see the cellist’s carbon fiber cello. Pretty awesome.
Non harp (but music related):
I like the recordings of Margaret Whiting singing ‘Time after Time.’ What a wonderful love song!
Non music related video:
Don’t Honk at Old People
Favorite way to make my ears bleed:
‘Florence Jenkins Massacres Mozart’
I have a LH Prelude 38, and I hate it when people say ‘it’s a baby harp!’ No it’s not. It’s actually a VERY big, and VERY heavy lever harp. And in my opinion, the tone is better than a lot of pedal harps made by the same company (albeit a smaller and more compact sound).
Or when they ask: ‘Can I touch it?’
No.
And then they do it anyway.
Or the NECK/Pillar!
Having built one of the musicmaker kits, and knowing people who have built many harps from scratch, it really is necessary to build everything but the soundboard from a hardwood species like maple, walnut, cherry, rosewood, etc. Oak isn’t necessarily a good idea because the grain is so straight (using it in the neck would risk breakage because the short grain length in the curve of the neck). That is, unless you don’t mind the sides and back matching the neck/pillar assembly. In that case you could probably build the sound chamber (except the soundboard) out of oak without too much trouble.
Usually it’s recommended to laminate the neck, but if I am not mistaken Musicmakers usually produces this model with a solid neck… I think. It’s such a small harp that as long as you avoid hardwoods with really straight grains, and make it the thickness indicated, it should be okay I think.
Use sitka spruce for the soundboard.
Flutes:
Actually, when a synthetic material is used for flute making, regardless of name (ebonite, grenaditte, etc.) they often use the same fiber glass based polymer. Each company has different recipes for the concoction of course. So depending on what it looks like it could be either ebonite (as in used for bowling balls and is generally found in ‘ebay special’ imported instruments) or grenaditte (as is more commonly used). Ebonite is shiny, and grenaditte has a matte finish. The only companies that I know that use anything similar to actual ebonite are companies geared towards student model piccolos. They however generally use a resin based plastic.
Source: I’m a long term flutist who will probably end up in flute-making as my ‘job.’
I don’t know what that would necessarily show though. I think different harps react differently with different strings. A friend of mine had a Troub III (originally in nylon) and switched to gut and the sound became richer (as expected). I have a Prelude 38 and just switched to all nylon and the sound became more mellow, and I thought it would have gotten brighter. It did become less resonant as expected, but the sound became darker (which I really liked).
So I think such an experiment would show results for that specific harp, but I think it would be almost as if trying to prove exactly what different woods do to the sound of the instrument (which is still inconclusive).
If it were a study done across a few hundred harps, I think it would have some merit.
See, that’s something I’m wondering too. I’m moving from the east coast to Los Angeles this summer, and I haven’t the slightest idea on how to move my two harps (both lever), and an antique (109 years old) upright cabinet grand piano.
I know that I could probably put the piano and my furniture in a portable storage unit and have it shipped. But the harps? That’s a mystery still….
If anyone has any ideas I too would be interested in hearing them.
I think that it’s more of a question of How can I NOT play more than one instrument?!
I’m primarily a flutist, but I pursue harp as a side instrument. And then there’s piano, and the dozens of ethnic/folk flutes that I play…
In terms of balancing them all out though, I have found that they really balance each other. Piano and harp really help my sight reading on the rest (reading music vertically instead of horizontally), and my technique on flute has to be MUCH faster than technique on harp (for my music preferences at least), so it helps with speed of finger placement.
When I play, I guess I think more about ideas and concepts rather than specifics. I think about how things span the gap between the instruments. When I roll chords I think about them as if they are fast arpeggios on flute and that they must be clear and even (and vice versa). When I think about internal resonance when playing flute I think about how my harp vibrates and how it feels.
In all honesty I find my various pursuits to be very gratifying. They all express something that the others cannot. I am looking forward to a gig I have coming up this summer. I’m going to be doing a regular series of performances at a Renaissance Faire nearby. I’m going to be performing on celtic flutes/whistles, lever harp, and will be teaching about the instruments. Considering that the Renaissance Faire is supposed to be set in 14th Century Scotland, I’m really looking forward to teaching audiences about my flutes, and our beloved harps! I get to blend all of my interests into one performance series. Yay!
Oops… sorry. Tangent at the end!
Here’s one from a friend of mine (oboist). A conductor was doing a choir and orchestra piece. While rehearsing the choir specifically she stood in the middle (between the choir and orchestra). The concertmaster gave the downbeat so everyone could play.
It’s a standard orchestra, right? (yes).
She kept asking (in her particularly snooty british accent) for ‘More Saxophone!’
Considering that I usher concerts fairly regularly… I have no problem escorting people out of the hall, revoking their tickets, or whatever it takes to maintain a quiet atmosphere.
On the opposite end of things… one of the rudest audiences I’ve ever played for was a very small audience. It was a series of solo performances in a recital, and they refused to applaud for anyone that they weren’t close friends with. It was the only time I have ever had ONE person applaud for me. I didn’t even bow. I ended up getting up and walking straight offstage without acknowledging them (they talked as well).
