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Well, except that I didn’t experience any issues plucking the strings initially. It was repetition and finding ways that were ‘easier’, ie pulling hand towards finger not vv, that turned out to be the issues.
Harp teachers?
I think it can be difficult to assess harps via video, as you’ve no idea what the recording set-up is like. And speakers change sound too.
I would be wary of a ‘concert’ tension harp with a 6 year old. I started with a Camac Korrigan, which has gut strings and concert tension – I love it, and it sounds beautiful.
However, though I am far from 6, I have not-especially-strong hands because of arthritis in some hand joints. I learned some bad technique, and hurt myself, as a result of finding ways to pull resistant strings with my less-strong fingers. And of course am now having to unlearn those methods.
I hope someone who teaches harp to little ones can chip in here.
How does an out-of-print book get reprinted. This does seem important book, everything I read about playing harp in an orchestra refers to it.
My copy seems to be wandering around US at the moment, and hasn’t set off across the Atlantic yet ….
Thank you!
I don’t seem to be able to buy it through their online shop, but I’ve emailed them. Fingers crossed….
Thank you again, for your eagle eyes, much appreciated 👍🏽😊
Both great suggestions, will do that, thank you 👍🏽 Well, log now, long tags in future.
We’ve had two bad storms, back to back, at the weekend, so maybe that’s it. And I did have two tiny strings break too!
Cross-posting..
I’ve ordered Carl’s book from a UK supplier, who advertised it as in stock, but in fact were waiting for a shipment from US that still hasn’t arrived, several weeks later. Maybe I should cancel the order and try to get one sent directly.
So, I’ve straightened the adjustable nut, and altered taken some of the ‘rake’ out of the natural disc.
It’s much better. Not right yet, but far more bearable.
So I think what happened was:
1. This D string was an old one, which was starting to separate by the discs, and lose its tuning. Was this why suddenly the discs could no longer move the string enough?
2. I mistook the losing tuning as evidence it was a string I replaced the other day.
3. I set out to solve the flat natural and sharp and couldn’t fix it – but I did move the nut and natural disc.
4. In the end, I replaced the string, which is when I realised that it was, in fact, an old, dying one.
5. Putting things back to how they had been, as spotted and advised by Charles – now with the new string – put things back closer to normal.I’ll now let the new string settle down before I attempt to improve the disc regulation.
Thanks Charles. I’ll straighten that nut up. The harp is 4 years old. It’s new to me, a couple of months ago. The soundboard is just beginning to bow up a bit.
Ok, now it’s really weird.
It wasn’t that string I replaced at all – I think I just made that assumption, because the string kept losing pitch.
I found this out because in desperation I thought – maybe there was something wrong with that string, I’ll replace it. When I came to it, it wasn’t my harp knot on the end.
Anyway, I have now replaced it with a new string (the old one WAS about to go), but the problem remains.
And now I don’t even have a reason why it’s gone funny in the first place. I haven’t moved the harp recently, the other Ds are fine….???
Hi Charles, thanks for looking at it for me, here’s the extra info:
The harp is a Pilgrim Malvern (well regarded British makers). 47 strings, extended soundboard, smaller than a full concert grand.
I replaced the gut string with the same brand gut – Bow Brand light gut.
When the string is in tune with the pedal in flat, the natural and the sharp pedals are both about 30 cents flat.Here are the photos of the disc area. The pin block is deliberately slanted, in an effort to make the discs take up more string. But even with it vertical, I had the same issue.
