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Randal,
I really, really recommend that you speak with the harp builder. often they work with a preferred shipping company and they need to know that your harp was damaged in transit so they don’t work with this company again or so they can take steps to prevent such damage occurring in the future.
Allison pretty much hit the nail on the head with her list of pros and cons. I’d dearly love one because I do so much playing outside but they are a bit pricey. As you can see from the piccies on the blog, making a CF harp is pretty labor intensive and requires specialty equipment. Also, because they’re so lightweight, the type of strings, whether or not you choose a paint finish can have a lot more effect on the sound than a similar wood harp.
Ogden’s are notorious for string breakage; however, if your string breakages are near the tuning pin or sound board, you probably have a sharp edge or burr somewhere. I’ve heard that a bit of abrasive cord can smooth this down for you.
Loon,
Yes! I really notice it with the 3rd finger and as I was really watching my fingers the other day, I see that knuckle tends to collapse so will really focus on that in my warmups.
Thank you Elizabeth! Your answers are always so thoughtful. As I practice I will try to pay attention to how my fingers are pulling in. Unfortunately the way my fingers and fingernails are shaped, I think I really need to focus on the front of the finger striking the strings as I still get a lot of nail with the side of my finger.
A once a month lesson sounds heavenly. Probably not in the budget anytime soon though! My oldest starts high school next year and the other two aren’t far behind. 😉
Good point Alison! That string length also varies from harp to harp as well so it takes some work to adjust to where the harmonics are on different instruments.
The harp I play is fairly compact so I wonder how much the shorter string length makes a difference as well.
Danielle
Do you have previous musical experience, especially in theory? Are you willing and able to be inventive in the left hand? Is there a particular healing music program that you’re interested in? What is their philosophy on what kind of harp you need? All of this will factor into what is right for you.
I think having a C below middle C makes a harp wildly flexible as long as you have some basic theory knowledge. The A parts of Sylvia Woods Hymns and Wedding, 50 Irish Tunes and her Christmas book all work well on this size of instrument. If you can use a fake book, then Cynthia Shelhart’s Tunes to Go is great too.
As far as full sized harps, Blevins makes light weight reasonably priced instruments like this one
http://www.blevinsharps.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=284_95_254
My primary harp is a Thormahlen Serenade
http://www.thorharp.com/pages/Serenade.htm
A bit pricey but very light weight
http://www.heartlandharps.com/models.html
In the end though, it really comes down to what works for you. I started out on a 22 string lap harp with out levers. I used it a lot like a guitar, playing chords and singing the melody. It’s not what I would recommend to people but it worked for me.
Some advantages of the Ravenna–If you can’t afford full levers right now, it’s really easy to add levers later. You don’t even need a harp tech to do it. Even if the pull out pin isn’t as nice as the stand, it does work and you can get the stand later.
JenniferThanks Briggsie!
This is really dumb but I have a Triplett Christina and have never tried the lap bar with my Stoney End because I assumed the biscuit of wood inside was too wide. I guess I’ll need to try 🙂
Briggsie,
I keep meaning to ask, Did you have to custom order your knee bones or where did you get them from? Part of the reason, I have a Le Stik for my Brittany is that there isn’t much room either side of the sound hole. I didn’t think a regular knee bones would fit.I’ve just been thinking that I’d mention that I’ve tried just about every method of holding a lap harp and like knee bones the best. I started out with the infamous harp bra. It worked well for me because it was light weight and easy to take from room to room when playing bedside. However, some people found that the harp tipped forward too easily. I’ve found that the balance point of a lap harp is just as important as the balance point of a floor harp. If I place the knee bones in the wrong place, the harp will tip.
I now have a Le Stik for my Stoney End. I ordered it a little too short so the harp sits a little low for me. It’s a also a little expensive because it’s made of solid wood and has some custom made fasteners. It’s basically a vertical knee bones, as it clamps to the back of the harp in a similar way.
If you ever have the chance to take a workshop with Harper Tasche, he talks at length about different ways of holding the harp and about how to get the most out of your particular instrument.
