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And sometimes, even when a student has short fingers and small hands (like me) they can adapt and overcome this problem. By rolling my wrist I can now manage a 1-5-10 chord. This is a huge accomplishment for me as my ring (4th)
I’ve built the Limerick from a kit, and I use both knee bones and a strap to secure it. I can stand and play it, but make sure you pad the strap where it hits your shoulder-it doesn’t seem like it would, but 12 lbs. gets heavy rather quickly. The knee bones are fine as long as your knees & hips are lined up, other wise they will tend to roll in or out depending on whether your knees are below or above the line of your hips. But I adore my Limerick! I have it strung with wire but either choice of strings sound great!
Have fun
Karen
Did a quick search for a traditional clarsach- check out Ardival harps Kilcoy model. 19 brass strings,
Well, I don’t know if this would help or not since you live in Australia but I have a wire-strung harp I built from a kit for around $550 from Musicmakers. Go to http://www.musikit.com to have a look. It has 26 steel and wound strings, and its range is from C below middle C to G.
Now, although there are a few who play wire harp with fingertips (like me) there is a “traditional” method currently taught that involves playing with the fingernails. This method does not sound good with steel strings, only brass & bronze (also considered traditional). If you are looking to learn this method and play this type of harp then the Limerick is not what you want, and I’m not sure where you would find a decent clarsach in that price range. These clarsachs also tend to have holes in the soundboard in the front, and usually the soundbox is carved from one solid piece of wood, which is also considered the traditional way to build this type of harp.
As far as sound goes,when I play on steel strings with my fingertips, the result is a very lush bell-like sound with great projection and huge sustain. If you would like a sound sample go to cdbaby.com and check out Pamela Bruner ‘Irish Journeys’. Her method is the same as mine, incorporating nylon/gut harp method. With a traditional clarsach, with fingernails and damping techniques, the sound is also beautiful, just different. There are nuances in the technique that take years to learn, and there are many skilled players in this area as well. Jeff Pockat is one that comes immediately to mind.
If you decide to learn the traditional wire method, I strongly suggest you get a teacher, and a few sets of spare strings. Brass & bronze strings have a tendency to break more often than steel, but they have a wonderful sound so many don’t mind this inconvenience. You could compare the difference with nylon vs. gut, with gut being traditional and having a “warmer” sound, whereas nylon is more modern and tends to have a brighter sound.
Either method you choose is fine, in my opinion. Just depends on what works for you, and what sound you prefer. Best of luck in your search!
Karen
Perhaps naming harps or other inanimate objects began with the tradition of naming ships- it is said to be bad luck to not name your boat/ship/sea-faring vessel. And it just branched off from there…
Me too (harp, that is)! Which RenFest are you playing at? I was planning on doing a few weekends for hat, just to get the feel of playing one of these.
Karen
I’ve built two Musicmaker harps from kits- the Voyageur & the Limerick. Both very nice-sounding harps. If you have any questions I would be happy to help in any way. And the folks at Musicmaker’s are top-notch- you are working with a great company!
Karen
He is? But Pamela won’t be there though- I just saw an update from THG on FB. Really wanted to see Pamela, but if I could get a chance to try out the CF harps still, hmmmm…..
Hmmmmm….interesting bit about the factory outsourcing. I think I’ll call Dave and ask him about this. I just took it for granted he made these harps himself.
