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I have the Voyageur that I built from a kit with the help of my husband. I also have built one of the Smart Harps. Musicmaker’s has wonderful instruments at reasonable prices. The Voyageur is not something I recommend a 12-year old to attempt to build, however. There was a lot of sanding, some trimwork and fitting to do that is best handled by someone older and/or with previous wood-working experience.
The best I can come up with for you is to get a harp in kit form and help her put it together. There is a smart harp kit
You could check out Musicmaker’s Voyageur model. I have one of these and I love it. It’s fairly close to your specs: 54″ tall, 22 lbs. 33 strings (low C to high G). If you order it with the performance strings like I did you get five brass wound bass strings & five Vanderbilt pedal gut strings in the baritone range. I would describe the sound as warm and rich in the mid to lower registers, and bright and clear in the upper. The price is VERY reasonable for a harp this size, and I love the look of the neck (I have style A). The pics on the website really don’t do it justice- the cherry wood it is made of darkens with age to a deep russet brown, almost as deep as the walnut accents on the feet and neck. Here is a link to look at:
http://www.harpkit.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=voy
Happy Hunting!
Karen
Tony,
Thanks for your quick reply
I see what you’re saying. I tried to duplicate this technique just by what I saw on the video but with little success. When I read through the comments, I saw that he referred to using the pentatonic scale. It doesn’t appear in the video (unless I missed it) that he is damping any strings with his left hand, which leads me to think he may have his harp tuned to the pentatonic scale. Or am I just misunderstanding this technique?Audrey is right about the bad habit part. I am self-taught and have had to break myself of quite a few bad habits starting out. This set me back quite a bit. If you can do Skype that would be best- at least the teacher can tell you if your hand position is wrong. If you can’t, I recommend Pamela Bruner’s DVD’s. She really stresses proper hand
I can’t speak for others tastes, but I really like my Limerick harp from Musicmaker’s. I built this from a kit and my husband and I spent many enjoyable hours together putting it together. The new string set I will be installing will allow me to play from C below middle C to high G (26 strings) and are made from wound bronze, phosphor bronze, and steel. You can check out this model on http://www.harpkit.com . I have the walnut version. I play with my fingertips and am very non-traditional. I feel that if it sounds good to me and my listeners, then no worries
One thing I have heard is that certain types of wire strings can be more brittle or delicate than others, so that may be a consideration for you. I think it may be the brass or bronze wires. Perhaps Audrey or Liam can chime in on this subject. I just know that the wound bronze and steel strings are pretty strong. I haven’t broke one yet and I don’t play lightly.
Happy Hunting!
Karen
Excellent advice Carl! Thanks a lot- I will definitely incorporate these exercises into my daily practice!
Karen
Hi Isaac!
I’ve been playing for about the same amount of time as you- unfortunately, I have not had the advantage of lessons by an experienced teacher. I have had to teach myself from books and DVD’s (lack of funds & geography has made taking live lessons for me impossible).
Despite this, I have found that I am able to “blind-type” the right hand on my harp when learning music.
Hi Laura!
I don’t have a answer to your question but I must say I am looking forward to you playing this weekend! I live in the area and although I don’t play a pedal harp I have never had the chance to hear one live. Briggs, if you have the time this Sunday at 7:30 pm, email me and I’ll let you know where the concert is. Laura, I’m sure you’ll be brilliant, I’ve heard great things about you from Daniel!
Karen
Musicmaker’s http://www.harpkit.com have sound samples for all of their harps. And great prices too!
Karen
I recommend the Limerick lap harp by Musicmakers. Get the kit- it is not hard to put together, I’ve built one myself with very little woodworking skill. If you can sand wood and glue, you can put this harp together. A little help from a carpenter would be a boon, but the instructions are pretty easy to follow.The sound is gorgeous for this lap harp, and it is offered with wire strings too. I know it’s a little above your price range, but it is well worth it. It has tremendous projection and a nice range.
Update for wire-string folks: You can also get the Limerick with optional Low C tuning in wire now. Just ask Jerry- he made a set for me.
Karen
I read something inspirational today at church I would like to share with you. There are two kinds of people in this world : ducks & eagles. The ducks squawk and complain alot, and seem to thrive on being miserable- while the eagles rise above all the pettiness. There is much beauty in this world, and especially in the harp, and it is a shame this lady can not or will not let herself
