Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
You’re absolutely right, Briggsie- I used the wrong word there. I position the harp so it more or less “rests” slightly on my legs- my right knee is angled towards the back of the soundbox while my left is more towards the front. I don’t really grip it at all. Thanks for the gentle correction….
Karen
Try gripping the harp with your knees and finding the balancing point so that it does not rest on your shoulder. Angle the harp slightly so you can see the strings without craning your neck. And make sure your shoulder does not “rise” to meet the harp. You can cause yourself all sorts of back and neck problems resting the weight of the harp on your shoulder. Hope this helps.
Karen
Five years of developed callouses- no feeling left in fingerpads anymore! Actually though, I barely strum the strings- the wire is so responsive to the lightest touch. Glad to see you back!
Some songs in my rep are the following:
Down by the Salley Gardens (Irish)
The Gentle Maiden (Irish)
The Ash Grove (Welsh)
The Butterfly (Irish)
Land O’ The Leal (Scottish)
Archibald MacDonald of Keppoch (Scottish)
The Water Is Wide- O Waly, Waly (English, Scottish)
Scarborough Fair (English), paired with The Next Market Day (Irish)
Greensleeves (English), paired with The Grenadier and The Lady (English)
Hope this helps! Best of luck to you
Karen
I would love to play a song of my own, a lullaby and prayer song for the unborn, as a gentle reminder to our President of the sanctity of all life….
Karen
I agree with Audrey- it depends on several factors. On average it takes me about a week of one-hour practices to get the memorizing down, then a few more days to smooth it all out. Here is my basic
I would love to hear it! I’m Catholic (just going through RCIA) and, being new to the faith, I’m not sure what they refer to this tune by. I know the pianist plays it beautifully though.
BTW- I ordered my Sweetheart whistle!! I read your reviews on C&F too. Went to Sweethearts website and couldn’t find the wooden
That is one song from the Christmas book that really gets me.. I’ve blended it with O Come O Come Emmanuel and call it my “Meditative Medley”. The ending of the piece combines both melody lines. I
I highly recommend the aforementioned article. I broke so many bad habits after reading it, and it has done wonders for my comfort level. I’m really glad it helped you out, Phoebe! Anyone else who is interested in this article, and also
I’m with you, Pat! I love a lot of their songs- some that come to mind besides The Blessing are Caledonia, Tis’ The Last Rose of Summer, and Carrickfergus. I just love the way these songs are arranged, and the women’s voices are just amazing- so much so that they inspired me to take voice lessons! If I come across a harp arrangement for this, I’ll definitely let you know
Karen
I’d like to meet Liam and Audrey (I couldn’t narrow it down to one). We could have a wire harp jam session!
But really, I think meeting any of you would be an honor. There are so many unique and intelligent
Wow- well, I think for myself I will change at least the upper two octaves of nylon strings on my harp for now, and possibly the wound bass strings as well. All the strings on my harp are approaching the two-year mark. It sounds like the tone is getting a little thin in the upper range and I can see the lower bass strings are discolored with tarnish. I think my middle nylon and baritone gut strings are fine- a little wear, but they still sound good. Plus, the five gut strings I do have are fairly expensive and I would prefer not to have to replace those if it isn’t neccessary.
Which leads me to another question: Is there a brand of gut string that is comparable to Vanderbilt’s 4th & 5th octave but a little less pricey?
