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Saul, I love a glossy finish too-but is L&H really offering a choice of finishes these days? That would be a first…yes, building the 15 again would also be good news. Interesting that they’re going back to building some of the smaller models, not everybody fits well behind a full size concert grand.
Carl, that makes sense, but another thing I find myself doing is rushing the last part of the whole pattern and coming in too early on the next one beat. That’s where I have to pay really close attention to the metronome, and not just fitting the 2 against the 3.
I’ve spent the last couple of days working slowly with a metronome-trying to set it for a steady beat in the left hand (the two beats) and fitting the right hand (the three beats) in with that. I’m getting worse and worse at it though, maybe a steady right hand beat in the metronome would work better, and fit the left hand beats in with that. It’s trickier than you might think to get those two hands exactly together!
Tacye and Francis, thank you both! That little trick of putting USA in the top right corner did the trick, and then all sorts of info came up. Very helpful.
Frances, clicking on the harp pictures gets me exactly nowhere-I can only click on the “request information” box, and the technical details of each harp are at the bottom of each page. Tried both the iPad and the computer…can you tell me how much the new 17 is listed for?
Thank you, Loonatik-good suggestion. I like those right hand patterns you mention.
And Alison, I’ll have to look up the Grandjany Arabesque, not familiar with that. But once I get the rhythm really down it’ll be nice to have another piece to use it with than just the Debussy.
Thanks, Jerusha! We’re still thinking about moving out there to Tucson, but now I’m worried about all those people dead from killer bee attacks out there. I hope all you harpists are wearing beekeeping suits when you play outdoors…
Thank you Catherine, Alison, and especially Carl, for that lovely detailed description of How To Do It! All three of you are saying basically the same thing, I think…you have to learn to internalize the rhythm in a methodical way, by starting slow and gradually speeding it up. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a quick way to do it?
Thank you all!
Yes, there were three of them at the Virginia Harp Center’s booth at the Somerset festival in New Jersey last month. VERY nice harps, all three of them sold quickly. Price was about $4750, I believe. There was a red one, dark green, and a black one, all in a beautiful high gloss finish. Carbon fiber strings, so they projected very well. Tension was medium to medium light. Nice sound. Jakez Francois played his concert on one-he raised it up on a drawer from his room, cause they sit low on the ground, like a Janet or an Eireann. They also have fairly close spacing, almost like Janet Harbison spacing. I’m not sure exactly the weight, but Jakez was holding it up in the air with one hand. The combination of carbon fiber body and spruce soundboard works very well for this harp.
If you go to the VA.Harp Center’s Facebook page, they posted some pictures and a video music sample about five weeks ago, just before the festival.
Yes you can learn on a Troub, but the string tension is so heavy on those. Unless you want to move to pedal harp someday you’ll like the Merlin much better. Altho $480 rent for 6 months on the Merlin seems a bit pricey. Merlin’s are nice, altho I like the middle and bottom ranges better than the top range. The Thormahlen Serenades are lovely. The only rentals of those tho are probably going to be thru private people, because he’s a small builder who doesn’t supply the harp stores anymore. Let us know how you like the Thormahlen tomorrow. Another possible option for you-the Thormahlen Ceili is delightful. And I think you would like the Dusty Strings 34 or 36S also.
Here’s the perfect thing: Sue Richards has a great book out called Dexterity Exercises for Celtic Music. You can find it on her website and probably also the major harp retailers.
I think it’s the lever. If the string sounds fine in the open position (lever off) but sounds funky when the lever is engaged then the string is rattling against it in some off way. I don’t think changing the string will help. You don’t show the levers so I can’t see what kind they are, but you should probably just take the harp back to the shop and have them adjust it for you.
Ashley, what a great story! I loved the part about Christoph Waltz-he was so great in Inglorious Basterds and Water for Elephants, and now he’s a big star. Nice to have an actual harpist actually playing in a movie, instead of just a fake harpist like we often get.
I was just thinking that that’s a good point about not distinguishing people as amateur or professional, but just posting your comment or question under the topic instead. It makes us all harpists, and also it’s nice to be considered a part of the same group as Yolanada Kondonassis, Xavier de Maistre, and Kim Robertson…
