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I’s recommend The Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory. It might be the “Fir Dummies” version instead, I don’t remember which publisher makes thus one, maybe both. They’re very good at breaking everything down and explaining it in a straightforward manner and in an order that helps build knowledge. I had a decent background in theory but bought a copy to learn more about some types of scales and some other concepts and remind me which mode is which, plus understand some of the more complex chords better. It evetually gets into fairly complex material, but you just go as far into as you need to, since it builds on what it has already covered and doesn’t bring up anything before it has covered the concepts you need to understand it.
I’d buy a copy most of the time to have the paper paper, binding, etc., but still use the site for research or to satisfy curiosity about a piece.
One of my main uses is when I see the band’s new season repertoire announced. Most band transcriptions of orchestral pieces aren’t in public domain, but I can check out the originals and ask 1) Is there a harp part in the orchestral score? 2) Is it one I can play? 3) Is it a fun/interesting part?
Since our community arts center is doing Pirates of Penzance next year, I also looked up the old Gilbert & Sullivan to see if the viola part is something I could learn (no harp in G&S, and either way no harp in a poorly-air-conditioned theater in DC in early August with almost a story of steps to walk up and scarce
I’ve played some with a beautiful sound, and a few that were a little wonky (maybe they weren’t tuned well). I really like how the top octave feels – very comfortable for the hand. I’d suggest playing the harp you might buy and certainly include the Clio on your list if you’re looking for a small harp.
The guitarist takeover sounds like a conclusion based on anecdotal evidence.
But if you’ve noticed more guitarists in your area at restaurants that used to have harpists, the two main practical differences are the floor space taken up and
Carl Swanson has a harp cover now. He discusses it in this forum. I’ll think of it if I purchcase a new cover in the near future. A lot of harp covers don’t fold well, so when they’re not on the harp they take up a ton of room. His would also allow you to open it where you want to via ties instead
If most of these are readily available commercially, most institutions would spend more resources sorting them
Sharon, when you said “both my 85 CG and my 44-string pedal harp”, did you mean at the same time? If so, that’s quite impressive.
Could you tell us how exactly you tune?
If I tune completely by ear it can throw the harp’s tuning off, especially if I start at the bottom and work my way up or five versa. As Tacye mentioned with temperament, tuning only by intervals or octaves the harp will probably sound off, particularly as you change keys. Before keyboard instruments were tuned using equal temperament, each key had its own characteristics and some were particularly unsettling.
If you tune only by ear, I’d suggest checking both octaves and fifths as you go, and tune the fifths as narrowly as your ear can stand. You can’t have both perfect fifths and perfect octaves, but must cheat each one tiny amount. Most electronic tuners have this cheating built in since they’re set for equal temperament. I usually tune off the tuner in the octave around Middle C, then play both octaves and fifths as I go up to make sure that both sound as good as possible, and if I adjust anything recheck the fifths and octaves both above and below it to make sure nothing else needs fixed as a result.
I think you can call them sharping levers regardless of which strings they’re on, since even on the flats they sharpen the pitch from flat to natural when you engage them.
Elizabeth, I think you’re somewhat entitled to complaint that your teacher didn’t teach you to practice. Practicing is a huge part of playing, and a teacher who doesn’t teach how to practice effectively isn’t doing all of their job. Students shouldn’t have to figure it out for themselves from scratch when there are tried and effective methods already known.
I think a lot of those prodigies who start very young also rely (and get promoted) on the fact that this adorable kid is playing the Tchaikovsky violin concert etc., and the industry and audience only require that they be young, preferably cute, and play technically difficult music with hoops to jump through. Not required to develop musicality, indeed there might be no time since they need to cash in on this kid before puberty and need to ramp up the repertoire to hit the tour, once they outgrow the child prodigy appeal they might not be complete enough musicians, assuming they can still stand to even look at the instrument at that point.
There’s a good blog post on child prodigies at http://dropera.blogspot.com/2012/01/about-those-child-opera-singers-heres.html. It focuses on child singers, the worst case since so many of their voices are physically ruined from overuse.
Robin here is the general scam:
They send a check, and for some reason it’s over the amount required. For a musician it might be so you can forward a commission to an agent they use to arrange something or other, or maybe they say it was an accident, or they cancel shortly after the initial deposit, or whatever. There will be some reason you’ll need to wire money somewhere else. Shortly after you do so, your bank will find out the check was a forgery and debit your account, and now you’re out the money you sent.
A variation might be that they send you a check, and shortly after you get a somewhat official looking email from someone claiming to be in law enforcement somewhere stating that your account received XYZ funds from a known terrorist/drug trafficker/whatever and now you’re under investigation for money laundering, and you should pay this penalty immediately under threat of arrest. It will be the scammer or an accomplice, and shortly after you pay the fee, your bank discovers the check you got was a forgery and again you’re out the money.
Finally, as others have said, they might just be trying to get information. They want to pay you in advance with a wire direct to your bank account, so they want your routing numbers etc. and maybe some personal information for “tax purposes”. They then might go on a shopping spree, wire money from your account to another they cash out before you catch it, or forge checks in tour name that they use to con others.
You’d have to drive a ton for the gas savings to equal the extra maintenance and insurance of a second car, let alone the amount to obtain the vehicle itself. If I were in your shoes, I’d stick with the Jeep, and if I were getting a new car anyway, I’d get the most fuel efficient car I could reasonably afford that would carry my harp and other accessories.
