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Hi Gillian. Sometimes I found myself frustrated too. Frustration means (obviously) that you’ve run into a problem and haven’t found a solution. So I agree with the other posts which suggest you try something new (new teacher, new songs, etc). The thing that helped me the most was my determination not to become defeated by the challenge. Learning the harp is a daunting task for me. But I have passion about rising to the challenge and kicking it in the rear end (so to speak). I am also passionate about beautiful songs that I like to hear and feel a need to play. So my suggestion to you is twofold:
#1: Take control of your lessons. I did this and am having so much more fun. I pick out really interesting music I want to learn and bring it to my teacher to help me. I couldn’t stand the music she was picking out for me so I’ve stopped that from happening by going to the lesson armed with my own material. I don’t always understand her communication style very well, so I push her to re-explain things to me in different ways and also give me visual demonstrations often (since I am a visual learner). Now I am getting what I want and need from my lessons. Plus, she is a talented harpist and just tells me straightforward everything I am doing wrong and how to do it better. This give me lots of concrete things to work on. And when I work on those things, my playing progresses. So find a teacher that can show you where you are stuck and give you the ways and means to move forward.
#2: Find your passion. What is it that drew you to the harp in the first place? The beauty of the instrument? The beauty of the music? Personal goals, etc.? Whatever it was, you need to tap into that passion and let it re-ignite you in a way that continuously propels you forward. I keep my passion alive by choosing music I absolutely love. Then I am super-determined to practice and play it well. I know that one day, I will be able to play it for others and share my passion. This is why I am doing it!
Hope this helps and I wish you empowerment and passion in your harp pursuits!
You can get the nylon strings anywhere since you will know their sizes. Honestly, I have no idea where else to buy the flurocarbons. But I’m sure RR can tell you specs if you want to know another source. I buy from him. I’m not sure what kind of wire strings I have, but plan to buy them from him also if I need them.
My favorite is Deborah Henson Conant’s: Baroque Flamenco. If you haven’t seen it yet…… it’s a must watch.
You can buy them from R Harps, one string at a time, if you want. They seem more expensive than nylon strings though……. just so you know. But it’s been three years and only two have broken. And only now am I considering changing them out.
I too own the Mel Bay / Laurie Riley book and am enjoying this version of Roslyn Castle along with the awesome arrangement of Butterfly Jig. I did come across a free online download of Roslyn Castle for Harp, and it was pretty good too. It’s in a different key than the Laurie Riley version and has some extra interesting spark to it. Let me know if you are interested. Maybe I can find the link to e-mail to you.
I have owned my Merlin for 3 years and am very happy with it. I just had it regulated the other day for the first time, because the regulation was off on some strings. The harp technician thought my Merlin was very structurally well made. And he agreed the Merlin would be a long lasting harp. However, he complained about the flourocarbon strings because he thinks they keep stretching for too long. And he doesn’t agree with RR who says to leave them on the harp and clean them. This tech advised me to change my wire and flourocarbon strings (which have been on there for 3 years). He claimed they weren’t ringing true with the overtones anymore (or something like that). And this is apparently caused by the strings getting old, dirty, over-stretched. I have noticed a slight sound change and am tempted to change them. I should probably call RR and hear his advice first. But I do love the sound of the flourocarbons. They are really amazing. After getting used to Merlin, I actually can’t stand the sound of certain other lever harps anymore. But that’s just my personal bias. Also, I want to share with you that Merlin is really wonderful for expressive music. I take my harp lesson at my teacher’s house on her lever harp, and the songs just don’t sound the same as they do on Merlin. I think Merlin handles drama, expression and modern techniques with more clarity and flair. For that….. I swear by the Merlin (since I can’t afford the next best thing: A pedal harp).
If you read through the R-Harps website you will see that he builds it with a different technology than other harps. There’s a kind of support system built inside the sound box that takes tension off of the sound board. That is what will supposedly give the Merlin Harp extended longevity (and beautiful, resonant sound). I don’t know if the “generations” thing is true. But I certainly expect my Merlin to last several decades. What I can say is that after a couple of years, the sound board is not bending upwards AT ALL in most of the lower range. And it is only very slightly bowing in the mid to upper range. This bending is nothing compared to what I’ve seen happening with other lever harps. Very interesting…..
These are great responses. I just want to add that I go through the same thing. I play perfectly at home and then everything just falls apart in front of my teacher. I go to her house for my lesson and she has a totally different harp than mine, so all my kinesthetic body memory of playing the song goes right out the window. I always play horribly on her harp and it frustrates me and amplifies my nervousness. Also, my teacher has a different communication style than me. She has been playing music all her life and is strong on “auditory communication.” I have no music background and am predominately “visual and kinesthetic.” So when she merely explains a concept verbally, I often have no idea what she’s talking about. I have had to work hard to build effective communication with her and let her know my learning style needs. I often ask her for visual demonstrations. She responds positively to this and shifts her teaching accordingly. When I understand her better, my nervousness decreases.
Another thing I noticed is that my brain just loses focus sometimes during the lesson and goes into a kind of confused “black out” that often involves disproportionate fear: Fear of making mistakes, fear of not being able to read new music fast enough, fear of not getting the rhythm right the first time: All of which is totally, totally unrealistic for me, especially during a lesson. I had to realize that I am there to learn, so if I get confused I stop and ask detailed questions, I can slow myself down, I can ask my teacher for feedback, or I can ask for a moment to regain my focus. Sometimes, I ask for a few moments to just stare at and touch this foreign harp I am not used to. That helps a lot! If my brain gets really locked up, I ask to move on to a different piece and come back to the problem piece afterwards. This is really effective for me. Remember, it is your lesson. With intention, you can begin to command how you react to yourself and you can invent new ways of coping. Being aware of the inner self-talk is also important to monitor.
I meditate before my lessons now, which totally improves my focus and calms my nervous system a lot. When I do this, I perform better and learn faster. It has been 2 years of lessons and I’m just getting to the point where I can relax more and try to have fun. I pretend my teacher is not there while I am playing the song. That seems to work well. When she does interject with critical feedback, I grow in my technique by leaps and bounds. So it is important to remember how much your playing will improve by putting yourself in the presence of the teacher. That adds to the excitement and joy of the lesson. It was important for me to shift my paradigm about the lesson: From fear to excitement of the opportunity and joy in learning.
I have to say, they’ve stayed about the same. But I like them the way they are. For me it is a strong positive feature of this harp. So it probably is just a matter of personal taste. However, you can certainly modulate some by playing them softer. It is easy to get carried away and really pound on them since the string tension is light. This is especially true if you are used to stiffer strings. Actually, what I wish is that the very highest strings on my Merlin were brighter. That is my only complaint. Other harps seem to be stronger in that department. But again….. not a deal breaker for me. Best to go with the sound quality that attracts you the most. That is what drew me to Merlin and other people to other harps. It’s fascinating to hear all the different lovely sounds each instrument can produce.
Looks like this is an older thread, but I wanted to comment on the Merlin Harp. I’ve owned one for the last two years and absolutely love it. The Triplett harp factory is near me in California, but I did not prefer their sound, size or feel. I ordered the Merlin from Colorado sight unseen. It sounded better to me over the phone than any other lever harp did in person! When it arrived by shipment I was not disappointed. The sound quality is clear, precise and gorgeous and it projects wonderfully. String tension is light and very easy to play. I can honestly say that I love the sound of my Merlin better than even some smaller pedal harps I have heard or tried to play. At our group recitals, several of the other students have commented that they like the sound of my Merlin in comparison to all other lever harps in the room (Triplett, Dusty and others are represented). Well…… that’s just my experience and my own bias. But I hope it inspires anyone to give Merlin a try. I am a tall person and have no problem with the smaller size. But I will say that I have to sit higher up in order to pull back my right arm far enough to play the highest strings. That is the one thing that is a bit challenging compared to other harps I’ve played. But it is by no means a deal breaker!!!!! I just work harder to master it is all.
Hmmm….. after I wrote this last post, I realized what the connection is in the dream between my harp and lovers.
