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“I’m sad that I won’t be able to play both at the same time”
Shelby M, It is wonderful that you have a better flute now, but don’t stop playing it just because you have a harp. Years ago at a restaurant in southern California, those of us who were attending a harp conference were treated to an evening of harp+synthesizer music by the very creative Betsy Mills, who is now Betsy Mills Goodspeed. With one hand on the harp and the other on a small keyboard (synthesizer) she played beautiful music that entertained us and other restaurant patrons. Betsy used a small Salvi Daphne pedal harp, and electronic amplification hidden in a nearby potted palm! She is still busy creating (“The Harp Plays” book for beginners, available online) and teaching. My own experience with two different instruments in the same gig, was 15 years at a country club Brunch where I sat at my pedal harp playing background music for 50 minutes, and the next 50 I played violin near the tables of the patrons, so that they could request favorites. This steady gig changed when the dining room was remodeled to make more room for tables, but no more room for my harp. My idea for you would be that once your ability on both
Although Roger Muma, a London, Ontario harp builder is located quite a distance from Ear Falls, he might have customers or know of harp players near you. His e-mail is roger@mumaharps.com. Winnipeg is probably your nearest large city, where there would certainly be teachers and players. Recently The Velvet Glove restaurant at 2 Lombard Place there has had a live harpist.
Michaela, Depending on your main focus, my system may not be appropriate for you but here it is:
Classical: Alphabetical, by composer (in heavy cartons called Bankers Boxes from Office Max, using dividers and behind each letter, as many 8 1/2″ x 11″ folders as I have music whose composers’ last names begin with that letter)
Popular: Red folders labeled A-G, H-P, Q-Z by title of the piece
World: Blue folder for French, Green for Irish, Yellow for Hawaii and Island, Orange for Spanish and Latin, sand color for Israel and Mid East
Hendryx, you’re certainly not alone in not being able to read sheet music! Where on the planet are you located? You need a kind harp player who will ease you into playing the harp, at first by copying what that player does (easy folk songs you already know by ear are fine) and then gradually, perhaps,
One can always “mute” the harp sound somewhat, by threading some felt through the strings, down near the soundboard. Lyon and Healy sold these red
It may be that Susana Remeny-Prentice, harpist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada knows about Ferenc Farkas and has music of his. She emigrated from Hungary in the 1950’s when that country was overrun by the Communists. You can e-mail me for her address. The Old Hungarian Melodies, transcribed for harp by the late Liana Pasquali, are most certainly in the hands of her many illustrious students: Anna-Maria Ravnopolska of Bulgaria, Ian Roncea of Romania, Stana Bunea now
Misty, I agree. And harpist Willy Postma(Norway) recorded some Pozzoli etudes on her CD The Golden Harp. Steven Staryk, distinguished violinist, born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1932
Since Starfish harps have been mentioned here several times, be aware that they recently (at the big Edinburgh Festival) showed a model that has the mid-section tuned chromatically (every half-step). I have not seen or heard it but if you go to their web site you can probably get more information. It would seem to me that this would enable a larger repertoire than the usual diatonic tuning.
Tammy, as you progress with harp you’ll need to know some music theory. A good free site is http://www.musictheory.net.
Those are such interesting answers from everyone, especially as “is it hard to play the harp” is impossible to answer in just one quick sentence. A word I have not seen here, however, is discipline. We are all different in the amount of discipline we use for our own tasks when we are alone
Renate, stairs will be a problem no matter which cart you choose.You are rolling (even with a 3-wheeled cart) the whole weight of the instrument up against gravity, and not on a smooth ramp, either. Many fathers have back problems from doing this job for their daughters. If there is any possible way to use your harp at street level, it would be a real advantage. Harp cart makers should use aluminum instead of steel, in my opinion. Full-size concert harps could be lighter as well, so consider weight before you invest.
