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Thank you Biagio. I’m compelled by medieval scand, just as gaelic on wire harp.
Btw, I couldn’t find a “personal message” button, but I have some curiosity about the various examples – such as the different angles between Lamont and Trinity College styles: is there an inherent sound advantage to the lower head on the Lamont style, or is it simply a matter of enabling/accomodating a greater number of strings?
Many thanks, R
<p style=”text-align: center;”>FWIW, I have a Cunningham mahogany 22-string harp available for sale. I was keeping it for my kids but they seem to be losing interest. It comes with a carry bag and tuning tool. I’ll sell it for $300 + shipping.</p>
Ah sycamore. (My familiarity with it is as a generally economical ‘substitute’ for cypress in flamenco guitars).
(Lol, there must be something wrong with us – talking about harp wood instead of watching football on tv! ; )
(Please pardon me for interjecting – but thank you Biagio for expounding on some aspects such as woods – I typically don’t read the tech stuff that goes by as it’s mostly more detail than I’m wanting at the time.. while I’m mostly ignorant on the chemical analysis, I’m intimately involved with them – as are we all. Thanks again – R)
I may have missed it if it’s been mentioned – are the kilcoys maple? The pics I’ve seen appear to be –
Don’t know what you have in mind Allison, but – many harpers in clinical settings use straps – as small harps are very effective for bedside playing…and you wouldn’t want it falling out/on to a patient if doing bed-side work (so strap button locks WOULD be good! ; )
I’ve not used strap for harp. But I play other insttuments that use straps (viz, saxophones, bass clarinet, accordians): the stability provided by a harness (such as deployed with a baritone saxophone) or the double shoulder straps of accordians is really an asset.
I have a triplett 25 wire for sale – excellent wee harp. I’m in the USA.
Fwiw, this very well-built small harp is quite stable and requires very little tuning – it holds its tuning well despite varying climactic conditions . . . contrarily, my large triplett 30 wire requires pretty constant tweaking – as it seems more vulnerable to climactic fluctuation.
I enjoy m’bira/kalimba too. A colleague had brought two back from Zaire that were spectacular – these were quite large, approximately 12″. But even the small ones are wonderful – I sometimes bring one to play while on a long hike. I always wanted a kora, but the m’bira is essentially the same thing – even playing technique is essentially the same – albeit, with different materials.
Something else simple yet dulcet is the steel drum –
Another small, portable (stringed) instrument I like to bring on outdoor excursions is charango – just pitched into a rucksack with the food… i used to play a lot of mandolin, ukulele, banjo (which are also good for rustic/pastoral occasions :-). These all can make a very nice sound without a lot of technical preparation (study, practice) as the instruments are resonant and can be tuned any which way. But charango/ronroco, tiple, quatro…many simple Latin instruments – are particularly suited to a peripatetic style.
“Guzheng…though it clearly bears some resemblance to zithers…”
Yes, the zheng is a Chinese zither. Many cultures have various zithers in their traditions. You can get zithers in about any shape or size, with anywhere between just a few strings to 100+ strings, with or without combination courses, fingerboards, etc. All manner.
Our (USA) “mountain” or lap style dulcimer is one such zither -(deriving from trad folk instruments throughout Europe), not to be confused with the “hammered dulcimer” which is a totally different instrument (they happen to share a name, which is itself a term of little specific distinction, through colloquial means, etc., not due to any commonalities among the instruments themselves – other than strings of fixed pitch parallel to the soundboard – … kind of like, many people think you’re referring to a harmonica when you say “harp”), yet both are zithers (another term of very general distinction).
I’m also fond of the Scandinavian kantele and gusli (zithers) ..
Woodwind instruments (as well as orchestral strings) require a great deal of practice – simply to attain, and maintain, basic playing proficiency.
Zithers of all manner around the world – have similiar design and playing technique – (kora not so much as it’s all thumbs). My favorite is the Chinese guzheng which I feel is the world’s most expressive plucked stringed instrument. I improvise on mine and have used it in hospice setting where its pentatonic tuning is particularly efficacious. You can get traditional metal – strung guzheng or modern nylon – strung.. Traditionally fingerpicks are employed, but as a wire harper (and flamenco guitarist prior to that), I simply use fingernails (although I’m good either way as I’ve picked a lot with fngrpks too.. .and you do need them for some of the techne..)
Tried to post the link but unable for some reason. Google – “bei bei live at the psalm.” (*edit* I guess I was able to post the link there at the top -)
Other than strringed – instruments (which Lyn stated was the article of interest), I could make a number of additional suggestions..
Another stringed – instrument, depending on your predilections: many of the technical elements can transfer easily to guitar. There are many folk-related styles of gtr using minimal technical and harmonic complexity ; various tunings and simply a slide in the fingering/fingerboard hand, for example, are not complicated nor particularly technically demanding – so many of the skills in your treble/falseta hand can transfer readily…banjo, too – most of it is in the “picking” hand : folk idioms are often dance-music forms, rhythm-based, etc., so the primacy of techne is mainly in the ‘dominant’/rhythm-generating hand (as opposed to the fingerboard/fingering/harmony hand) – what is typically your treble hand on harp (but of course, not always, or necessarily – given our many diverse approaches/traditions, etc..)
Another is hammered dulcimer : much of what you ‘know’ – mentally – can be rather directly applied. I played harp tunes, irish/scottish trad, etc. on HD for years before getting into harping, and play pretty much the same repertoire on each. It’s a fun instrument, particularly if you like to play percussion instruments..
And of course piano and keyboard instruments are all similar..
I really like to play accordians/melodeons/concertina (free reeds). These are really fun. Like harp, they’re wonderfully capable of solo expression with their polyphonic (and rhythmic!) capacity. And portable!, and loud – great for entertaining. And easier to keep in tune than a wire harp! 😉 Reeds/wind instruments are just wonderful. I was really lucky to have learned woodwinds in elem school – just nothing like wind on a reed.. . but you don’t need a group with an accordian … it’s cheating really 😉
But, as wil-weten mentioned – what music do you want to play?
Lovely harp and playing Allison.
I can corroborate Biagio, Balfour – I would love a double (but no, I’ll likely not acquire one – unless in trade 😉 )
