Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Affairs of the harp has many technical details about regulating and repairing harps, in far greater detail than Mr. Swanson’s book, which covers the basics. Lyon & Healy once published a booklet called “Happiness is a Contented Harp” which told how to change felts, check and oil springs and studs, and do basic regulation.
My parents had a Toyota Siena for many years and many hundreds of thousands of miles. I felt it was too high off the ground to make loading easy, but if you can buy one that was handicapped-equipped, you might be able to use that in loading, it will have a ramp, and even a harness to hold the harp up in the air (don’t do it).
Yes, in time, the wood fibers will change their alignment according to who plays it regularly. School harps that are regularly played by many people lose their focus. My teacher, Frances Miller, told me that, and every summer, she would take one or more university harps to her cabin, and play scales and exercises on them until the sound was revived. My own harp has changed greatly over the years. You can control the sound as long as the wood is able to be cooperative. And even when a harp has a new owner, it will retain some of the signature of the previous owner.
I have always wanted a used Mercedes station wagon, but I hear they can need a lot repairs. But classy! Maybe I would settle for a Volvo.
It really depends on how you are being taught. It can be very simple if your teacher gives you a comprehensive, consistent method of playing, with constructive exercises and strong guidance, ie. a lot of corrections. Some people can play very well after only four years, especially if they have come from playing the organ or piano, but there are also special challenges in transferring from another instrument. Suffice it to say, as I said before, every ten years one reaches a higher level, hopefully, and each level shows you another level to reach, particularly with regards to repertoire. Learning repertoire is probably the biggest challenge.
Bryan retired some time ago, though his business is still going. Thom Bell also does restorations, but is backed up, I hear.
I tried clear nail polish once, and it added a very noticable thickness to my nails that definitely interfered with my playing. The chemicals in it also penetrated into my finger and I could not wait to remove it. Harpists do not need polish. You can buff your nails and make them shine. That is all.
I did a concert on that model once, or one like it, and it had excellent projection, if not the warmth or rounded tone of a 23.
In this day and age, a wedding ceremony should pay at least $500. If people know that is the minimum, they can plan for it in their budgeting. Paying less is pure exploitation of the musician. It should really be about $1,000. With a bonus charge for Bridezillas!
Bar 13 is a very tricky rhythm and unlikely to be playable without much rehearsal. I would rethink that, or give the left hand to another instrument.
If you stick to Berlioz/Strauss’s instructions, you’ll write competent harp parts.Some of his simpler pieces are among his best work. Others I find very repetitious of other pieces. Vers la source dans le bois and Au Matin seem to be his peak achievements, to me. The Six Noels have a lasting quality. But I recently heard the Scherzo Romantique for the first time and was very disappointed in it.
The Minneapolis Board of Education had a
Washburn harp on which I first studied pedal harp. Some of the pedal rods were broken, so I could only use certain pedals, or I had to manually return the pedal to its other position, maybe it was jammed. It had sadly been painted locker-green, and the sounding board was painted brown, so the sound was completely dulled. I wish I’d had the sense to take it and have it rebuilt. I think I might have asked and LH said it was not worth doing.
