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I just recently mentioned somewhere hopefully not in this thread (if so please forgive me for repeating) that I had absolutely no awareness whatever of the vast repetoire of both instruments until I began playing, and since the lever repetoire is much closer to my grasp in every way,
There’s a beautiful harp on the Blevins site in quilted maple. It was made into a Phoenix, large lap harp, 29 strings and I think a really beautiful design, and the maple is just the cherry on top of the sundae.
Becky, Go to the Blevins website, then the small-lap harps thread, scroll down to the Phoenix, a very large lap harp, and you will see several pictures of it being played. I think Cindy is adding pictures gradually because some of the other lap harps have pictures too so you have to check each one to see them.
Hope this helps!
I don’t know if anyone has considered that there are times when I leave the house confident that my lesson music will be perfect, and for whatever reason, it isn’t even close.
I love the little pieces I’m learning (yes even “Cricket”) and I love Grossi. Sometimes if I’m bothered by something I sit and Grossi myself into oblivian. Yet many errors appear in my lessons, and I’m always afraid that my teacher won’t believe that I’ve practiced for at least an hour every day between lessons.
I’m also one of those goody-goody putty in the teacher’s hands type of student. I can suspend my own sense of adult musical judgement at any time to improve.
Of course, I’d LOVE to blame the problem on the fact that my teacher’s harp isn’t exactly the same as my home harp. Oh well…….
Pippin- Go to the Triplett website, check the dimensions of the Christina, then mark a yardstick and hold it in front of you.
I think you may be surprised how tall the “small” harps are. The Sharpsicle is significantly thinner but still fairly tall.
One of the therapy websites has a picture of many of the current therapy harps being held by a lady who teaches harp therapy. I think if you google “therapy harp” or “therapy harp programs” you’ll be able to find it.
I got an amazing price on my Lewis Creek Nightingale by checking the established second hand harp sites regularly.
Finally, there are now several of the Blevins harps pictured with a lovely young lady holding them so that you can see what they look like in someone’s arms, another helpful point. She is also pictured using a portable bench to support several of the harps in different ways.
I love my Nightingale but I usually play it propped on a
When I began I naively thought that pedal literature must be vastly superior to lever literature.
My turn around came with hearing some of Laura Zaerr’s original music for lever. Upon my first hearing, I realized that lever music can be found in numerous degrees of complexity and execution. I have no reason ever to consider pedal, because if I play for the next 100 years there will still be wonderful things to play and hear on lever.
For all of you who are attending Somerset, Laura will be performing her newest work (I think) at the Friday night concert. The description is wonderful and I’m quite sure it will sound just as terrific. I LOVE LEVER!
I think most of us agree that you have 2 simple-but-complicated things to consider and balance- your love and respect for your dear new husband and your need as a new wife to balance that with your passion for music.
Another thought that I hope wasn’t already mentioned- my Lewis Creek Nightingale has a small beautiful tone, but respnds wonderfully whether played with her big voice or her little voice.
If you love it, a travel-lap-therapy harp will always be part of your life, even when you’re in the position to have something larger.
Hi Becky- I love the tone of several of the Blevins harps, and I’ve been watching the Amadeus that’s on the specials list right now. It probably has a big sound in person but it certainly is a beautiful harp!
Hi MD- I feel reasonably qualified to respond to you as a fairly accomplished musician and at the same time, a complete novice on the harp.
When I started, my teacher requested that I not buy a harp until I had played for several weeks. I agreed with her unlying reason- she wants her students to develop a fairly stable hand position before going home and practicing and developing bad habits- so I lasted about 2 months. By then the desire to practice during the week was making me crazy.
I was interested in 2 particular harps, and learned that one would be close enough to me to pick up at a conference, so I went for it.That would be my Thormahlen Serenade. It is the most reasonably priced of the Thormahlen line, although somewhat more expensive than other popular “starter” harps.
I believe that it is an excellent instrument. I take my lessons on my teacher’s L&H Prelude, and the combination of practice on the Serenade and lessons on the Prelude is completely satisfactory for my purposes. After having my harp for almost 3 months I am finding differences between the two harps but none of them are negative-positive differences, just variations.
If you absolutely love playing the harp and can’t imagine ever wanting to stop playing, you will be disappointed with a purchase that is your second choice, especially since you have some experience playing the harp that you really love.
I would certainly say to go for the harp that you love.
Is there harp in each movement of the Barber? I didn’t know there was a harp part and I know practically every note by ear (not to play of course).
I have a hobby of reading scores as I listen to orchestral (or other) music, and I have been quite surprised to learn that some composers wrote for harp- many parts appear in scores that I have never heard at all.
Your spelling is not that bad, John. You betray yourself with typos and the inate desire to write with
