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BB, I think your enthusiasm for what you are doing is really super, but I am starting to worry about you moving too fast to spend a very large amount of money for something that may or may not turn out to be exactly what you want.
Isn’t there some way to rent for a little while?
C’mon DebL- give me a little support here!
When you are ready to buy your pedal harp, don’t forget the Lyon and Healy CPO pages.
I have a really wonderful 85 P that was very very reasonably priced when I bought it.
That’s interesting. I had a similar experience with the reviews, so I haven’t read the book yet.
I think “The Art of Practicing” has an interesting perspective. Definitely something I had not considered before reading it. I don’t recall anything specifically about harp, but I think the concepts are pretty solid.
I just bought “Affairs of the Harp” by Samuel Pratt and it is only about harps but contains points that can be generalized to the broader topic of musicianship, I think.
Is there any way to find out if someone nearer to you owns one of their harps? Perhaps you could try theirs.
Thank you Georgina, for reminding me! The site I was thinking of was Telynau Teifi. They make very nice sounding harps.
Two points- quality builders don’t build “cheap” harps. They build harps that are well planned and crafted of lower priced but very good sounding materials. The Ravenna is a very well thought of harp, as are all of the models in the Dusty Strings fleet.
I have a Thormahlen Serenade that is an amazing, wonderful sounding harp that is the lowest priced model in the Thormahlen line.
Second point- I prefer a second hand instrument from a reputable dealer. Buying second hand saves me the work of having to take the time to allow the harp to settle in and open up.
Your job as a buyer is to play as many harps as you can get your hands on,
read as much as you can , and as many reviews as you can find, have someone play harps so that you can listen to them in person, and have your mind made up that you will be willing to be an intelligent and determined purchaser.
If you are in Wales, you also need to google the harp shop there that is making wonderful lever harps. I can’t remember the name, try finding it out by googling. The name starts with the letter T.
I’m not sure what the exchange rate is just now, but I think I could find myself a fine starter harp if I were in your shoes with £2,000 in my pocket and it would not be a “cheap lever”. GOOD LUCK!
Are you looking at the brass plate inside the strings up by the crown? There can be engraving there with the Sarke designation and a serial number.
My harp is in excellent condition with its original soundboard. Its serial number is 696.
Definitely have it appraised by a qualified professional.
I have a book that I think includes the instrumentation lists for all the versions so maybe if you have an idea which version you’re playing, it will be a little easier to find what you need.
I think they’re all very similar, maybe the same, but there are so many of them…..
So that WAS your harp! Please do everything you can to get to take a workshop or workshop(s). It is amazing to me that those wonderful presenters can pack so much into such a short time.
The other great thing about going for the whole weekend is that it seems that every time I go, I have to change my mind about how or what I’m playing.
Celtic folk music is very important to me, I mean VERY important, but I never realized what a major factor it is until I went to some of the workshops at Somerset. Two GREAT workshops, one by William Jackson and one by Grainne Hambly gave me beginner’s tools for composition and arrangement, and accompanying with small harp- lots of new ideas and facts and interesting and useful insights.
A funny little story- I feel very confident saying that I absolutely loathe amplified music of any kind, so when I walked into a workshop on Saturday and saw three musicians “plugging in” I literally thought about getting up and walking out, BUT- it turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my weekend. Thank you April Vega and Harp46 for letting me put aside my uninformed assumption that anything amplified is awful!
Start planning TODAY Deb, and don’t let anything deter you for next year, and congrats for leaving with a beautiful new instrument!
Deb, did you have the chance to take any workshops? I saw one Aziliz, a lighter colored one, at the VAHCenter exhibit early today. Was it yours? I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for months, and I sure haven’t been disappointed.
Enjoy the Aziliz- they’re great sounding harps!
I prefer a vest over a turtleneck, or for an open throat a collarless shirt in a knit fabric. Shirts can be found in a relaxed V neck style in many soft fabrics.
Hooks and eyes can be used as closings on a vest, and can be concealed in the seams of the opening down the front so that they don’t touch the harp.
A vest can always be tailored to a flattering and comfortable length, and if slit at the side seams can be comfortable seated as well as standing.
I believe both men and women look better in plain, dignified concert attire when playing formal concert music, but if the situation presents itself, a little bling is fun for less formal settings.
