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I always use from the spares and then replace spares with new strings, as Catherine has said above.
You didn’t mention how you keep your strings.
I keep each octave in its own plastic ziploc, all the nylons together in their ziploc, the guts in their ziploc, and the wires in their ziploc. So they are all double-bagged as well as being in their original little ziploc. (triple-bagged, really) Spares at home are in a protective canvas bag. Traveling spares are in a nylon bag.I have two harps, so I have a double spares supply, but I use out of the traveling spares only….and then replace those with strings from the bag of home spares. I write the date that I got the string on masking tape and tape it to the ziploc. Some of mine (5th As and Bs) got to be 20 years old before they were used, and they were fine.
I never replace all strings at once, only what’s dreadful. I don’t have the time or money to do that.
If you’re getting rid of 5-yr-old strings, send them to me.
Here is my website to listen to my old strings.
http://www.WeddingHarpMusic.Yolasite.comCould you be sitting too far away or too far to the left? Or maybe your bench is not high enough to give you leverage?
Perhaps you could just play it with pedals in Db instead of D. Then you’d just need to go to naturals.Mine were just weddings, and I don’t use a contract.
However, no one questioned me on why I did what I did. It is very obvious to observers. There is no need to explain or apologize.
If anyone is stupid enough to ask, you could just say…would YOU leave a XXK instrument out in the rain?I don’t know, but just for future reference….
I’ve had a couple of close calls with rain, and I keep my cover right with me, and the dolly as close as possible. At the first sign of a sprinkle, I jump up and cover up the harp and try to get to a safe place, if there is one.
You do NOT have to keep playing. Your harp is more important than anything that’s going on.I agree with the other comments. I started lessons in college. I saw a harp case in the hall in the music building and went and signed up. I had no ambitions…I just knew I needed to play. It is in your heart.
I bought my first harp while working nights in a nursing home. I had no idea where the harp would lead me, as Angela said. It’s been quite a journey…always an adventure. Anyone who wants to play should play.
The first lesson? Yikes. I was in college when I had my first harp lesson. Back in the day, my teacher used The First Harp Book by Betty Paret. I started with one finger (Finger 2). Then when those were proficient enough, it went to Finger 2 plus the thumb, and so on. I’m sure I would have fallen apart if my first lesson had been having to use two or three fingers all at once.
I know this is about piano students, but…..I also broke my wrist roller skating … when it hit the concrete. I was off for about three months. I had a fixator on my arm because the wrist bone was in smithereens, the DR. said. They put in a plate in surgery.
Any harpist skating on concrete or ice, I say, wear guards!You can look at the parts here, but you can’t print them.
http://archives.nyphil.org/index.php/artifact/ddd36c6f-6d1e-41cd-b8c6-3389002700c3/fullview#page/2/mode/2upItem Specifications:
UPC: 844731030215
Origin: Pakistan
Shipping Specifications:
Ship Length: 40 inches
Ship Height: 32 inches
Ship Width: 20 inches
Ship Weight: 155 lbs.I know that would include a shipping case of some kind, but the weight?? How heavy is that harp? My goodness.
There’s a special note about strings on the ad, so I’m wondering if the strings were brought up to pitch when the harp arrived.This shows the part for Nessun Dorma.
Here’s Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma.
https://www.google.com/search?q=nessun+dorma&oq=nessun+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.4817j0j4&sourceid=chrome&espv=2&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8I think Ben is wondering whether to leave it packed overnight at the motels.
I was wondering if his harp is an indoor or indoor-outdoor harp. (sounds like pets). We really don’t know what kind of environment his harp is used to.
If Ben’s harp is only in constant AC, he may be worried about the changes it will experience in the move.My harps play for outdoor events and have always been exposed to extremes of temp and humidity.
Going from WA to AZ, I’d wonder about humidity more than temp.As for nights at a motel, there is the possibility of theft, but the thief would need to be pretty resourceful, strong, and have a large vehicle.
I do overniters + more all the time. This week, mine will stay packed from Thurs. nite till Sat. when I go out to play again. As I said in my message above, the temp in my garage gets up to 90.
However, as with all harp stuff, we are all different, so what works for one may not work for somebody else.
About the flakiness factor.
Back in the day, I was one of those flakey students. (Now I’m a flakey adult.)
Anyway, my harp teacher was probably the only stabilizing influence in my life at that time. I don’t know what would have become of me had he not been there as a mentor.
I do not even use the technique he taught me…just a few of the practice methods.
The most important thing he gave me was to be there as a constant, welcoming person, allowing me to be with one of the most beautiful things in life…a harp.As for illnesses, there are always new treatments coming along.
However, I would certainly get 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, opinions if I were in that situation….and research on the Web for sure. Sometimes there are nutritional approaches, but doctors won’t tell you about them.Just to Elizabeth…Glenn Gould was always my favorite pianist, and I have records (yes, vinyls) of him playing. He could really tickle those ivories beautifully!
