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Or take a rubber band (loose enough it doesn’t cut the blood supply off) and fasten your pinky to the 4th to remind you. I see on another thread I am not the only person to suggest this!
Which knuckle? The one nearest the tip of that finger sometimes complains at me if I don’t keep my finger in a nice smooth curve but let it bend back or bend much more than the others.
How fast are the runs? Is it worth discussing with your teacher not placing the 3rd before hand – have the 3rd hovering towards its note and place as you come off the 4th.
I assume the numbers are mostly to help the makers keep records, but I would expect the maker to be more use than a distributor.
If this doesn’t work you could post the make and number here and see if anyone has a nearby number of known age.
There are two main potential issues that I can think of for changing from wire to nylon. The first is that the strings may be too close together and the second is if the harp is so heavily built the sound is really disappointing.
If improvising I don’t think I would like metal (too hard) or anything too squishy and likely to pull through. Nylon serves to stand in for gut as a string material so I would first look at plastic bits I had around (paintbrush handle maybe?) and secondly at hardwoods – softwood compresses more than I would like.
I would use a triple thickness of the 4th C – and next time you are ordering spare strings ask for a stash of extra thick bits. These should just be popped in the envelope free. Or scrounge off your teacher or a harp playing friend.
I busked a couple of times with a friend playing duets on two concert grands… but my CG is not going to mix with a beach!
I agree -work on recovery plans. Know what the important bare bones are for example an even pulse of notes or a few key chords even if you only play the tonic as octaves. Have your pedals marked in at places where you can spare the brain to get back on track.
Advice when I turned up at my teacher with the Magic Fire Music – sit up straight, look confident and anyone who notices mistakes will assume one of the other harpists made them!
I am sure Teifi harps will know – Teifi’s own levers have much the same mechanics, but different handles.
I haven’t walked past a cobbler’s scrap basket in years either – but can find most things on ebay! Yes I sewed them – it was reasonably tough to do, but worth it to break the tedious felt packing/wear/regulation pattern.
Sylvia, It is just leather – I chose a bit the right thickness from a cobbler’s scrap basket and cut the rectangles myself.
Are they felt or suede leather? Every few years I put a little leather dressing on my leather ‘felts’ but I think pilgrim use suede (when they use leather) and mine are smooth leather so am not sure it would transfer across.
I can’t see talc doing any harm.
If they are red they will be felt – dark brown is the thicker felt for the Progress and the leather is tan. Personally I love leather instead of felt – I used to wear through felts in a year or two but haven’t needed to change them since I put leather on 10 years ago.
