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Hi Daniele, look here for all your Andres notation needs: http://hornandharp.com/publications/andresProject.html
You have it a bit backwards – the harp is designed to be ableto withstand the higher tension from pedal harp strings, which are thicker – it is not putting more tension onto the strings it has on it. Changing to pedal gauge strings will not have much effect on them popping. Do you keep the harp at a fairly constant humidity?
I see from Sylvia Woods’ website that some Ogdens were sold with lever gauge strings. I would want to double check with L&H that they were made to the same specifications and will withstand the pedal gut.
You will not be happy with the results if you change them over at random. If you have a mixture of pedal and lever gauge strings with their different tension and sound you will find it near impossible to get a consistent sound as you play. You could change only part of the harp, either the top or bottom guts – just as your harp has wires at the bottom and then gut which you are used to playing, though a mixture of wire and gut over the whole harp would be unlikely to be a success.
Don’t just follow ‘what people say’ – do YOU like and want a pedal tension harp?
Are you saying Camac use a different size tuning pin for their pedal and lever harps? If so I think they’re mad!
Tony, look here for key F.
Do you mean an EMS Minstrel rosewood harp? Probably with these levers :
http://dalymusic.com/store/sharpening-lever-screw-2-pole-4-pack/
My life is too short to bother trying to get a decent result out of them.Another random thought, if you need to tune a small harp with zither pins I find my brain copes quite well if I turn the whole harp round and tune it with the column near me.
One tip from my teacher I was really glad of is not to be afraid to tell the conductor you need conducting. The first time I did it the soloists for Spring Carol were put halfway down the chapel with their backs to me so the audience could hear them better – but I couldn’t.
Interestingly I measured a Pilgrim peg at 4.8 mm but they sell the tuning key shanks at 5 mm. I guess that makes sense as you want some leeway to get it on and their tuning keys do fit fine.
http://www.pilgrimharps.co.uk/vmchk/Tuning-Key-Shank-5mm/flypage.tpl.html
I think radiator keys may turn out much cheaper than clock ones… I use a harp tuning key to bleed radiators so assume the converse is worth trying.
I just measured a peg at 4.77mm so the 4.8 mm seems a pretty good bet.
Clock keys are often brass and I don’t think would have all that long a life before getting worn by the tuning pin ends and in turn risking mashing the pegs. I think I remember seeing tuning keys available without handles, Pilgrim, maybe. Why not find a way of marking the current black ones you presumably already have – perhaps cutting numbers into the rubber on the downstroke of the T or electrical tape or Sugru rings?
Incidentally, I usually cover the bare metal shafts of non-rubber tuning keys with silicone tubing, but am thinking of trying Sugru. Would this reassure you about your Camac key, Tony?
One of the few things broken harp strings are good for is knot tying practice. Obviously the string kinks at the knot and where it comes through the soundboard, but I have seen a few which were so mangled they were separate strands which isn’t good.
Leaving aside the four in one week, which is a poor show and hopefully won’t happen again, six strings in four months in horrible weather seems quite good going to me. I think I lost that many in a week when I took my harp to Barcelona.
If you prefer the tone of gut, which I do, why would you want a tone midway between what you like and nylon? My preference is strongly with gut generally, but I wanted a bit more bite out of the bottom gut string so use a Savarez KF (which may be the fluorocarbon in question) 5th A string on my pedal harp.
If you want to try the fluorocarbon you could take the hit on postage and order a couple of strings to try – and perhaps a couple of gut?
