Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Well, my description is slightly incorrect. It has been a long time since I saw him. I just reviewed a video of him playing. You are right, he does manipulate them from the left. What confused me is that they go all the way through and so they are visible on the right side.
His harp actually doesn’t appear to actually have bridge pins, and the bending mechanism is only on certain strings. Otherwise it is still basically correct. The string runs up the middle of the top piece and the bending mechanism is basically a bar that runs through that he moves to press into the string.
Here is a good video that shows not only the way he uses the mechanism, but also the use of a “utensil” to alter notes.
I think it is worth noting, also, that the plays on wire strings, which I am sure has an impact on how well his techniques work.
I’ve seen his harp close up. The way it is built the strings actually run up through the center of the peg arm, and not off to one side like on most harps (some Central and South American harps are built this way too).
Also he plays with his left hand playing the treble and right hand playing the bass, so the mechanism he uses for bending notes is actually on the right side of the harp so that he can use his right hand to work it while playing the melody with his left hand. They are basically little levers under the bridge pins that he slides and that pushes some kind of a fret pin inside the neck into the string causing the pitch to bend up.
Also, some south American harpists play accidentals using a ring with a little protrusion on it that the keep on one finger of the left hand. When they need to play a sharp they take their left hand and press the ring into the string above the bridge pin. With practice they get very good at getting just enough pressure to hit the half step very accurately.
It is similar to the concept used in some modern music and jazz for harp where you bend notes or add vibrato by pressing the string with your finger between the bridge and tuning pin.
Heck, I have an opinion on EVERYTHING. If my opinion is worth anything is a matter of…. well…. opinion.
From what I have heard of the carbon fiber heartland harp, I like them. Compared to other folk strung lever harps I think the sound is very comparable, and the advantages of a light weight body that is virtually impervious to adverse environmental conditions.
If I did a lot of playing on lever harp at outdoor events I would definitely consider one.
Well, I’m to tech or mechanical expert when it comes to harps. Hopefully one of the experts here like Carl will chime in. But…
I honestly don’t think that there is too much or too little playing that you can do. I think what the issue would be is too little maintenance for the amount of playing you are doing.
If you get a harp regulated and checked out enough based on your playing habits, you should be able to play it for a lifetime.
Just understand, moving parts wear out. The more you
All these replies are very interesting.
Can’t she take lessons with the instructors outside of the college? My teacher taught at both SUNY Purchase and at the Music Conservatory of Westchester. But I took lessons from her privately in her home.
It might be convenient to take lessons on campus, but most professors tend to live near the campus. If they do then taking lessons off campus might be an option.
Best to stick with a specific area that you are actually interested in. And familiar with.
What kind of
You can record to your computer fairly inexpensively. You would need a microphone, a digital interface and some recording software. If you aren’t doing antyhing fancy then there is actually some decent free software out there, like audacity, that works really well.
The fancier you get the more expensive it gets. I do most of my recording on a mac using Logic Studio, which is a very comprehensive piece of recording software. I use condenser mics for recording as they are more sensitive (and fragile unfortunately), but for simple stuff you can get a cheap dynamic mic that doesn’t require phantom power and is virtually indestructible (Shure dynamic mics are great and reasonably priced).
So it all really depends on what you are interested in.
There are stand alone records, and I have a
I think it would depend on their ages. Are you looking for books on how to play the harp, or books on history or culture?
My first introduction in terms of instructional material was the Fun From the First books. I highly recommend them.
For more history and culture:
The Harp of Ireland: The Belfast Harper’s Festival 1792 and the Saving of Ireland’s Harp Music by Edward Bunting, by Grainne Yeats
Grainne also has a double CD recording of her performing a combination of the music played at the festival as well as some other great Irish harp pieces.
Another great book on Irish harp history is The Story of the Irish Harp: Its History and Influences, by Nora Joan Clark.
And for anyone into O’Carolan’s music they absolutely have to read Carolan, The Life And Times Of An Irish Harper, by Donal O’Sullivan.
Moving away from Irish to more general harp stuff, Harps and Harpists (Revised Edition) by Roslyn Rensch is an absolute must. A very comprehensive and beautifully done book. And my copy came with a CD that has some great examples of harp music.
Love him or hate him, there is no denying that Carlos Salzedo was a major player in the contemporary popularization of the Harp. The Biography, Carlos Salzedo: From Aeolian to Thunder, by Dewey Owens is excellent. I haven’t read the other biography just released, Pentacle: The Story of Carlos Salzedo and the Harp, by Marietta Bitter, yet. But I hear great things about it, and Saul wrote the introduction so it has to be good.
Although not specifically about the harp there is also no denying that for many people all they know about the harp comes from watching the Marx Brothers movies, and Harpo Marx’s autobiography, Harpo Speaks, is an absolutely fascinating read. Oh, he talks about the harp and
She was principle harpist for the New World Symphony at one point if I remember correctly. And she lives in Chicago so no having to worry about moving. And Saul should be happy, she’s an American.
Well, I am happy for both of them. Julie Smith clearly likes where she is and what she is doing, and Marguerite Lynn Williams gets a great new opportunity. Sounds like both are doing well.
Once there were several dealers who carried Pilgrim harps here in the US. It looks like they don’t anymore, but you could always check. I think at one time Harps Unlimited International, The Michigan Harp Center, and Melody’s all carried them.
It is, that they are completely different strings.
Guitars have only six strings, so only six different thicknesses.
Many harps are strung with gut strings, and your typical concert harp will most likely have a combination of wire wrapped strings in the base, then gut strings, and then many use nylon in the upper octaves.
Guitars typically are strung completely in one or the other, metal or nylon.
Harp strings are color coded so you know which string is which note, Cs are red and Fs are blue, purple or black (most use blue).
The gauges of guitar strings are designed for guitars. The gauges for harp strings are designed for the harps, and different harps can have very specific requirements for gauges.
On guitars you can get away with swapping out to a different gauge string without much difficulty. On
“Sometimes what throws me when I sight read is figuring out where the beats are. So rhythm exercises would help with that. “
Oh, me too. I can read notes easily, and I can recognize chords just from the shapes they make on the page without having to think much about them. It is the rhythm that make sight reading a challenge for me.
Particularly anything with a lot of syncopation (and combine that with contrary motion and it’s like running into a wall). And I often get thrown by the unexpected triplet (which is why I find Debussy such a challenge. Love his music, but the man never met a triplet he didn’t like, he threw so many of them into his music).
