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Yeah, the first time you change a full set of strings it takes forever. You will find it much easier and faster as time goes on and you get more practice. When I started it would take me forever to change a single string. Now I can replace a string in no time flat without even thinking about it.
It all comes with practice.
Never tried a Silhouette, but I have a camac electro harp (the kind Deborah used before the Blue light model was built). Although I haven’t played it I have actually held Deborah’s at a concert once, and have heard it of course at the concert.
From that I can say the following. The DHC Blue Light sounds almost exactly like the Camac electroharp, so if you can’t find any recordings of the Blue Light you can instead listen to a recording of a Camac Electroharp and you can get a very good idea of how it sounds.
Second, it is MUCH lighter. If you want something that gives maximum mobility I can’t imagine any other harp is any better in that regard. Since I have an electroharp I can compare and it is significantly lighter. Also, even though I knew it would be lighter than mine, I was unprepared when I picked it up how light it was.
Certainly it isn’t like a feather, but compared to the older wood model electroharp it is significant.
Maybe Athy will show up and comment. He owns all three, a Silhouette, a Camac Baby Blue electroharp, and a DHC Blue Light, and so can give a real comparison. He uses all three to perform so he really would know. I will send him a message and see if he can stop in or give me any info to pass on.
An exciting day for you to be sure. Sadly your non-harp playing co-workers might not understand your inability to focus on your work today. But rest assured, each and every one of us who ever had a harp delivered understands EXACTLY what you are going through.
Karen, sorry it took so long to get back to you.
Yes, from the 50 Irish Melodies Book my favorites are:
Farewell But Whenever You Welcome The Hour, The Garten Mother’s Lullaby, Shule Aroon and Mari’s Wedding.
From the Irish Dance Tunes book I like:
Carrickfergus, Brian Boru’s March, Little Beggarman and Rights of Man
From the 52 Scottish Songs book:
John Anderson My Jo, Loch Lomond, Baloo Baleerie and Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie
Sylvia Woods has two nice books. One of Irish tunes and one of Irish Dance tunes. The non dance tunes book has two versions of each, one a little more advanced than the first, so they can be played together to make for longer pieces. In fact you can easily make a nice long piece out of each by playing the easier version once playing only the basic chords in the left hand (she includes the chord symbols so guitar players can play along easily, or so you can flesh out your own arrangements as well), then a second time doing the full easier arrangement, then a third time with the more advanced arrangement.
A few people I know have commented that they didn’t like her choice of keys for a few of the pieces in the dance tunes book because they weren’t all in the keys typically used in Irish sessions, but if you are playing solo or with your own group it doesn’t make a difference really.
And if you want to expand out of strictly Irish music she has a similar book of Scottish tunes and ballads. What is nice is that since they were all arranged by the same person they have a common arranging style that can lend an air of cohesiveness if you wanted to play them as a set at a gig. Sometimes jumping from one arranger to another the styles can be so different the transition can come across as a bit jarring or noticeable.
Music Theory for the Folk Harp by Sylvia Woods is a fairly light and easy to understand guide.
The Complete Idiots Guide to Music Theory is actually a great introduction and you don’t really need to be an idiot to use it ;^)
Eddly’s Music Theory for Practical People is another excellent guide to music theory for beginners.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory begins by teaching the basics of
Well, the simplest way is to listen. They each have their distinct sound. Play some minor chords and the major of the same name and just listen to the sound. They are really very distinct.
Technically the music theory explanation is that all basic chords are made from two ‘thirds’ stacked on top of each other. A minor third is a third that spans three semi tones. A major third is a third that spans four semi tones.
A major chord is a chord that has a span of a major third between the root and third, and a span of a minor third between the third and the fifth.
A minor chord is the opposite, with a span of a minor third between the root and the third, and a major third between the third and the fifth.
What this means in practical terms is that you can turn a minor chord into a major chord by raising the third by a half tone, and a major to a minor by lowering the third by a half tone.
So if you have an A Major chord, which has the notes A (root), C# (3rd) and E (5th), you make it a minor chord by changing the C# to a C so you have A, C and E as the notes. Lowering that one note by a half step changes the bottom third to a minor third while turning the top third into a major third at the same time.
And just for extra credit, if you have two major thirds making up a chord that is an Augmented cord, and if you have two minor thirds that makes a Diminished chord.
I would just be like, “OK, great, I will fax you a copy of my contract and fee schedule”.
If it were a REAL friend (i.e. someone who would
I’ll second the Lap Harp Companion. I have had that book for ages. The arrangements are all great and I am pretty sure they should work on that range.
While it is important to use the harp manufacturer’s own strings for some kinds of harps, mostly many folk strung lever harps, Lyon and Healy’s Troubadour harps are strung with Pedal Harp strings and so any brand of Pedal Harp strings will be usable.
Both my Lyon and Healy lever harp and Lyon and Healy Pedal harp are strung with Bow Brand strings. I have other harps that need specific strings, such as my Camac lever harp that uses Savarez Carbon Fiber strings. But the Lyon and Healy Troubadour is fine so long as they are standard Pedal Harp gauge.
You can switch from gut to nylon typically without any problems. Going the other way can be an issue as gut produces more tension than nylon, so a harp designed to be strung with nylon may or may not be able to withstand the extra tension and so the manufacturer should always be consulted before that switch.
But going the other way isn’t a problem in terms of the structure of the harp. However you may find the regulation off if you switch so the harp may need to be adjusted. Also it simply may not sound as good, but that is subjective.
While you do need to be careful with water on a harp because it can cause clouding of the finish, it won’t hurt to use a damp cloth to clean. Just make sure it isn’t too wet and that you dry immediately after you wipe.
Lyon and Healy also makes a
The Camac Blue sounds just fine when played 100% acoustic. As far as the sound goes the Blue would not be out of place in an orchestra. That is why I pointed out that the Blue can be made with a more conventional finish. If someone really likes the sound of it and wants it for that, but the blue color would not be appropriate for where they would be playing then the same model can be made with a more standard finish.
Doug Rioth of the San Francisco Symphony. I have hard him play with the SF symphony for years. He is a great soloist and a great orchestral player. My only complaint is that the symphony doesn’t do nearly enough harp concertos to show off his talent, but of course I am biased on that account.
