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Well, I always say that unless you have a specific reason for getting a harp with a smaller range the bigger the better.
I have never played on cross strung, but a rather well known triple strung harpists let me try her harp once and I swear, I nearly got vertigo and fell off my chair.
I’ll stick to levers and pedals personally. All instruments are going to have their strengths and limitations and I find that the limitations and strengths of more common type of harps suits me.
I understand that in Eastern Europe cross strung harps are popular for Jazz and I can see that as one of the areas where it would have definite strengths. But I like the range of pedal harps and being able to do pedal slides.
Honestly, you need to try them out first. I always liked the idea of triple harp until I tried it and realized I would be incapable of playing one without getting nauseous.
Never tried the chair, but I have an adjustable, portable bench I got from her. Although the idea of a chair with a back is nice, especially when you know you are going to be spending a lot of time waiting to play (I don’t know about everyone, but when I am actually playing I never lean against the back of a chair anyway), but the bench is nice because the height is adjustable and I also got the case with backpack straps so it makes it so easy to transport.
It’s a trade off. No back, but ease of transport and it is basic black and doesn’t attract attention so it fits in almost any setting.
A good, adjustable music bench is what you want. Height depends on your height and the size of the harp. It is all about being able to maintain correct posture and sit comfortably at the instrument, and so that means it will vary depending on who it is playing and what harp they are playing.
As for colors and decoration and all, that is a matter of personal taste.
I have seen people use all sorts of chairs and benches, at all sorts of heights. I have seen some people play at heights so low or high I have to wonder how they can do it with out being sore afterwards. But we are all built a bit differently so if it works for someone and they are not injuring themselves that is all that matters.
My teacher was a very short woman and she managed to play a concert grand without any trouble. I often found her bench a bit too low for me to play at for long periods, but not a problem for shorter periods. But yes, a short harpist can play a concert grand without stressing themselves too much.
It’s all about practice. Try playing things that you are not familiar with so you have nothing but the sheet music to work from, then have your teacher check to see if you are doing it correctly.
My first experience in music was in a marching band. I played both the fife and the glockenspiel. I quickly learned to memorize all the music so I could play and march at the same time.
By the time I took up the harp it was just a natural habit to memorize the music, but my teacher wanted me to be able to sight read and play from the sheet music so she was constantly on me to keep my eyes on the music. She would stop me in the middle of playing something and say, “quickly, start over from three measures back from where you are.” and things like that so that I would have to learn to keep my eye on the music and keep track of where I was supposed to be.
Eventually I got the hang of it, and although I can still memorize music easily I can also sight read fairly well depending on how complicated the arrangement is. It just took time and practice, and a teacher who was good at keeping me focused.
I thought that the carbon fiber boards were only used in the electric acoustic models that were intended to be played with amplification only.
I heard Maire Ni Chathasaigh play once and she was using a Camac lever harp with a carbon fiber board, but without it being plugged in you could hardly hear it. It was just a bit louder than the solid body electrics, but had a very different sound than the solid body when plugged in to an amplifier.
But I do know that all of the pedal harps listed on their website, with the exception of the solid body electric pedal harp, all have wood soundboards. The Clio uses cedar for the extended and German Spruce for the straight board, the Athena uses fir from Northern Europe, The Altantide doesn’t specify the type of wood but it does clearly indicate it is the “finest and oldest naturally-dried woods”,
I agree that there is no such thing as a cheap pedal harp. There are, however, some models that are excellent buys depending on what you are going to do with it. Playing for yourself at home for your own pleasure doesn’t require as fine an instrument as playing professionally. Nothing wrong with having the best so long as you can afford it, but a Camac Athena is a great choice for a Concert Grand for personal use at home and is good quality construction at a good price.
There are lots of options, and all of the major harp makers have reasonably priced models. And they all have their over the top models and their mid range. I think it is great that such a wide range of instruments are available these days that can accommodate different needs and budgets.
But there is definitely not such thing as a good, well made yet “cheap” pedal harp. Cheap means inexpensive, but it also means poor quality, and when it comes to pedal harps I think people will find that if you can apply one definition of cheap to a harp you almost always can apply the other as well.
I use the Finale Allegro version. I don’t know if that is still available, but it is a very good compromise between the two. I tried notepad but found it too limited. The full Finale was a bit too much overkill since I didn’t need all the engraving options and the expansion features.
Allegro was affordable but does pretty much everything I need. I just added the Salzedo Harp fonts I ordered from Sylvia Woods. I haven’t had too much time to play around with them yet, but so far I like them.
Unfortunately I haven’t had a pedal harp in many years and the person who did my regulations when I did is no longer with us (the late Mr Don Henry).
My lever harp is in need of a good lever adjustment and I know that the only dedicated harp shop in the area, Harps Etc…, has a regulator come in once a month on the last Friday of every month,
All good questions, and honestly I don’t know. I have never paid that much attention. I think it may just be a matter of the workmanship being better. Forming the lip is vital to good tone and the folks who work on the solid silver, gold and platinum head-joints are always the best the company has.
As far as guitars, even the rock guitarists I know have this debate. Personally I can feel a difference, and I don’t think that is too extraordinary a claim since the woods are very different with very different grains. Rosewood is not as smooth and slick. It doesnt wear as smoothly and offers a bit more resistance when doing bends. Bends on maple slide more easily. But I don’t hear a difference.
But I know guys who swear they can hear a difference, even with electric guitars. I have my doubts, but they are out there.
Oh, and I can’t stand the backs of Ovation guitars. Just doesn’t feel right, and doesn’t sit right for me.
+++Blind tests of silver versus gold flutes, for example, show that nobody can tell the difference from the sound alone.+++
I don’t doubt it. I think there is a difference between solid silver or gold and plated, but then that may just be a matter of the quality of construction and attention to detail that goes into higher end flutes. I do think I notice a difference when changing the head-joint from plated to a solid silver, but who knows, it may just be in my head as well, or again a simple matter of these head joints being constructed with more attention and care. Head-joint making is a fine art.
I kind of agree with both Carl and Saul. I agree with Carl that certain fingerings are better for certain hands and not others, and with Saul that fingering is about more than just being able to pluck the strings, but effects phrasing and the artistic interpretation.
I definitely picked up a lot of
+++While I’m not about to argue the validity of raising and Salzedo gestures and their effect on tone production, but PITCH?+++
+++I definitely agree with Saul and the others — remove that crutch and give the ear a chance to develop.
