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What’s up harpists? I’m Suzanne, and I am almost 18. I have been playing the harp for 8 months, and I love it more than ANYTHING. I would like more than anything to talk to another harpists. There aren’t very many of us where I live. Please talk to me. My email is suz_ician@yahoo.com
Hi Elise. I am Suzanne, and I live in Utah,USA. I am going to college this fall. Like you, I am absolutely obsessed with harp. I have many harp CD’s, and the entire back of my bedroom door is covered with pictures of beautiful harps. I am principal harpist with Granite Youth Symphony. I don’t own a harp, but I just play on an old Salvi Diana that the symphony has. I want more than anything to have my own harp. I also play violin. When I go to college, I am going to major in music (violin performance) but I am going to take harp lessons. I will be famous someday! I’d love to chat, so email me about anything. My email is suz_ician@yahoo.com
Love to hear from you or anyone…Suzanne
Hi Alaine…There is a book that I have been working through called Complete Method for Harp, by Henriette Reni?.
yes!! I am a student of Julie Raines, harpist of the Melbourne Symphony. She is great!!! She lives in Doncaster East.
Gut is, playability wise, really no different feeling than Nylon. My Livia has wire wrapped lower octaves, gut in the middle, and nylon at the top range to help with sound tone but feeling wise there’s not a huge differance. The sound is a bit warmer off the gut strings
🙂
~Lana
I know that gut strings and nylon strings have a slightly different sound, but I am also told that gut has a higher tension on the harp than do nylon strings. On most harps the strings are not interchangable because of the tension. You might also want to try a wire-strung harp before you set you heart on gut or nylon strings. I have a friend who wanted a harp so bad she was ready to buy one, much like your situation. She tried a wire-strung harp at the last minute and now she will never go back to anyting else. It is a beautiful 22 string harp, wires and all.
In my opinion, the Troubador is the number 1 best instrument for a beginner. I started out smaller and now am eventually at a concert grand, but in the middle i had a troubador which I found to be superb. You shouldn’t hesitate; this is the best decision possible!
HI Enja,
Your “addiction” to the harp is not a hallucination nor a far-off dream. You have realized your desire to own a small lap harp, and that is commendable. You have also tried the larger harps and know in your heart what you truly want. You sound particulary strong about your desire to own a 22 string lap harp and I say go with it.
First I have to say that it is not hard at all to play the lap harp.
Thank you for your answer!!
First of all, I’m relieved that you have no grave concerns about a
22-string lap harp. I’ve done some internet research and what I read
was mostly not very encouraging – complaints about too few music to
play on it and this “how do I sit with it”-problem. I have far less
doubts now (the one remaining is the price, heh). Oh, by the way, a
Clarsach is a bit bigger than a lap harp, or am I mistaken?
As for learning how to play it: Well, yes, I did learn how to play the
pedal harp, but that was 4 years ago. Some of what I learnt is slowly
coming back to me, but there will be many things lost in my grey cells
forever. Because of that, I think I won’t attempt a cross-strung harp
yet, maybe after I have graduated or so. I wonder what the difference
in learning to play gut- or nylon-strung harps could be. Sure the
placing and all that remains the same?
Gut-strung or nylon-strung. Yes, that’s actually the one thing that
I’m not sure of as of yet. The Stoney End “Eve” is nylon-strung and
has zither pins and a range from G to G, the Telyneg (the harp I’m
actually more fond of from what I know about it) is gut-strung, has
got through pins and a range from A to A. The price is roughly the
same. I certainly do plan to visit Alun Thomas (as soon as/if he
answers my e-mail) and have a try at the Telyneg. My problem is that I
have never heard a gut-strung harp before. My harps had nylon or metal
(for bass) but no gut, and the Stoney End has, (as I mentioned) nylon
strings as well. Could you or anyone else compare the sound of nylon
as compared to gut, or do you know an internet site on which I can
find sample music of both types?
My “harp sickness” got so bad today, that I went back into town early
in the morning before my lectures and waited for the music shop to
open to have a go at the harp there. I tuned it and played arpeggios
for two-and-a-half hours. Tuning took up by far the most time of that.
I was late for my lectures because I couldn’t bring myself to leave. I
then returned and hired the harp for a week, I cannot afford more than
that unless by dipping into my savings, and I guess (hope!) I’ll find
a better use for it soon. Hopefully I’ll know which harp I’ll
eventually get myself by the end of next week. Is that a reasonable
period of time or should I look longer? I have done extensive internet
research over the last two months.
Playing the harp. One of the reasons why I like a small lap harp is
the feeling of unconventionality that comes with it. I know for sure
that I never improvised or did anything not written in the notes when
I played the harp in Germany. Today, when I started with Sylvia Wood’s
book and played “The Water is Wide” (I told you I have forgotten
nearly everything!) I invented some accompanying notes for the left
hand. It’s just great! The lap harp is my thing, I just know it.
Thank you for the wonderful expression to look for the harp that
“sings to” me. I’m sure I will find it, I must. 😉
Thank you again for your kindness and support!
P.S.: Do you know this feeling when you exactly know what a song
should sound like and your fingers are just too clumsy to keep the
rhythm? Anything one can do about that or is patience and training the
only answer?
