Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Maybe you’re interested in learning some more information about playing (and especially rehearsing) together. There’s a new free course on Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-ensembles I love it. It’s meant for people leading music ensembles, but it provides interesting information for me about how to tackle pieces of music and playing together with other instruments.
Hi Katia, if you end up without levers or just a few functioning levers, this article of Cynthia Cathcart Accidentals on a Lever-free Harp at https://www.cynthiacathcart.com/articles/accidentals_sans_levers.html may be of some help to you:
Especially the part beginning with “Sometimes, you simply can’t ignore an accidental.”
I’ve got a L&H Prelude too. I completely understand you want to keep it.
The main question is what is mostly keeping you from playing it.
Is it the lack of a suitable place to play on it? In that case, do you have a family member or good friend where you may play your harp?
Could you find time in the days you live in the other town because of your job? In that case, you might want to move it to the place you usually live.
Or could you find time to play in the weekends where the harp is now?Hi Charles, do you play the classical guitar? I think the Delcamp Classical Guitar Forum at https://www.classicalguitardelcamp.com/ is usually very nice and enlightening too.
Hi Balfour, you are right about Camac soundboards, see my post and link above. Even entry level harps like the Hermine and the Telenn do have solid spruce soundboards.
Hi Charles, nothing to worry about, this is how soundboards develop and Camac harps are really sturdy harps.
By the way, I think already shared this link somewhere above, but I’ll do it again: This https://blog.camac-harps.com/en/uncategorized/td_d_slug_46/ is how Camac soundboards are being made and I think this explains part of the secret of the great sound of even the entry Camac harp models.
Congratulations, Charles, with your Camac Telenn. I wish many happy hours of (re)discovering harp playing.
Have you already found a method and/or playing book you like?
Balfour, thanks for enlighening me.
‘Decime’ is the current Dutch word for a ‘tenth’ in music. I expected ‘decime’ to be used internationally, as it is derived from the Latin ‘decima’ which means ‘tenth’.
I just adapted my earlier post.
As to fluorocarbon strings, they come from several sources and look, feel and sound different, which has not only got to do with their diameters. I’ve got some of those strings of Kürschner and some of Savarez. All of them are thinner and feel more elastic than gut or nylon strings with the same tension. Frankly, I prefer them above nylon, as they souns warmisch clear and last an eternity without getting to sound dull. Still, I prefer (pedal) gut strings on my lever harps, because of their very rich sound.
Hi Charles, the 34 Camac Telenn has lever gut tension and the same string spacing as the 38 Camac Korrigan with pedal gut tension.
If you’d like a smaller string spacing, you would need to have a look at the light strung harps of German harpbuilders. I don’t know anything about harpbuilders in the UK. Anyway, as you are searching for quality harps for a rather nice price, you’d probably end up buying a Camac (or L&H or Salvi).
By the way, the string spacing of the L&H’s are greater than that of the Camac, this is especially noticeable at the bass strings. It’s much easier for me to grasp a tenth at my Camac Excalibur than at my L&H Prelude. The string spacing at my old Salvi Heather is just about the same as that of my Camacs.
The best harp for a basic level returner is the harp you feel best about when you try harps out for yourself.
Frankly, I prefer all Camac lever harps I know above the Dusty Ravenna, though I like that harp too. As you live in the UK, which at the moment is still a part of the EU, the Camac harps are a lot cheaper than in the US (no importing costs and affordable transporting costs), and, as the Dusty’s come from the US, they are relatively pricier in Europe.
Charles, you may like to compare the harps next to each other and decide for yourself what you think of the kind of sound, the balance of sound and feel of the strings, the ease of lever flipping and your general impression if you look at the harps.
By the way, you may like to read this about the Camac soundboards: https://blog.camac-harps.com/en/uncategorized/td_d_slug_46/The Camac Isolde (both with celtic or classic stringing) are nice harps, but unfortunately, they don’t come with the option of high feet…
So, as are quite a tall chap, I wonder whether you would be happy with it. Frankly, I think you run the risk that sitting behind such a low harp may hurt your back. Sitting on a low stool won’t be comfortable either, I am afraid.
The Isolde is just 141 cm high, no high feet possible.
The Telenn comes with high feet to 148 cm.
The Korrigan comes with high feet to 156 cm.
You could use a lower harp when you can let it rest on a stable, preferably wooden platform or box (sorry, I don’t know the right English word for a low elevation)Edit: I just saw you wrote ‘Traditional and early music together with interpretations of more modern pieces’ I think that the Korrigan, with its heavy string tension and classic sound, would be less interesting to you, also, because it is very hard to play very fast and still have a great sound with that kind of tension.
In addition to what I wrote above, it’s like Emma and Tacy pointed out, indeed best to try out the harp you want to buy for yourself, as also ‘identical’ harps (i.e. the same make, model and wood) can sound quite differently.
It may also be of interest to know that a few times a year Camac visits a Camac store in order to service its harps for free (that is to say, you don’t have to pay for the work, only for new materials like new strings) It’s a great way to get your levers regulated, when needed. I know that Salvi also offers such a service.
In general I prefer Camac lever harps above Salvi lever harps, as tension and sound of the strings is nicely balanced and the levers are great.
You seem to have settled for the lowest price at which one can buy a really nice harp. The Telenn can be bought with optional high feet, and I think, unless you are very small, your back will love the extra height.
I wonder what kind of music would you like to play: classical, folk or ‘a bit of everything’? Both harps you mention are strung with lever gut (and sound somewhere between folk and classic)
If you prefer an (almost) classical sound, you’d probably prefer pedal gut on your lever harp. In that case, you may think of the Camac Korrigan (38 strings, you’ll probably need the high feet) or perhaps the Camac Isolde Classic (38 stringswhich has pedal tension fluorocarbon, unfortunately, no high feet available).
There’s also a pedal gut tension string Salvi: the Salvi Gaia (with low and high feet).Thomann also sells L&H Ogdens (34 string, but strung with pedal gut) and with low and high feet (both low and high feet included).
Edit: earlier I thought the Salvi Gaia didn’t come with low and high feet, but I just saw at Thomann that the Salvi Gaia does come with low and high feet.
