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Recently, you started another thread at: https://harpcolumn.com/forums/topic/your-tips-to-a-newcomer/.
There you got a lot of advice in order to tackle your first hurdles. Just follow that advice and, in due time, things will work out.
Good luck.Hi Evolène thanks for sharing your first impressions.
Hi Biagio, I compared the string chart for the one row 26 strung harp at http://manufacturing.dustystrings.com/harps/strings/fh26-allegro-26-or-ravenna-26 with the two row 26 strung harp at http://manufacturing.dustystrings.com/harps/strings/fh26-double-strung. So, while the tension per string is in my eyes significant lighter on the double than on the single row string, which may be audible especially on the lower strings, the total string tension on the double is a lot higher than on the single. So, I was mistaken (and probably thought of a double harp of another manufacturer). Thanks for your correction!
According to the Dutch Wikipedia, Bubinga is wood made of Guibourtia demeusei or Guibourtia tessmannii, trees from Middle or West-Africa. Another name would be: Kevazingo. Perhaps these names sound more familiar in French? I haven’t got a clue, though. The name ‘Bubinga’ as well as the official name of the wood is rather unknown in the Netherlands as well.
Evolène, I am looking forward to your updates!
Hi Evolène, nice to hear you just discovered and rented the double strung Dusty FH26.
Would you please tell us your experiences with this special harp in the next few months? Will you keep it? Do you like it, but would you prefer it in another kind of wood?
I understand the harp you rented now, has been rented before, so it will have been played in, I guess.
I was interested once until I found out that the total string tension of the double is about the same as of the single strung harp it was originally designed for.
So, I wonder about the tension of the strings and how it sounds in comparison to a single row Dusty 26 string harp. Yes, the double harp is still intriguing me as well.Congratulations on your new harping adventure!
If you can’t afford a qualified teacher, you may like to have a look at:
The video’s on harp basics at:
* http://raypool.com/video.html
Ray explains things in a great way. In your case I would start with looking at these video’s.
or
* at: http://www.joshlayne.com/harptuesday/ A great many video’s; very instructive. There’s another harp series of his ‘Slow Motion Monday’As to books: I have Play the Harp Beautifully vol. II and III of Pamela Bruner. (I think you may like to start with book I even though you can already read music). You can buy them with or without DVD (I don’t have the DVD’s). I really like the way things are discussed in these books.
It seems to be in stock in Germany at Glissando: https://sage-shop.com/epages/Glissando-Shop.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Glissando-Shop/Products/17519
I haven’t got an idea whether they will send to Poland.Thanks for your kind information, Andy.
I do hope there will soon be some new developments for lever harps too.
@ hearpe. Your two posts above have nothing to do with the subject and as such are polluting the subject. Please, start your own discussion threads.
Hi Sean,
Where did you see the information on new camac models? I fid not find them here: https://www.camac-harps.com/en/. At least, I didn’t find new lever harp models.@ Carl Swan, I think I learnt this from an earlier version of the website of MyHarpsDelight (I could not find the information on the new website) From memory I think that tuning in C may have to do with playing mainly celtic music and/or having just a few levers on the harp. And with the fact that some levers make the string sound a bit more dull.
Of course, playing in E flat does give more possibilities.
In addition to my previous post. Not only are there a lot of modern songs in a major key, but also in minor keys. Nowadays, we tend to think of songs in minor keys of being sad, but this is mainly a cultural thing. Anyway, songs in a harmonic minor or melodic minor way, sound in western ears a lot happier than in the standard minor key.
One of the things you mention, is that you are interested in celtic music.
Now, take a song like Are you going to Scarborough fair. This is set in a Dorian mode. This Dorian mode gives a special kind of ‘flavour’ to the song. If you flip your levers to the ones this song needs and start your improvisation on a D, you get the kind of ‘flavour’ that you want.I do hope I haven’t confused you too much by now. To make a long story short: you may like to start and learn some music theory. I myself am a great fan of Sylvia Woods ‘Music Theory and Arranging Techniques for Folk Harps’. It’s the one fun (yes, fun!) book on music theory which I think enriches every folk harper’s joy in understanding and playing music.
To start with improvising: Here you find all you need to start going:
Feel free to ask additional questions. Finally, have you already discovered the Yahoo-group Virtual Harpcircle? It is a well-moderated group with members from all over the world. I have learnt many a thing there.
Hi Evolène, you asked a really intriguing question.
English is a foreign language for me as well and I do understand how hard it is to find the right words and make oneself understood.In order to get some answers to your question, it may help to find out which elements play a role in this matter.
To start with: In Europe it is common that when all levers are down, the harp is tuned in E flat. In the US though, it is common that when all levers are down, the harp is tuned in C.
So this is really important to keep in mind when the answers will be seeping in.I think that when you write ‘tone’ you mean key or mode. You may like to google on that.
You write: “The C major is used for most children’s song and standard music.” I think you mean that a lot of songs are in a major key. They may often be in C major, G major or D major. These are keys which are suitable for the scope of most human voices (the tonic not being too low or too high).
More on this in a next message.
Yes, I agree very small harps tend to be a bit tinkly. But do you really mean that a Christina harp or a Harpsicle is way too big?
I wonder what makes you feel that lyres don’t have the same ‘tinkly’ sound as very small harps. Have a look at the dimensions of their soundboards…
I think Camac Bardic Harps are both rather affordable and have a great tone, though they are not very lightweight. There’s one with 22 strings and one with 27 strings. I like the 27 string Camac Bardic (never heard the 22 string one). But, of course, they are more about twice as heavy as the harpsicles.
There are affordable, lightweight German harps that are lightweight. Maybe something to keep in mind for later (as their harp builders do have waiting times. Though you may be buying a Pepe Weissgerber Harp with 27 or 31 strings from the Dutch harpshop De Zingende Snaar (you do live in the UK, don’t you? buying a UK or European harp is much cheaper than ordering one that is built in the US, because of the prohibitive shipping costs (as well as additional VAT and some other costs).
I just wonder, when playing the harp is what you really want, whether one of the bedside harps would be a nice alternative. Like a Christina Harp or a Harpsicle?
You already thought of a cardboard harp. Did you have a look at this one? http://www.backyardmusic.com/Harps.html. You can buy it as a kit, half finished or completely finished. There are several really nice youtube clips with people playing a backyard harp. They seem very affordable, even after shipping costs to the other side of the world.
@ Aria, if you provide Savarez with the diameter and preferably also the sounding length of all your strings, they will be happy to provide you with a corresponding table of carbon strings.
When I asked them a question a few years ago (in my best French) they provided me with a kind answer in English. 🙂
@ Aria, there’s Nylgut (manufactured and sold by Aquila Corde Armoniche), Silkgut (manufactured as well by Aquila, but sold as Bow Brand Silkgut). According to Aquila, the difference with Nylgut is that Silkgut feels a bit stiffer than Nylgut.
The material that keeps stretching for a long time, is carbon (fluorocarbon). This sounds quite different from Nylgut and you will need a much smaller diameter to get the same string tension (there are conversiontables for this) . I love my Savarez carbon strings between wire strings and gut strings.
For me carbon sounds great on strings where gut would sound dull, that is too say, when te string lenght is too short for gut. I haven’t got any experience with nylgut except for the most high sounding strings and there I prefer gut. Gut just sounds more lively (though is more vulnerable for breakage).
