Well recently I got given a loverly big book of folk harp music to play, which is great. The only thing is that some of the pieces are in "flat" keys (Bb maj, Eb maj etc.) and I was wondering if there is a conventional way of playing in flattened keys. I can think of several ways but I was wondering if there was a particular way in which it is done.

Thanks,
Anna

Can't claim to be an expert, but most lever harps seem to be tuned in Eb (so C major has the E, B, and A levers on) which means you can play anything between 3 flats and 4 sharps...

Mines tuned in F, so C major only has the B lever on, that's where my problem is. Thanks anyway

think you may end up having to retune or do some very nifty level work then.

cant u just play an Eb tune in D sharp?

You can but on the harp an Eb is played on the E string and a D sharp on the D string and not everyone is fond of transposing. Also depending on the type and adjustment of the levers harps can sound much more resonant in keys where most of the strings are open than when many have the levers on.

You could always cheat and transpose them.

Think that may well be what I end up doing. Spent ages in the music shop yesterday looking at books on folk harp that seem to have appeared since I enquired about them about a month ago love the guys down there. Anyway, was looking at these books and they don't seem to say anything about it. If I write to the Dutch couple I bought the book of music from, I may ask them in my letter.