Just wondering how everyone is getting on and what you are all practising at the moment?

I have made steady progress I think. I am on grade 1/2 pieces at the moment, which is ok having only been playing 1 term I guess. I am still working hard on my hand/elbow position, plus my right hand and left hand just won't work together each time, especially when going in opposite direction!! I am loving the ensemble and have learned a piece a week at that. We have a concert coming up soon, so I have started to practise for that (ensemble, not solos).

I am also thinking of renting/buying another harp (only *thinking* though ). My daughter plays too and we would love to be able to play together as she will be starting some ensemble work soon and two people into one harp at the same time just doesn't go.

My teacher has advised me to go for concert stringing (adaptability to pedal harp, I think - not that I really see myself that way inclined-I think i am more traditional type) but as far as I can see there are relatively few lever harps like this. I need something portable (ie about 12kg). Camacs have been recommended and I do like the look of some of them, but most seem to be folk gauge, so has Starfish, which I love the look of but again only 1 concert guage harp is made in this range. Others I am not sure I like the look of - and that is important to me tooif it is going to sit in my house and have me look at it every day! I am doing most of my research online and asking harpists I know.

Just wondering how everyone else is getting on and what could you advise me? It's been a while since we had a harp thread update.

Elizabeth

Hi Elizabeth,

I'm plugging away - hopefully taking grade 2 next term. Our ensemble only meets about once a month but that is great too. I'm playing in a masterclass (scary!) later this month and the ensemble has it's first concert in June.

I've bought a lever harp from Teifi harps via my teacher - very pleased with it - lovely rich tone, and it feels the same as my teacher's pedal harp to play - strings are at concert tension.

I'm working on Reverie by Grandjany (grade 2 piece) at the moment, as well as various studies and other pieces. I've had terrible trouble getting to grips with scales in my right hand - finally realised I was missing out one vital movement and have now got that sorted, I think. I can't believe how many things start to go wrong that I am not even aware of until my teacher points them out. She is a demon on technique, which I am really pleased about, but it can get really really frustrating at times!

I'd love to get a pedal harp one day (perhaps when I've finished paying for my piano!)

I'm going to the Derbyshire Harp Festival in October - anyone else? see here

Wow, it's weird you should mention that as I have met Helen Naylor twice - just last week she was here in N Ireland doing an ensemble class. What she did with us in just 45 mins was amazing! The Festival should be great. I have booked onto a harp week with Janet Harbison in August at the irish harp centre, Limerick, so that should be fun even though it will be really hard work!

You are making great progress, well done! I still am having trouble with my hands and just can't seem to get my hand at the right angle with my thumb up, my elbow up and still have enough room for my fingers to all fit in !!!! I am thinking that perhaps I am missing a joint and that may be why my hand doesn't work ???

Also, like you have a teacher who is a stickler for good technique, but i like that too - there is no point in learning something wrong - frustrating this learning process is!!

elizabeth

When I started, I rented a Pilgrim Clarsarch and loved it. It has concert stringing, very lovely tone and very portable (less than 10kg). Maybe worth a look?


Lovely piece, isn't it? I'm playing the Barcarolle from the same opus in a festival next month Teacher thought it would be "fun" and entered me though I'm not convinced She's yet to persuade me to do an exam next term, though we've started on one of the pieces. We'll see how that goes

PS> My teacher is a demon on technique too!

It is the Edinburgh harp festival so I have been playing lots of lovely harps! Would you and your daughter be sticking to your own harps most of the time or might you each swap back and forth? - in which case having two rather different harps might make sense.

Hi erard

I imagine she will stick to hers and I will stick to mine but if she keeps at it and gets better, I will eventually upgrade hers, but realistically that is probably a bit off yet. I am not against having different harps - in fact I do see the benefit of that.

The one we have at the moment is a Kerry 34 from Morleys and so is basically a beginner level harp and I am beginning to find that I am outgrowing it in terms of tone etc and am keen to upgrade to a better quality of instrument. There seem to be loads of lever harps but very few with concert stringing so I think that is one of the things I am debating (ie folk vs concert)

Also, should I go Welsh, Irish, French, Scottish, American ???? - everyone seems to have a particular reason why I should (or should not) buy a harp that is made in their country.

Also, it is difficult to judge lots of things without actually playing a new harp and to do this I need to hop on a plane, which is not very practical.

I like the look of the Camac Hermine which I believe is a folk harp, and some of the pilgrim harps, but find some pilgrims quite small without legs and I don't really want the hassle of taking legs off / on ....... am I just being fussy?? Then again, I want it be easy enough to transport to ensemble groups. .... Definitely being too fussy, but then again it's a lot of money and I want to get something I am happy with.

I could of course, hire, and then if I don't like, I can always exchange before I finally buy.

Did you see anything that appealed to you in Edinburgh?

elizabeth

Very few portable harps can be played from a normal chair without carrying legs or a stool for the harp- or a low stool for you. I find the convenience of carrying only legs for my Pilgrim outweighs the slight nuisance of turning the harp upside down to screw them in. Pilgrims are very nice if you want portability! The Teifi Eos is an amazing pedal harp sound in a lever harp, but I would want a trolley for it. Many makers do a model with concert stringing. I find most harps strung with folk gut strings respond well to classical technique- there are some models which are lighter tension still and your teacher might not like those so well.