Does anyone know anything about harps?

[Cubist]

That's a Lyre.

Mod note: Please don't call the truthfulness of other posters into question........

 

[Julia9054]

I know nothing about harps. But the Early Music Shop in Saltaire and London (http://www.earlymusicshop.com/home.aspx) have a lot of harps, and folk-inspired instruments as well as the instruments from the early music mainstream their name would suggest.

Spent my late adolescence in this shop eyeing up all the weird and wonderful instruments and wishing I could afford to buy them.
I was a bit odd!

 

[srw]

Someone once told me a grand piano is effectively a large horizontal harp with hammers to hit the strings. It makes sense to me when you look at the shape, but it could be total bollox.

Why faff with the hammers? The future is plucked.

 

[Globalti]

Someone once told me a grand piano is effectively a large horizontal harp with hammers to hit the strings. It makes sense to me when you look at the shape, but it could be total bollox.

Not bollox at all; basically a grand piano is a horizontal harp with hammers, which dong the strings rather than plectrums, which pluck them. Mathematics determines the curve and in both instruments the frame is massively heavy and strong so as to resist bending under the strain. I once built a virginals from an American kit but that had a wood frame so it was terribly sensitive to atmospheric humidity and would go out of tune for fun. Grand pianos and harps were all part of the quest for louder and louder instruments before electronic amplification; a grand could at least hold its own with an orchestra.

 

[ufkacbln]

I used to know a young lady who played the BIG classical harp

She needed a large Volvo estate to transport it

However.......

She was in great demand at soirees, dinnners, events etc

She worked her way through Uni as a classical musician

Buy her a classical harp and put her out to work!

 

[classic33]

Mod note: Please don't call the truthfulness of other posters into question........

Which part. The bit where he blames google or the portrait painter?

 

[AndyRM]

I used to know a young lady who played the BIG classical harp

She needed a large Volvo estate to transport it

However.......

She was in great demand at soirees, dinnners, events etc

She worked her way through Uni as a classical musician

Buy her a classical harp and put her out to work!

Aka: a harp. Nothing "classical" about it. Out of interest, did she play anything other than harp?

@simon.r - my sister says this:

Check out Pilgrim Harps. They rent and sell a huge variety and also have a list of teachers. Best to call them, they are lovely!

Also worth getting in touch with the UK Harp Association who have loads of advice, support and learning resources.

A lap harp could be what you're after?

Hope that helps!

 

[ufkacbln]

Aka: a harp. Nothing "classical" about it. Out of interest, did she play anything other than harp?

@simon.r - my sister says this:

Check out Pilgrim Harps. They rent and sell a huge variety and also have a list of teachers. Best to call them, they are lovely!

Also worth getting in touch with the UK Harp Association who have loads of advice, support and learning resources.

A lap harp could be what you're after?

Hope that helps!

Nope... she worked with a few others as. Classical quartet

 

[AndyRM]

Nope... she worked with a few others as. Classical quartet

Out of interest, again, where abouts?

 

[srw]

a grand could at least hold its own with an orchestra.

Given the right orchestra, a harpsichord (or, to keep on topic, a harp) can do the same.

 

[Julia9054]

I used to know a young lady who played the BIG classical harp

She needed a large Volvo estate to transport it

However.......

She was in great demand at soirees, dinnners, events etc

She worked her way through Uni as a classical musician

Buy her a classical harp and put her out to work!

You'll need to buy her a volvo estate too.

 

[ufkacbln]

You'll need to buy her a volvo estate too.

When the harp is not present, it has other uses as well!

 

[ufkacbln]

Out of interest, again, where abouts?

Cambridge

 

[Salad Dodger]

Have a look at Hobgoblin music shop chain....... Harps appear to start at £600 or so.

 

[jefmcg]

She was in great demand at soirees, dinnners, events etc

That doesn't sound right.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UzxrQ6ZaR8