Anyone got .... a Harp?

axisus

Long shot I guess ....

My older daughter is mainly a keyboard player but she dips in and out of other instruments - off the top of my head, guitar, bass, flute, sax, kalimba. Anyway, she has always wanted a Harp. I'm just thinking of a harp as a royal pain in the ass in terms of changing strings (!), but also keeping it in tune. So yeah, just wondering if anyone has any experience. 

GoFish

There are a couple of Youtube harpists, you can see them load a harp into a car. 

For something smaller, consider a lyre? 

Winny_Pooh

A Celtic harp is smaller than the big classical ones.

stickyfiddle

One of my nieces has one. I’m not sure if she’s stuck with it but was obsessed for a couple of years. 

My sister will certainly confirm that it’s a pain to carry and to tune and she is dreading having to restring it

EricTheWeary

In the days when I used to go to various school music things (my son played clarinet in an orchestra) there was a lot of sitting through other groups. Somewhat surprisingly, I thought, Dudley had a harp ensemble and it was always the nicest thing to sit through. They were in tune, they don't really make any unpleasant noises and even playing nothing in particular it is a pleasant ambient noise. I suspect that the practicalities aren't brilliant (although they seemed to have a range of sizes) but as a thing to have a child in your house practice I would think the least unpleasant. 

blobb

Yes, we have a harp. Don't ask, it's sitting in it's case in a corner of the spare room. 

BillDL

Would your daughter also need a gig bag with shoulder straps for it? 

Stratavarious

My daughter currently has two… along with violin, cello, flute… etc.

What budget are you looking at?

The smaller Celtic harps (no foot pedalsj are a nice manageable size. You do get what you pay for, and good harps can get very spendy..

Hobgoblin music stores usually stock the cheaper ones to try out before spending a fortune.

https://hobgoblin.com/fretted-and-stringed-instruments/harps/harps-catalogue?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16185097915&gbraid=0AAAAAD9eXq31OOlHYHrBOpodYP_3im34Z&gclid=Cj0KCQiAy6vMBhDCARIsAK8rOgkK_WdlVlJhMTBNvfQv2x7IWzqtoRJ0aKGzMbvU61X3fRWxuU26EjQaAkuSEALw_wcB

Things to watch for are cheap pot metal die cast levers that crumble and out of tune semitone levers.  We got a cheap harp first and had to replace several levers that broke off in the first few weeks.

I‘d hunt out a specialist or speak to a local youth orchestra leader about trying a better one out maybe to compare.

We’ve not needed to restring any of our harps yet.  Tuning is not really a significant problem. Ours hold tune well and the key makes it easy to adjust.

BillDL

I would love to be able to play a harp like Alberto Manuel de la Rosa does in THIS video.

Stratavarious

Harp Twins proving harpists are generally a bit mad..

https://youtu.be/3UV-2E8kEqg?si=3DbkgOptLK07oe-j

Jfingers

Wow and wow. Some mad skills on show in those videos. I love the sound of a Harp but I don't want one.

In the twins video it occurred to me that I wouldn't want my eyes that close to the 'headstock' should a string snap.

Solarflares

Buy a £1500 used concert harp that has been fully re-strung. Some beauties on eBay right now.
You want brass hardware, not plastic, and you need gut strings, not nylon.
I would be looking for something like a Pilgrim Clarsach, with more than 30 strings.
It will hold its value, if enthusiasm wanes - but take you all the way otherwise.

If you want to just pose or play about, then Gear4Music do their own budget models, but they really are just toys

ElevensLouder

My GF is a pro harpist and rents out some of her instruments - DM me if you want any help/advice etc

Sporky

Harp is a lovely instrument. I've often thought I'd like to give it a go, but I'm pretty sure I'd have to be cut free after only a few minutes.

axisus

ElevensLouder said:

My GF is a pro harpist and rents out some of her instruments - DM me if you want any help/advice etc

That's interesting that she is a pro! I hadn't considered hiring one. I'd be interested to know what sort of cost it is?

Sporky

I googled "harp hire uk" and got this.

https://www.pilgrimharps.co.uk/hire-a-harp.html

axisus

Sporky said:

I googled "harp hire uk" and got this.

https://www.pilgrimharps.co.uk/hire-a-harp.html

Ta! I'll check out some local places.

DuploLicks

My daughter tried it via the local music school who leant her a 34 string lever harp for home along with the lessons. The sound is amazing, even if someone’s mucking around, from elsewhere in the house it sounds heavenly. 

Tuning i found therapeutic. Balance a tuner on top & work through the strings like a guitar. Fortunately I don’t have any string breaks. 

Sadly my daughter just didn’t want to play it and with all her other activities it was the last in - first out. 

ElevensLouder

axisus said:

ElevensLouder said:

My GF is a pro harpist and rents out some of her instruments - DM me if you want any help/advice etc

That's interesting that she is a pro! I hadn't considered hiring one. I'd be interested to know what sort of cost it is?

£45/month for the small Celtic lever harps
£100+/month (depending on type) for the bigger ones
She doesn't have any full size concert pedal harps currently available to rent.

Hope that helps :-)

axisus

ElevensLouder said:

axisus said:

ElevensLouder said:

My GF is a pro harpist and rents out some of her instruments - DM me if you want any help/advice etc

That's interesting that she is a pro! I hadn't considered hiring one. I'd be interested to know what sort of cost it is?

£45/month for the small Celtic lever harps
£100+/month (depending on type) for the bigger ones
She doesn't have any full size concert pedal harps currently available to rent.

Hope that helps :-)

Ta! Can you rent for one month or do you have to commit to several? Also, where are you in the country? This may all come to nothing, I'm just putting out feelers at the moment!