Thank you so much for this! As a young harpist playing a lever harp in an orchestra, this helps a lot for finding something to work for me. Do you have any suggestions for less expensive pedal harps that are mediumish quality?
+Rosemary Smith I'd highly recommend keeping an eye out for used harps - can be a way to get a great sounding instrument at an affordable price point. And a lot of harp companies offer "student" models, etc. I don't have any specific recommendations - in the ideal case you're able to try before buying. Good luck! :)
The main difference between "student" and "professional" is: the size. The biggest student model is 185cm and professional ones are from 190cm. They don't have fancy carvings and are usually S (straight) or SE (semi-grand), but the "EX or CG (extended or concert-grand) can be used for professionals. I hope I could help.
Question for you: Do you think someone with shorter hands and maybe not long/skinny fingers can still play the pedal harp? It seems like most harpists I see have large hands with slim long fingers. Just curious. Thanks for your videos.
Hey Andrew, good question. I mean, in the ideal world you have long, slim fingers, sure. But I've seen people with very small hands and/or stubby fingers do amazing stuff on the harp so I absolutely think that one can play the (pedal) harp given any hand/finger size (except I guess in perhaps some really extreme cases?) Something I'd like to do at some point for Harp Tuesday is film someone with small hands to give a picture of what you can and need to do in order to find big stretches, etc.
Thank you so much for this! As a young harpist playing a lever harp in an orchestra, this helps a lot for finding something to work for me. Do you have any suggestions for less expensive pedal harps that are mediumish quality?
+Rosemary Smith I'd highly recommend keeping an eye out for used harps - can be a way to get a great sounding instrument at an affordable price point. And a lot of harp companies offer "student" models, etc. I don't have any specific recommendations - in the ideal case you're able to try before buying. Good luck! :)
The main difference between "student" and "professional" is: the size. The biggest student model is 185cm and professional ones are from 190cm. They don't have fancy carvings and are usually S (straight) or SE (semi-grand), but the "EX or CG (extended or concert-grand) can be used for professionals. I hope I could help.
Question for you: Do you think someone with shorter hands and maybe not long/skinny fingers can still play the pedal harp? It seems like most harpists I see have large hands with slim long fingers. Just curious. Thanks for your videos.
Hey Andrew, good question. I mean, in the ideal world you have long, slim fingers, sure. But I've seen people with very small hands and/or stubby fingers do amazing stuff on the harp so I absolutely think that one can play the (pedal) harp given any hand/finger size (except I guess in perhaps some really extreme cases?) Something I'd like to do at some point for Harp Tuesday is film someone with small hands to give a picture of what you can and need to do in order to find big stretches, etc.
Thanks, Josh! That would be awesome. Please let me know if and when you do, I'd be extremely interested in watching. Enjoyed your VHS video too!