I don’t play a harp (nor a harmonica) myself, but I love hearing them play dance tunes. Anybody out there on C & F play the Mother of All Traditional Instruments?
I play harp. It is primary instrument, but I love to play whistle to give myself a break from the strings.
I have several harps, all built by my husband. They range in size from 38 to 26 strings, with a smaller 22-string harp in the workshop.
Cool! do you play in sessions or more for “regular gigs?”
Did your husband use either the musicmaker kits or the stoney end kits?
I play for church services, open houses, etc. I don’t think I could keep up with a session.
My husband used the plans from Musicmakers to build my harps (not from kits). He also built a stave-back harp from plans by Rick Kemper.
I started harp recently. Much fun.
Doc
What type of harp do you have, if you don;t mind my asking? I’ve hit the harpy equivalents of C &F looking for advice, but the topics of discussion general involve the following:
- How much should I charge for weddings
- What piece should I perform for my audition to music school
- What type of dress looks good with a harp?
(Somewhat kidding here!)
Anyways, the harp world isn;t so much focusd on dance tunes as the so-called “session world” would be.
I’ve hit the harpy equivalents of C &F looking for advice, but the topics of discussion general involve the following:
- How much should I charge for weddings
- What piece should I perform for my audition to music school
- What type of dress looks good with a harp?
(Somewhat kidding here!)
Anyways, the harp world isn;t so much focusd on dance tunes as the so-called “session world” would be.
If you are referring to the Yahoo Harplist, there is extensive archives which cover many, many topics. I know this because I have been a member of that group for a long long time. Of course, like all Yahoo groups, the “search” there leaves much to be desired.
I am not located near enough to any harp teachers, so have been self-taught for the most part. The various groups and boards have been a real blessing to me and my harp playing.
Indeed, I spent about 5 hours recently reading anything on the list with the words “bray pin” involved 
It’s a good resource. . . but I find the message board format inherently limiting compared to that of a subject-specific forum like we have here.
My dream harp is a Gothic/Bray harp with sharping levers and an extra string (FOr Bb OR Cnatural/C#) BUt this will happen when I win the lottery 
I just started Harp with a Harpsicle. I’m loving it. … 'Course, it’s stuck down in Louisiana, but I’ll get it soon.
I’m toying with the idea of getting one for Christmas, but since I still needs funds for a flute on order, it probably won;t happen
The luthier (David Lynch) that makes my dulcimers also makes harps. I don’t know about harps, but he’s been asked several times to sell at the cultural tent at the Dublin (Ohio) Irish Festival.
http://www.strothers.com/SW_Harps.htm
Hey,
I’ve played the harp for about 16 years. i got a larry egar harp in 1990 and bought another from him last year. the new one’s an incredible instrument. the old’s good too, better for sessions as its louder.
i play mostly dance music, jigs and reels etc, but know lots of the o carrolan stuff, more traditional harp stuff for requests at gigs.
i’d say every session i play in people still say they’re amazed to see a lad playing a harp in a session so its still rare here in ireland. i imagine more so abroad. it does make a fantastic session instrument and if the speed gets out of hand, its very easy to swith from melody to backing.
for any aspiring players, its very easy to get the basics on the instrument and get to a certain level in a short space of time. and it’s a fun, beautiful instrument.
I just got Eralio GIll’s CD “The Art of Paraguayan Harp.” OMG. These guys make O’Carolan look like a punter. It’s pretty downright amazing.
In fairness, there’s not too many O’Carolan albums floating about!!
its very likely o carolan wasnt a great player. his harp was probably dodgy enough and being blind couldnt have helped his playing. his compositions are fantastic though - so many excellent pieces.
the paraguayan dudes sound interesting but. its mad seeing harp in different contexts and traditions. still i love it for the trad
That’s right. He probably couldn’t have been much better than Doc Watson, Jose Feliciano, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Gary Davis… 
Or the guy who wrote “Lord Mayo,” or a bunch of other wire-strung harpers 
Apparently if you lived in Ireland and you wre blind, being the court bard was your meal ticket.
yeah fair point,
we’ll just never know how good he was. we only can go on his compositions which are incredible i think.
even after whatever hundred years his music stands the test of time.
Dont play harp, but my emoticon does!
Jose - the most under rated guitarist in the World - Feliciano.
Not to mention a voice to die for 
Slan,
D.
Agreed!