String colours + synaesthesia

[mae-mcallister]

Allison: While that would definitely solve the problem, I think it would create another, bigger one:) I’m trying hard at the moment not to look at the strings when I’m playing from music, but even so…
Tacye: I think it’s strung in concert gauge gut, but every string has a different diameter to the one next to it…I always thought that there were duplicates in terms of diameter for a bunch of strings and I guess it’s been done like this on purpose, maybe because it’s an old harp and to keep the tension even? But I don’t know anything about which string gauges to use when and what is and isn’t ok to use :S And do Bow brand do blue strings? And is it ok to mix up different string brands if not?

[Janis Cortese]

If they’re gut, they’re protein. If they’re protein, you can use Manic Panic, which comes in every color under the sun. 🙂 Would having the G string be G-colored trip you up if you had to use it to stand in for an Fx?

[Tacye]

In both concert and folk gauge each string is thinner than the one below. I am not sure who does blue gut strings – Bow Brand are black and they are varnished so I am not sure the dye Janis mentions would get through to the collagen. But if you get clear ones and colour the ends with a premanent marker and then play in the middle that should work as your fingers won’t be rubbing the colour off.

I prefer not to mix brands of string because I am fussy, but it won’t do any harp and the differences are usually slight.

[darth-mom]

Wow – I thought I was the only one with this problem. I always start out telling myself, “Cs are red, they’re RED…” To me, they should be black.
I don’t think I have synaesthesia, just a really odd way of thinking.

[angie-kelly–2]

I’ve mixed string brands before. I’ve also put harp stings on my guitar in a pinch.
Morley Harps in the UK has a variety of strings (great resource for those with antique pedal harps), so you might try contacting them.
Pirasto Strings out of Germany makes strings for other instruments as well, so maybe they would be able to give advice on coloring strings. I know other instruments so have black stings–I have some on my guitar (forget the brand).

[mae-mcallister]

Hey hey,

So, the rubber bands thing works really well! I flick levers so easily and quickly now, it’s great, I don’t have to think about “B is one below the C which is red not black” I can just go for it:)

I have measured the gauges of all my strings so I can figure out what’s what, but I think that learning to stick with the status quo of strings will be the most helpful in the long run. I shouldn’t be looking at the strings anyway…

Through a detailed and minute examination and piecing together and comaprison of the strings on the morley website (they list strings by note and by diameter but not together!), I have found that my harp is strung somewhere between lever gut tension and light pedal gut tension.

Darth Mom – my partner also thinks this, despite not having synesthesia. Black for C is natural!

[brianna-halpern]

My chromesthesia used to drive me (and my teachers) nuts! Sometimes the colors are pretty close together in the spectrum. My little “cheat” when I first started playing harmonics was to tune my harp, and then make a *tiny* mark with magic marker (my sweaty hands rub it off after the piece) where the best place to pluck the enharmonics on the string is. That way, you can see the colors that coorespond with pitch regardless of whether your levers are engaged

[robert-pacey]

Hello, I have just bought a Wurlitzer Stye I (letter I not 1) harp and it has all red strings except for F (green I think but very faded) and C black. This would indicate that it has never been played much here in the UK. I think it dates from about 1930. Small orchestral model 43 strings, and oddly the range is F to F. Anyone got one, as mine is missing the plaster work decoration round the capital. It needs a new soundboard which I can get from Pilgrim & do it myself otherwise it seems OK. anyone know anything about These harps. There is a website/ register but have not got a reply from them yet. Bob Pacey (UK)

[marcia-farkas]

Hi Robert, Try North Tonawanda History Museum nthistorymuseum.org. They are in NY and might have some answers for you. I have tried contacting the (UK) also, still no reply after 2 years.

[poetic harpist]

I use permanent markers to colour my strings. For example, I put new bass strings on my harp about two weeks ago, and so I just bought all white strings, and then I used a red marker to colour the C’s and a black marker to colour the F’s.

If I were you, I would:
(1) Put all white strings on my harp
(2) Use a set of different colour markers to colour the strings

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by poetic harpist.

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