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Note to Lever Harpists:
If you are planning to use the New Nylgut (NGH) strings on your lever harp, you need to use smaller gauges than what I have posted here for standard pedal harps. I recommend using one gauge smaller in the First Octave, two gauges smaller in the Second Octave, and three gauges smaller in the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Octaves. You will need to specify “red C’s and black F’s.”
The exception to this would be if you have a lever harp with standard pedal harp stringing, such as a L&H Prelude. Also, on lever-gut stringing charts for most lever harps, such as Dusty Strings, you can just use the same gauge for the New Nylgut (NGH) that they recommend for real gut. If you have a gauge for a real gut string, and that exact gauge is not available in Nylgut, just use the next available gauge smaller in Nylgut. That way, you will not be putting too much tension and strain on your harp.
If you have nylon strings and want to convert to New Nylgut, Aquila USA will help you do the conversions. Nylgut gauges are smaller than nylon for the same note, just like real gut.
I hope this information is helpful.
Harp Hugs,
BalfourHello Harper10!
I think that a graduate harp performance major might be an excellent choice, but it all depends on the individual. Does this person already teach other students, and are the students successfully learning how to play the harp? Might there be masterclasses or recitals offered by the graduate student, so that by attending one, you might “sample” their performing ability, teaching methods, student results, etc.? Every teacher has to start somewhere. If everyone held out for an “experienced” teacher, a new teacher would never get any students and would never have the chance to teach anyone and get experience!
Hope this helps.
Harp Hugs and best wishes,
BalfourOK, harpists out there! Let’s get some feedback on this beautiful piece! I hope someone has something to say about it. I have appreciated and enjoyed all of the tear-out tunes so far, and I think it is truly a special gift from the composers and Harp Column, for us to be able to get these free-of-charge.
Happy Harping, my friends,
BalfourThe folks at Musicmakers are always so nice! I used to own a large Gothic 36 made by them, and it also had tremendous volume, without using a mic. For a warmer tone, you could also use lever-gauge gut or New Nylgut NGH strings, but do make sure of the correct lever-harp scaling, if going over to lever-gut from lever-nylon! Aquila, USA, who provides the New Nylgut strings, will help you obtain a good scale when going from nylon to New Nylgut. There is no problem going from real gut to Nylgut, as you just use the exact same gauge scale.
Happy Harping!
BalfourSid, I know that you have said in the past that you have nylons on your L&H 23 down through the third octave, since they are “brighter” than the gut. These new Nylguts sound like gut, but ring out longer. They do not have the bright nylon sound, but I can pluck them more strongly than nylon, giving a great sound up there in the treble. When I would pluck the former nylons strongly, I did not like the resulting “explosive” sound, which you don’t get with the nylguts. On the other hand, these new nylguts can be played softly, producing that “to die for” gut-strung harp sound. The nylguts are capable of a wide range of dynamics and expression. You don’t have to adjust your plucking technique when you go from the real gut up into the nylgut, and the nylguts stay in tune, requiring very little adjustment. Mine only took 2 or 3 days to acclimate on the harp, and have not stretched very much since then. They run about $3.50 each, with enough length to make two or three strings in the treble, so you automatically have spares. The larger gauges cost a little more, of course.
Hope this helps.
Harp Hugs and best wishes,
BalfourI had time to look up a suitable scale for the 4th and 5th octaves:
4E–1.24mm
4D–1.28
4C–1.40 Red
4B–1.45
4A–1.50
4G–1.60
4F–1.70 Black5E–1.80mm
5D–1.90
5C–2.00 Red
5B–2.00 or 2.20 (Aquila does not list 2.10)
5A–2.20 (Aquila does not list 2.30. They do list 2.40, but this would be “heavy gauge.”)Hello Sid,
I am happy to post the gauges (metric) for the pedal-harp New Nylgut strings below:
(You do have to specify Natural, Black or Red.) These indeed do sound like real gut strings.0G–.44mm
0F–.46mm Black
1E–.48
1D–.50
1C–.52 Red
1B–.54
1A–.56
1G–.60
1F–.64 Black
2E–.66
2D–.70
2C–.73 Red
2B–.76
2A–.82
2G–.85
2F–.88 Black
3E–.91
3D–.94
3C–1.00 Red
3B–1.04
3A–1.08
3G–1.12
3F–1.20mm BlackMost of us who play the pedal harp like to keep real gut strings on our 4th and 5th Octaves, but you could try the New Nylgut there and experiment to see if you like it. The thickest Nylgut gauge is 2.40mm, but the lowest gut string, 5th octave A, would only use a 2.29 or 2.30mm. I could provide Nylgut gauges for the 4th and 5th Octaves if any of you would like those too.
I hope this helps. I meant to post these earlier–thanks for asking, Sid.
Harp Hugs,
BalfourKristen, where are you located? I am in western North Carolina, USA. I was just wondering who to recommend to look at your harp and give you a proper appraisal.
Harp Hugs and best wishes,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)Update–the new nylgut strings have now been on my pedal harp since Dec. 24–THREE MONTHS, and they are doing great! Has anyone else tried them? Please let me know here on this thread.
Harp Hugs,
BalfourAmalia, those recordings were most likely made at different times, under different circumstances. I assure you that the Troubadour in person has a much larger, fuller sound than the smaller Ogden. According to Gregg, the Troub also sounds larger and fuller than his Prelude!
Good posts here, everyone! It has been a few years since I had an opportunity to play a Troubadour VI and an Ogden side-by-side at the Atlanta Harp Center. If I had been in the market to buy one of those, I would have chosen the Troubadour. It had a bigger, richer sound, and seemed to be professional, compared to the student-model Ogden. Like Gregg said, the 36 strings gave the Troub a nice range, and it had the 3rd, 4th, and 5th octaves strung in pedal gut, very nice!
Although I own one of the very best Camac concert-grand pedal harps, I have never found a Camac lever harp that I wanted to buy. (Mine is a Dusty Strings FH36S in cherry, with Camac levers!) I can, however, vouch for the high quality of Camac harps in general. If you get a chance to try out some Camac lever harps, you might find one to your liking. How about a harp camp or conference?
Happy Harping, my friends!
BalfourI did listen to the piece on harpcolumnmusic.com and I like to play it a bit slower. It has a more peaceful sound if you enjoy playing it slower, but it is still very nice played “Spring-like” at a faster tempo! Lever harpists are going to enjoy having NO lever changes throughout the piece, and this same thing goes for no pedal changes, either! Just sit down and play this one for pleasure.
Enjoy playing this lovely piece, harp friends!
BalfourHello again, Philippa, and all!
Gregg shared something with me today about Shield Harps. They are very similar to the photo above that you posted! Just search “Shield Harps” and I think you will get the website, and there is also a video demonstrating them that you can watch.
Enjoy!
Balfour
