Flemish Lap Harp
I had bought a 2-1/2-octave Flemish lap harp in the mid-1980s. For me it was like playing the piano except that I held my hands up rather than down. Without pedals or valves, I could not sharp or flat a note and was limited to a diatonic rather than a chromatic scale.
This harp has traveled with me to various events at which I've provided background music, improvising for however long. I have played it on the street in Cambridge and Provincetown, Massachusetts; at various parties; at a science fiction convention (at one point jamming with a woman who had brought her own harp), and elsewhere. Most recently I played it at a tea to benefit the Florida State Poets Association.
It had extra strings attached for that event. Either from our move or from Florida humidity, I had found its sounding board pulled up and used wood glue, clamps, and string to at least temporarily put the harp back in tune.
Some harp doodles can be heard here. This photo accompanies the blog entry "Once Upon A Time," which includes links to additional music clips.
Flemish Lap Harp
I had bought a 2-1/2-octave Flemish lap harp in the mid-1980s. For me it was like playing the piano except that I held my hands up rather than down. Without pedals or valves, I could not sharp or flat a note and was limited to a diatonic rather than a chromatic scale.
This harp has traveled with me to various events at which I've provided background music, improvising for however long. I have played it on the street in Cambridge and Provincetown, Massachusetts; at various parties; at a science fiction convention (at one point jamming with a woman who had brought her own harp), and elsewhere. Most recently I played it at a tea to benefit the Florida State Poets Association.
It had extra strings attached for that event. Either from our move or from Florida humidity, I had found its sounding board pulled up and used wood glue, clamps, and string to at least temporarily put the harp back in tune.
Some harp doodles can be heard here. This photo accompanies the blog entry "Once Upon A Time," which includes links to additional music clips.