A newbie friendly harp review (fully levered Harpsicle vs Pakistani Harp)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.ค. 2024
- In this video I will be reviewing two travel sized celtic harps: the 26 string Harpsicle (Fullsicle special edition cherry wood) and the 27 string Roosebeck Pakistani harp.
These harps, also known as lap harps, small harps or therapy harps, are smaller and lighter than regular celtic harps and are a lot more travel friendly. They are both at different quality levels and price levels as well! The Pakistani harp is cheap for this kind of instrument but has a horrible reputation: breaking easily, not working properly, etc. Is that really true though?
The Harpsicle is a lot pricier but is known for its quality and still decent price, compared to similar higher end small harps. However for a lot of us it is still a big investment.
So what harp should you choose? As a musician I have played on both and I will be giving you my honest opinion. I tried my best to make the video as beginner friendly as possible so hopefully you won't feel lost if you don't know much about harps. Hope you enjoy the video! If you have more questions, I'll be happy to answer them in the comments
My Harpsicle: harpsicleharps.com/special-ed...
Roosebeck Harps (I couldn't find a link to the model that's in the video, not sure if they still make it):
www.handcraftedworldinstrumen...
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I bought exactly the same Pakistani harp on Ebay a number of years ago and I liked the size, look , bag and most importantly, the sound. I did not experience a lot of broken strings. However, I soon noticed that the levers were not calibrated, this means, for example, that when I had all my F strings properly tuned, and flicked an F lever, it did not give me an F#, which was disappointing. I ended up tuning the individual strings (mainly F and C) up to achieve the sharps. It was my first harp and the price was about the same you said. I ended up treating this harp as if it was lever-less and coped with it for a while, because I understand about music. After a year or so, I got fed up having to re-tune lots of strings when changing keys and I saved up and bought a Frank Sievert 36 string Silmaril harp second hand which I had for many years. I sold the Pakistani harp to a friend who actually never learned to play, but she loved the look of it! Experienced harp players were not interested in buying it off me. So, my recommendation is, the Pakistani is good for beginners - if you understand about semi-tones, or have help to start with. If you are desperate to start playing and don't want the investment of a good quality harp, why not look to hire a good instrument to start with. The Clarsach Society in Scotland often has harps for hire. Also, reputable harp dealers, such as Pilgrim, England, or Clive Morley, also England, and Camac in Wales hire out harps. You can get a good deal if you decide to buy the harp you have been hiring. For a travel harp (26 strings) I bought a used (previously hired out) Salvi Juno from Clive Morley at a very good price. Buying it from a dealer also ensured it was properly checked and I had the peace of mind of being able to go back to the shop if needed. I did not even have to pick it up from the shop, because they used the original packaging to send it to me. I hope this is helpful!
Thank you for taking the time to share all that information, I'm sure it will be very helpful to a lot of people! Yes, the lack of accuracy in the semi-tones can be an issue with some of those harps. Renting a harp is definitely a great alternative if you can find one for rent in your area. I'm glad you found the right harps for you :)
It's better to have a cheap instrument than no instrument at all... isn't that the truth! Thanks for the great video ❤️
Right?!! You have to start somewhere. Thank you for watching :)
"Let's face it, most people are broke" is the truest thing I've heard all year haha
hahaha right?! 🤣
Im a beginner harpist and also own a 29 strings Rooseberg Minstrel Harp. Had it for a year and so far she's playing wonderfully. No complaints. I totally agree with you its a good harp if you are just beginning and do not have the money for an expensive one.
My first harp was a Roosebeck and my second was a Lyon/Healy lever harp. Had I not gotten the Roosebeck I would never in a million years have had a harp at all. I enjoyed learning on it and have played professionally for many years since getting the L/H harp. I would encourage anyone who hasn't the money for an expensive harp and wants to play to go for the cheaper harp and use it to learn on. Not everyone has the luxury of learning on a concert instrument. If you want to play music, find a way to do it.
Absolutely! Couldn’t have said it better 🙏
This helped me make a final decision. I will be savingy money for a harpsickle. First time harp buyer. Thank you so much. ❤
So happy this video could help you! I’ve had the Harpsicle for over 3 years now and still love it 😊❤️
Very educational, and definitely makes the instrument way less intimidating. I get how the levers work for the semitones! That's amazing! MIa loved your playing!!!
Thank you, I'm so happy you learned something new about harps. So happy Mia liked it too, yaaay :)
amazing video!!! enjoyed it greatly and feel like I got really more educated on the harp theory!
Thank you so much my friend, so happy to hear that! :)
Great review. You definitely got lucky with your rosewood harp! A friend of mine had one that could not hold its tune at all and she had to tune every time before playing, which was not very encouraging sadly, especially as a beginner. That was a darker wood; the lighter versions seem a little more stable perhaps. Loved the clip of you playing with pickup in beautiful location at the end :)
Thank you Iris, I'm so happy you liked it! Yes, I believe I was very lucky, what your friend experienced sounds pretty horrible. I went for one that was a bit bigger and sturdier, maybe that played a role too... it is kind of a gamble with those harps! That clip at the end was in Cascais, Portugal, a small town near Lisbon. I miss playing there, it was such good vibes and so beautiful by the beach :)))
Had an original Fullsicle with the Robinson levers, liked it so much I got the one with Rees levers ten years later!
Amazing! :) they're great harps, aren't they? I'm not familiar with Robinson levers though...
@@miaramer They are so great! :) Robinson levers were one of the first non-blade sharping levers commercially available. Rees put them on the earlier Fullsicles, and they were commonly found on folk harps from the 70s and 80s.
@@thewordartist Cool! Thanks a lot :)
I have a harpsicle and it’s awesome! Great sound and quality.
Yes, they're great little harps, very well made and practical :)
PSA: in US, used Harpsicles w/o levers available for a little over $500, new Fullsicles $1175. ✌️
That’s awesome 😊
You just need to change the strings in the roosback...
They put cheap strings, thats the main difference, and the cheap wood, shouldn't effect that much
Great video! Now I know I little bit more about harps! 🙂
Thank you Tito! I'm happy you liked it and learned something from it :)))
Part of the rap on Roosbeck instruments is that they are inconsistent. So however happy, or unhappy, you are with yours, maybe the rest of us can't trust that we can get one as good. Harpsicles, on the other hand, are always Harpsicles. Good quality control.
That's a very good point! I did hear some horror stories 😅
I could not agree more with you!
All the Roosebeck needs is an adjustment
Thank you for review.
Iam newbie harpist too (when I listrn to you nice playing I musy say that Iam much more newbie than you :D)
But I want to say my opinion. I would not say that something what cost 600$ is lowend when it is just "doesnt work". Personally I see it as a waste of money.
BUT I totally understand that for you it could be a good choice for that time.
Also I think that harpsicle is actually lowend. Imean generally speaking - prices starts under 1000$.. You have some extras to yours so it is different thing. And Im glad that you are so happy with that.
I know it is a lot of money. But harps just cant be made in a cheap way. It is quite not easy construction.
If somebody wants to play and is not sure I would recommend to rent a harp and then to buy a good one.
Im happy that you have good sounding harp, your playing deserves that :)
... Aaaah Iam so looking forward to also have better 27 string harp! I Hope it will be soon :)
Tomas
Thanks for your comment Tomas, those were some really good points :) We're definitely all different, I'm only sharing my experience and what's worked for me over the years. Happy playing!
@@miaramer yes indeed! I took it as your personal experience :) I just wanted to add my 2 cents :)
Many thanks, Mia!
Thank you for watching! :)
Hi Mia. I own the fullsicle in Walnut. I am hoping to get out to do some playing publicly this summer. I have only been playing for a year. Mine has the pick up and I have the lunchbox with reverb amp. My only issue is that my amp is not battery powered. I wanted something with a great sound in a small portable size and it is 100W. So I’m curious, when you are out busking how do you power your amp?
Hi Sharon, the walnut Fullsicle is great too :) I don't always amplify my harp when busking, but when I do I use the Roland mobile cube. It's battery powered and sounds very good for its small size. It also has two channels so it allows me to also amplify my voice if needed. I'm very happy with it so far.
@@miaramer I was looking at those online also. I’m bummed I didn’t go with a battery powered amp. Does it have reverb?
@@SharonCullenArt Yes it does
great information, inspirational lifestyle
Thank you 😊
This is good, For a good harp, that is only reserved for the rich people..
nice video, thanks a lot
Happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching :)
Thank you.
Thank you for watching!
Many Thanks Mia, is there any name of the music you played at 7.00?
Sure! yeah it's an instrumental piece I wrote called Snow Storm :)
I would like to add that the piece played at 8:12 is really mesmerizing :) Bravo. Is there any chance to find the full version of this pièce recorded somewhere In this Chanel ?
Merci.
Hi, what piece are you playing at 7:00?
Hey! It's one I wrote, here it is: th-cam.com/video/kpbICoWbVMo/w-d-xo.html
Beautiful, and thank you for the fast response!
@@a.littleblue2890 Sure :) Happy you like it!
I came to this video because I want to learn how to play the harp and I know nothing. I am thinking of buying a cheap Harpsicle (800€) but I am afraid of getting frustrated and quit.
Any tips would be much appreciated about how to learn from zero
It depends on what your goal is. I would say if you have no previous music background and want to play just for yourself, a cheap Harpsicle is a good option. Keep in mind that the cheaper Harpsicles don't have levers so you can only play in C major or A minor. So if your goal is to play in a wide variety of keys, not having levers is not ideal.
About learning from zero, I would recommend taking at least a few technique classes to get you started so you don't pick up any bad habits and don't develop tensions in your hands, arms and shoulders. There are good tutorials here on TH-cam, but if you're interested in one on one classes, you can reach out to me over email at info@mia-music.com , I offer affordable online harp classes on Zoom :)
@@miaramer Yes, I want to play for myself, for fun, I like the sound, its very soothing and I rule out a small one because having fewer strings I would limit the range of songs. I dont want a big one because firstly they are very big and secondly they are more expensive so I thought of the harpsicle as something in between. I dont know about the levers, about how many levers it should have. I have seen harpsicles with 8 levers, are those enough or I should aim for more? I will send you an email so you can tell me how affordable the lessons are and any other tip to help getting me started. Thank you.
Angel
@@eingelus I would advise fully levered. If you can't afford to purchase a harp outright, you could try a Rent to Own Program - I have a Ravenna 34 harp that I got through a Rent to Own program with Vermont Violins where I make 24 payments and then own it. Vermont Violins does also have a Rent to Own for a Harpsicle and a fully levered one. Keep in mind though that I live in the US, so if you are outside the US, I am not sure if Vermont Violins will allow international applicants for the Rent to Own. You would have to ask them yourself.
@@leilamanteghi326 Thank you for your comment. I finally bought a Harpsicle fully levered. I didn´t find any place in my country (spain) where they rented out one and I ruled out renting one from abroad. Wish me luck in this new journey I am about to embark.
@@eingelus That's fantastic! I think you will love playing the harp!
Do you still have the Pakistani harp?
I still have it, but don’t play it anymore
you are a great musicial big like and immediately sub456
Thank you so much!!! :)
HOLAAAAA
👋