[Harp-L] Harp Key ID



I keep nail polish in my harp bag.  I paint the key in
a BIG letter with nail polish on the top cover of my
harps, always in one position, the right hand side.
This allows me to line them up for quick selection and
playing in semi-darkness on stage, knowing I've got
the low notes on the left as I bring the harp to my
mouth. 

I don't bother with markings on the ends of the harps;
for me, with my eyes, they are too small to allow me
to retrieve the correct harp quickly.  I'm very much
of the school of thought that any delay in stage
presentation caused by non-musical considerations
takes away from the music.

I use dark red polish on the chrome covers, and white
polish on the black covers.  It does not come off. 
(Make sure the plate is clean when you paint it.  It's
best to do it immediately out of the box on when
purchased.) Some of my harps have been in my bag for a
decade, and still bear the original nail polish,
unchipped.

With my Lee Oskar Natural Minors and Melody Makers, I
go against his key-naming scheme.  He may choose to
label his mid-range Natural Minor Harp "G", the cross
harp key, but I stubbornly rename it "C" on the cover.
 I find it less confusing, having spent years mentally
translating on the fly as I grab a harp on stage: C
equals G, A equals E, etc.

Cheers, Wolf


      Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. Go to Yahoo! Answers and share what you know at http://ca.answers.yahoo.com




This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.