Stringed Instruments -

Most stringed instruments can be learned as early as before the age of five. Violins can be purchased in as small as a 1/16 size, meaning that the tiniest little fingers can play them. Cellos can be purchased in as small as 1/4 size, meaning that they can be played by students aged 3 to 4. Even the double bass or stand up bass can be found in a half size version, however these instruments require more physical strength to carry so it is best to put this instrument off to age eleven or so.

Woodwind Instruments -

Most children can experience the recorder in the younger years of school, and this is an excellent foundation for learning to read music, develop breath control and play other woodwind instruments over time. Other woodwind instruments are not ideal until the child has grown in all of his or her adult teeth, so ages 7 or 8 are ideal for learning to play a woodwind instrument. It is generally quite easy to find clarinet or flute lessons for younger children. The clarinet is by far one of the easiest woodwinds to begin with.

Brass Instruments -

Brass instruments can be learnt beginning at around 7 or 8 years of age. Playing the recorder will prepare young students for learning how to play brass instruments. The best and easiest instruments to learn are the trumpet, the tuba and the trombone.

Percussion Instruments -

Drums can be learnt at nearly any age, but lessons are not usually offered in school. People who learn to play orchestral instruments like the xylophone usually begin by practicing the piano.

Piano -

Piano lessons are easy to find, and your children can learn on a keyboard if a piano cannot be afforded. The piano is a difficult instrument to learn but is worthwhile as soon as the hands are large enough to manage the keys.

Harp -

Harp teachers are difficult to find, so most harpists learn to play on the piano first as it teaches basic music comprehension. Smaller folk harps can be learned by children aged 8 and older, but full sized harps are heavier and larger and are best suited for ages 11 and up.

Guitar -

There are a couple of different acoustic guitars that can be learned, and the guitar is pretty easy for children to learn as long as they can manage the strings and holding the guitar. Guitar lessons are easy enough to find, so teaching a child to play the guitar at the age of eight or older is ideal.

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Originally posted 2008-12-26 05:39:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Buying Guide for Fiddlers Because fiddles are a less popular instrument than something like an electric guitar, it's hard to find a quality fiddle at a good price, and it's just as hard to find a good buying guide for fiddles to help you figure out which of these acoustic musical instruments is best.......
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Where He Is Now -

Carlos Salzedo passed away in 1961, but continued to teach up until the day he died. He died in the colony in Maine, passing the reins on to a good friend by the name of Alice Chalifoux. Today he is still regarded as one of the greatest harpists in history. He is most known for his progressive spirit, consistently seeking new resources in the harp and inspiring and creating new styles of music and new works and compositions accordingly. Hisideas even led to the designs of two harps that are still manufactured today, the art-nouveau style 11, as well as the art deco Salzedo model, both of which are manufactured by Lyon and Healy.

Listen to One of His Compositions-

Career Highlights -

Not only did Salzedo spend many years playing as the principal harpist for the Metropolitan Opera in the United States, but he also continued to write noteworthy compositions that focused on never before seen techniques in harp litecture, including the Suite of Eight Dances, Song of the Night and Variations on a Theme in Ancient Style. He established the harp department in the Curtis Institute of Music in 1924 and founded the Salzedo Summer Harp Colony located in Camden, Maine. The International Composers Guild ended in 1927 and the National Association of Harpists ended in 1933. Salzedo continued to teach, never the less, all the way up to his death.

Interesting and Inspirational Quotes -

"Since the harp does require necessary gestures, these gestures must be correct not only functionally but aesthetically as well. Music is meant to be heard, but also to be looked at--otherwise radio would have long ago supplanted the concert stage which, fortunately, it has not." - Carlos Salzedo

"When the hands react sensitively to the various rhythmical and emotional requirements of music, there is no difficulty in rendering a composition as intended by the composer." - Carlos Salzedo

"Harp is to music what music is to life." - Carlos Salzedo

Originally posted 2008-12-29 05:46:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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There are a number of illustrations to show you the proper hand positions, giving the reader a visual reference, as well as the written instructions. Each song is arranged in an easy to learn manner, allowing you to progress through the pieces and introducing you to more complex concepts slowly. There are plenty of fingering exercises to train your left hand and give you confidence to tackle the difficult arrangements.

Because hand and body position is so important when playing the harp, the book devotes several sections to topics related to this. You will learn the proper way to sit and hold your harp and where to place your hands. The book also covers maintenance of the harp and how to tune it. Music theory concepts such as scales, arpeggios, open and broken chords, and finger placement are extensively discussed. There is also a brief section that summarizes the basics of reading music. Along with all of these useful lessons to teach you how to play your harp, there are a number of Celtic harp songs includes as examples.

Unfortunately, the book does not come with an audio CD, so some of the lessons and fingerings may be a bit difficult to visualize. The addition of a CD would make this book an absolute must-buy for anyone interested in learning the harp. Some of the songs for the exercises only include a small portion, so you may not be able to put the song together in your head just from the excerpt. Even without the CD, this is a good starting point for new musicians and can still be a very effective resource.

Mel Bay's Basic Harp gets to the point quickly and cuts out a lot of the unnecessary fluff. Beginners can pick up this book and begin playing beautiful songs on the harp right away. Unlike some beginner's books that are overly complicated and difficult to understand, Riley is able to concisely explain each lesson in a way that musicians of all levels will be able to comprehend. The logical organization of the book makes it easy to skip around and learn only what you need to. While this is not usually an issue with a beginner's book, some people do pick up concepts faster than others and may wish to skip ahead instead of practicing the same exercises they already understand.

Originally posted 2008-11-07 05:08:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Book Review: Cello Playing for Music Lovers Cello Playing for Music Lovers is geared toward adult beginner musicians aspiring to learn the cello. The easy-to-understand written instructions are combined with examples that demonstrate each musical concept. Many of these samples are songs that are well-known by everyone, musician or non-musician alike, so they will sound familiar when......
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In order to be comfortable, the harp must be the right size for you.

If you are short in stature, or are purchasing the instrument for your child, you will need a smaller size so that you can reach the pedals without straining. Beginner harps with only 27 or 30 strings are available in these small sizes as a starter instrument. Semi-grand harps are usually a good choice for smaller adults as they are lighter and more compact than the standard concert grand size. A concert grand harp has 47 strings while the semi-grand only has 46.

Test out the harp's tone by playing a wide range of notes in the music store.

Most dealers will allow you to play the instrument before you purchase. If the store refuses, you may not want to shop there. A harp can be quite an investment and you want to have an adequate "test drive" before committing financially. Ideally, you want a tone that is neither too bright nor too full. Look for a bright tone that projects well without sounding too high and cracking. Have someone else play the harp so you can check the projection of the sound from across the room. A great sounding harp is no good if your audience will not be able to hear it.

Inspect the workmanship of the harp for quality and condition.

Check for solid, quality wood materials and sturdy metal parts for the pedals and hardware. There should be no dings or scratches in the finish of the wood, unless you are purchasing secondhand. If you are buying a used harp, inspect any damage to be sure that it is only cosmetic and not structural. Structural damage will affect the tone produced by your harp. Make sure the pedals are not warped or deformed and that the columns are straight. The neck of the harp should also be straight and have no signs of warping or cracking. Look for any cracks or gaps in the rear of the soundbox. Lastly, check to see if the harp's base is solidly attached to the feet for stability.

Once you have found the harp you want to purchase, there are a few questions you should ask of the music store.

Inquire about any warranties on the harp's manufacture or materials. Even if you are purchasing a used instrument, you should be able to get some type of limited warranty against defects. Ask if the store can handle any future maintenance or repairs you may need. If not, ask for a referral to another store that can. This is especially important for beginner musicians who may not be familiar with the workings of their harp.

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Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-11-06 05:12:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Buyer's Guide for Banjos There are a number of elements to consider when buying a banjo. The main thing to look for is a banjo that is comfortable, easy to play, and does not hurt your hands. Push down on the strings up and down the neck to make sure they have enough give......
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• A Little Background on Harps The harp is a simple stringed instrument that is comprised of a plane of strings that is positioned perpendicular in relation to the instrument's sound board. All harps have similar elements, like the neck, the strings and the resonator. Some harps, frame harps as they are referred to, also have......

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The strings of a harp can be made from numerous different materials, including nylon, nylon wound over copper, gut, silk and wire. People who play the harp are known as harpists or harpers. The term harper is more common among Folk and Celtic musicians. Classical and pedal musicians on the other hand prefer the term harpist.

There are a number of different types of harps, and these different types of harps can be found in North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. Harps and Lyres were very prominent in nearly every musical culture in the past, but they saw a drop in popularity in the early part of the 19th century which is when Western musical composers began to regard them as primarily a woman's instrument and not something that anyone could play and enjoy. The lyre, Aeolian harp or wind harp and the auto harp and the Kithara are not considered to be traditional harps because their strings are not perpendicular in relation to the sound board, which means they are a part of the Zither family of instruments instead. The Zither family of musical instruments is where the piano belongs, as well as the harpsichord.

Harps were most likely invented independently in numerous parts of the world. It has often been said that the origins of the harp may lie in the sound that comes from plucking the bow string on a hunter's bow. One of the most original formers of harps is the bow harp, which has a resonating vessel such as a gourd that is fixed somewhere along its length. Harps were later made using two pieces of wood attached at the ends in order to allow for a greater number of strings, and this type of harp is known as the angle harp.

The oldest depictions of harps that did not possess forepillars go back as far as 4000 BCE in ancient Egypt as well as Persia in 3000 BCE. While most English Biblican translations use the word Harp, the Hebrew word for this particular instrument is actually "nevel", which is a type of lyre that possesses ten strings rather than an actual harp. A descendent of the ancient Egyptian harp is the Kanun, which was introduced by the Moors to Europe during the Middle Ages.

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-02 05:05:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Harps Throughout History Harps are a musical instrument that is played all throughout a great deal of the world. Consider the fact that in Africa alone there are more than one hundred and fifty different distinct traditions involving the harp. The harp's ancestor is suggested to be a hunting bow, but the history......
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It is assumed that during Islam's growth, the harp saw a great deal of travel to Spain from North Africa during the 8^th century, which is when it saw growth and spreading throughout Europe.

Harps are strung with sinew, wire or silk, and they vary significantly in their size, their structure and their decoration according to the technological and physical environments of each origin. African harps, for example, have been made using a wide variety of different materials including wood and gourds, and cow or animal hide coverings. Some have a sound box and string arm that is bow shaped or arched. The sound box is the body and the resonator of the instrument and the string arm is the neck of the instrument where the tuning pegs can be found. Some other harps, such as the Turkish "ceng" harp is curved or C-shaped. European harps on the other hand have had a triangular frame instead, with a column or pillar which is added to the string arm and the sound box. There is one element that is shared among all harps, which is the fact that the strings run vertical to the sound box rather than parallel to it.

Harp instruments are central to musical cultures in many different communities ranging from Central America to Indonesia. In Jalisco, Mexico, for example, the harp was truly significant in how mariachi music was developed. Mariachi music traditionally featured only stringed instruments. In other Latin American countries like Ecuador and Guatemala for example, harps were suggested to have been introduced during the 16^th and 17^th centuries by African slaves that were brought to Central America and North America by Spanish explorers.

The contemporary orchestral harp of the west is a product of ancient heritage and centuries worth of technological innovations that consistently sought to improve the tone, range and speed at which different tuning systems could be altered through both pedal and hook mechanisms. In Northern America, there has been a dramatic increase in general interest for this instrument, stemming from around the 1950s. The harp may not be the most popular stringed instrument in existence today, but it certainly has a strong place in current and past culture and history.

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-10-16 05:45:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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• Harp Introduction The Harp is an acoustic musical instrument which is made up stings that are held stretched under tension, which will produce harmonics when plucked with the fingers, a pick or a similar device. There are two primary kinds of harps, bow and angle. Bow harps are so named after the......

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Depending on the size of the harp, and harps can vary considerably in size, a harp is capable of being played while it is being held in the lap, or it is capable of being played while it stands on the floor.

Harp strings are typically made out of nylon, which is sometimes wound about copper wire, or gut, which is commonly used more often than nylon. Strings may also be made out of silk or wire as well.

When a person plays the harp, they are referred to as a harpist or harper. Celtic and Folk musicians often prefer the term harper. Classical musicians and pedal musicians on the other hand tend to prefer the term harpist.

There are various different types of harps located all throughout the world. You can find various types of harps located in Europe, Africa, North America and South America, and you can even find some specialized versions of the harp in Asia. When it comes to antiquity, harps and lyres, closely related instruments, were both very prominent in nearly every musical culture, but unfortunately it seems that the harp lost a lot of its popularity during the early part of the 19th century. This is when Western musical composers decided that the harp was primarily an instrument for women, mainly after Marie Antoinette popularized it as an activity that women could participate in.

There are a number of different types of harps out there. The wind harp or Aeolian harp, the lyre and the auto harp are not necessarily considered to be traditional harps, and this is because their strings are not built to be perpendicular to the instrument's soundboard in the way that is characteristic of a traditional harm. They are instead part of an instrument family known as he zither family of instruments, which is actually the same family of instruments where you will find the harpsichord and the piano. Sometimes the harmonica is referred to as the blues harp, but it is not a harp at all because it is a free reed woodwind instrument rather than a stringed instrument as is characteristic of harps.

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Photo Credits: James Jordan

Originally posted 2009-09-14 03:15:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Both harps have seen frequent usage up to the modern day. In Europe, the angle harp received the structural improvement of a support column placed at the ends of the two angled pieces of wood. This enables many more strings to be used, as each would have many pounds of tension straining the wooden frame. In the Baroque period harps were given a second row of strings tuned to a different scale to allow the combination of a harmony and melody. Concert harps have pedals installed which when pressed will apply pressure upon the strings in order to adjust the sound from a smooth to a sharp sound.

Playing the harp involves the complete use of the hand with the exception of the little finger, as it typically does not have the strength to fully engage the string the way that is necessary in order to generate the ideal sound for harp playing. Many techniques for playing the harp involve the use of alternating weak and strong finger techniques, as the thumb and first finger are significantly stronger than the second finger. The strings would then be tensioned appropriately to enable a full range of sound for the given strength of the finger.

Harps have found their place in ballads and classical music, and are especially utilized for special effects such as the arpeggios and glissando. 19th century ballet music can feature many harp solo scores. In the European region, the Irish had come up with the Celtic harp, or folk harp. These are small to medium instruments that are played either solo or in large groups, lending the sound of the harp to the traditional Celtic music of the Irish. Since then, the Irish would use the harp as a political and civil symbol, on currency and the coat of arms.

Today, harps have found usage in Jazz and folk music, along with performers providing classical treatments. As the music culture evolves, many artists are beginning to use the instrument in new and creative ways in order to bolster the quality of work that the artist puts out.

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MULLINGAR PEWTER BEAKER CUP IRISH HARP CELTIC CROSS

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LOT OF 4 CELTIC HARP IMPORT LPS 3 ALAN STIVELL 1970 1974 1 WELSH 1977

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Sterling Silver Celtic Harp Tie Bar Chain Tac Tack Pin Irish Made jewellery

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Originally posted 2009-02-02 05:49:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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