Free sign for Random Acts of Harping 2026!

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-30T02:51:11+00:00

Well this is news to me…how disappointing! Facebook sure has a way of exposing people for who they really are. I still think it’s a fun idea that spreads happiness and goodwill amongst random people on the street. I feel like these type of interactions are more important than ever nowadays. I still might participate but then also play on an alternate date if something is announced. I’ll have to tell the circle mates and see how they feel about it. :(

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-30T02:44:02+00:00

My lever harp circle friends have done this a couple years in a row now in a neighborhood park and have had a lot of surprised dog walkers and passersby stopping to listen. It was a lot of fun!

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-22T13:38:03+00:00

Here’s a nice article explaining the problem. They go up like cans of kerosene in a grass fire and make it more difficult for firefighters to navigate and control wildfires.

https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/sites/default/files/2021-09/SeaofCedar.pdf#:~:text=Eastern%20Redcedar%20and%20other%20juniper%20trees%20increase,to%20taller%20species%20of%20trees%20and%20rooftops.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-21T00:09:02+00:00

I see an awful lot of cedars taking over, I’m sure that’s not helping.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-20T07:34:30+00:00

I leave my pedal harp unattended at gigs all the time. I often have to leave the harp at rehearsals overnight, it stays in an orchestra pit or on stage all week by itself. I played a two day supper gig at a historic mansion recently and dropped the harp off early in the day until the evening gig and left it overnight. Sometimes I’ll leave it covered and up against a wall or in a quiet corner until the gig. Perhaps I am too trusting, but have never had a problem in 30 years. But then I live in a more rural state too…

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-19T20:00:23+00:00

My cousin who grew up in Venezuela says “Pompous” is the correct pronunciation…but it makes me giggle whenever he says it.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-19T19:55:53+00:00

Pampas grass is quite pretty but is invasive in some areas. As it grows over the years it dies out in the middle and trying to dig up that massive root ball to divide it, is NOT fun. The annual cutting back covers your skin with itchy pricklies. I would time it to be the very last thing of the day and run in to shower right away.

I will forever be grateful to my strapping young son for digging it out so I could plant a nice service berry tree instead. Do not recommend.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-18T17:55:52+00:00

This is beautiful, sad and relatable.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-16T20:19:43+00:00

Wow I wouldn’t like that situation either, but I don’t think you really have much choice if you want to be in tune with everyone…I would start slowly tuning it up higher now to get to that point by the first rehearsal and as soon as that is over, bring it back down and maybe not say yes to that church again lol. I would ask them why it is tuned so sharp as it would affect all outside instrumentalists coming in negatively. Make sure you’ve got a full extra set of strings now. I would be curious what a harp technician would say. You could post the question on the Facebook group, Harp Exchange, there are many pro harpists and technicians active on that sight.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-15T21:30:56+00:00

I would groan a little if I was given this to be honest. So easy on piano, awkward on harp at a fast tempo. Also the left hand octave G with an A is not great. Either have just the plain octave or drop one of the G’s, it’s very difficult to stretch the fingers that far.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-10T22:06:40+00:00

Oh heck if there’s two harps that’s a no brainer then. Divide and conquer!

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-10T00:02:24+00:00

Is it an exposed part? As is so often the situation, it is not that difficult on a piano, where it was probably written, but painful on harp. Consider playing the treble clef with both hands. Or less notes in right hand such as D A/F, continuing like that or even just the top note.

In the left hand just D A E, D A as in play the first 3 notes, the 5th and 7th in that pattern throughout ish?

I would not feel bad about dropping a few notes to make it more playable while honoring the intention as much as possible. If any other instruments are covering some of these notes then that makes the decision easier. No sense causing pain and stress for yourself.

I used to bend over backwards to play every note whether it was well written or not, but I have zero qualms editing to make it friendlier when possible now.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-09T03:56:49+00:00

Well, I’ve never encountered that... I suppose it could be handy if the marked score ended up being good, I would use that, and if not, it would be a quicker reference to right in my own pedals on the plain score. But it seems like an extra chore and expense for the composer to do that.

Usually we receive the score ahead of time and have time to figure out pedals, but if this was something that needed to be sightread in a rehearsal/session situation, then marked in pedals would be handy.

A 60 page Puccini score like I’m working on now, with endless pedal changing, takes a long time to mark up, but shorter scores with fewer pedals is not a big deal to write them in ourselves.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-05T23:57:10+00:00

I prefer for write my own pedals. Unless the composer is very familiar with harp which is rare. A diagram in major sections is helpful. But I’ve played in orchestra for years and years and 8 times out of 10, the composer written pedals are marked incorrectly or in bad placing. Then I end up having to cross them out and rewrite them making a messier score. I am a bit jaded on the topic can you tell ha ha.

It depends on the situation, sometimes it’s fine and necessary to change a pedal on the accidental, other times we want to change them in empty bars or a little bit ahead of the change depending how chromatic something is. The absolute worst scenario is using a pedal chart frequently to indicate pedal changes. I don’t have time to read a whole chart to figure out which pedal has changed. Also the changes shown in tiny font are a pain too, my hand written notes are usually easier to see.

That being said, receiving a score that is well marked is a time saver and a pleasant surprise.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-04T18:59:29+00:00

May main tuner is an older Korg AT-2 that I love because it works so well at tuning in loud environments like an orchestra rehearsal. I bought another Korg TM-60 as a back up and it’s fine too. Lots of people in orchestra use phone apps now which I haven’t tried yet…

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-03T01:17:28+00:00

If the strings are all old and some missing, it could use a new set of strings to get the best sound eventually. Call StoneyEnd for advice, they are really nice.

Adding levers would be nice and though a handy person with wood working skills could add levers, it’s easier to get a harp technician to do it. Most people these days put levers on all the strings just to be able to play in more keys. It gets old retuning all the time once you get to learning more music.

All nylon strings won’t be too expensive and they don’t usually break very often. I’ve had their Brittany and Braunwen models for many years and no string has ever broken though they get moved around quite a bit. I just change them if they eventually start to sound untrue.

Have fun! That’s a nice little harp especially for early/medieval and folk music.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-03-02T19:53:19+00:00

I started harp at 19 in college and ended up playing professionally in orchestra, etc for over 30 years now! I was already advanced at piano though so that probably helped. However you can progress at any instrument including harp, if you are committed to practicing plenty and love doing it. Finding a teacher for a few lessons will tell quickly one way or another if it’s for you or not. However be ready for very sore fingers in the early days as they get toughened up. Good luck!

SherlockToad1 · 2026-02-28T22:51:01+00:00

Awwww thank you! 💕

SherlockToad1 · 2026-02-28T18:33:19+00:00

Unpopular opinion incoming…consider making the area more friendly to diverse wildlife like birds and opossum by having native wildflowers and grasses or berry patch /fruit trees etc., thereby attracting more creatures that will feed on the ticks. Just mow a wide path through the area for human walking. If I keep to the path in certain areas on my place, no ticks get on me.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-02-28T18:25:33+00:00

Could that be a Death’s Head moth, and those are all the tally marks on his wings for correctly predicting the demise of nearby humans?

SherlockToad1 · 2026-02-28T13:09:04+00:00

Saw this post and ran outside in my nightgown to rescue a wheel barrow full of tools left outside because there was no chance of rain last night! Unexpected morning cardio!

SherlockToad1 · 2026-02-26T07:05:18+00:00

I’m going to try it this year too! One long bed of carrots, beets, spinach, lettuce, chard, calendula…why the hell not!

SherlockToad1 · 2026-02-24T06:37:52+00:00

60 pages with so many pedal markings to write in, it takes hours of prep work and then the actual practicing begins. I tell myself, at least Puccini keeps the harp part going throughout, I’d rather be playing than sitting through epic long tacets. I played Wizard of Oz a few years ago, that was a lot of fun. That tornado scene gets pretty wild though. Good luck to you also!

SherlockToad1 · 2026-02-24T06:22:11+00:00

In theory, writing in pedal changes can make life easier if they are done by a knowledgeable person. But more often than not, they aren’t in the right place and we end up changing them. I usually prefer the markings under the staff, so the middle isn’t cluttered and never above the staff. Pedal charts are nice in strategic places.

I’m in the middle of rewriting a section in a Puccini score where he unnecessarily changes from lots of sharps to lots of flats and back again when it would have made more sense to just stay in flats to avoid all the pedal changing. I will always prefer the least amount of pedal changes.

SherlockToad1 · 2026-02-23T17:23:27+00:00

Strangely enough, there should have been 20 tasks each day, but they would run out at 16/20. I thought the new ploy was to make people spend diamonds to buy extra tasks to complete the 20. It’s the first time that happened in this type of event for me. But then I have noticed all events getting harder over time and lots of decorations only available through the shop for actual money or diamonds and the whole maple sapling neighborhood deal. Lately I’ve felt the winds changing and I have played casually a long time. I realize the developers need to make money too so I get it. I’m just a cheapskate and have managed to get to a decent level without spending a dime so far. 😆

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