The original poster, ossonflags, never said whether the damned harp was actually playable. If it has too much space between frame and tongue (the instrument's, not his), it won't be any good in any way. If he/she wants to try a better one, he/she should buy an inexpensive but playable one from a good music shop. The Austrian harps I see aren't bad at all, for instance, and eBay will give him/her a boat-load of other options.

If you want a really top-notch one for not much money (relatively speaking), look up "Dan Moi" on eBay or even the web. These are Vietnamese brass harps which are laser-cut and are played on the lips, not the teeth, and are louder than hell, sweet-toned, and just super.

But if the harp CAN be played, placing it on the teeth with the teeth open enough for the harp's tongue to vibrate, then closing the lips around the frame so air can pass ONLY through the middle of the harp, with the vibrating tongue, and the result will be the best possible for a given harp. Once a good twang is achieved, breath in and out in a rhythmic pattern (the sound gets louder) and move your tongue up and down (the pitch of the overtones changes). Use the vowel sounds (A, E, I, O, U) to try different pitches, and then search for tunes among the better overtones. Tunes with strong 1, 3, 5, 2, & 6 notes will be easier -- "Cripple Creek," "Skip to My Lou," etc. are good starter tunes.

And keep looking for the perfect harp. If you find it, send it to me.


Bob Clayton