Jim Clark,

I disagree about keyboards too. Nothing can replace that sympathetic vibration in your heart and body which comes from holding and playing a harp. Putting your ear against the soundbox as you ripple your fingers along the strings and feeling the music is a unique feeling, unable to be duplicated by playing a keyboard. There is more to playing instruments than just the sound.

Lots of good advice here. Leeneia is right about having to feel comfortable looking at the strings from the side. The feel of the instrument in your hands, and resting against your shoulder has to be right for you, too. Try to find a harp that you can play with to see if it suits you. Also, you need to consider how many strings you are looking for. For melody and accompaniment 34-36 strings is a really good option, but if price, size or weight have to be kept down, and mobility is an issue then you may opt for less strings. I personally wouldn't consider less than 26 strings. My smaller harp has 28 which is good but still requires a bit of forethought in fitting chords and melodies together so that my two hands don't run into each other.

Sylvia woods Harp Center has lots of harps to try, or there are other harp or general music shops which would be worth visiting to sit down and try a few different harps.

Again, if price is an issue a good but cheaper option is to get a kit harp - you can get them in various stages of completion. My larger (34 string) was made from Cambria Harp plans from Markwood, now available through Mountain Glen Harps.



      Click here

http://members.aol.com/harpkits/cambria.htm

Helen