After months of waiting and saving, I finally ordered a lap harp. According to the Harpsicle website they are currently taking 5-6 weeks to build and I was hoping to receive the harp before the winter holiday, so I decided to take the financial plunge and order it now. I'm one payment away from finally owning my car outright so I should be able to recoup the funds faster than I would have previously. While comparing the availability of accessories, I noticed that the Harp Center stated that they actually had several models in stock, so I called them up and got to place my order with Sylvia Woods herself. If the shipping Gods are willing, it should arrive this coming Friday or Monday!
It's going to be a transition going from playing 34 to 26 strings* since everything I know how to play was arranged for a larger harp, but I need to get used to the more limited range for harp therapy. I did purchase a few books from the Harpsicle site to get myself started, and I was surprised by the selection they offered. I settled on the Easy Songs Vol. I, Turlough O'Carolan Tunes, and More Christmas Songs books (unfortunately they're really aren't any Yule songs out there, but it would be nice to be able to play something seasonally related).
While at the Harpers' Escape I was able to play another Harpsicle and had some of my previous concerned addressed. My roommate actually brought along her Sharpsicle. The levers were a little stiff, but she had never encountered string breakage issues due to the tuning pins. Another person I spoke with at the event said that she owned one in addition to her larger harp and loved it.
I cannot wait to get acquainted with my new little harp.
* One would think, as I once did, that a lap harp would be easier to play than a floor harp, but with having to worry about balancing the smaller harp and less room for the left hand to wander, it's not actually the case.
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