Harp for Beginners: 3 Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Harp in Perfect Condition
When it comes to harps, it's all about maintaining their delicate beauty and ensuring that they keep playing well for years to come.
Think of a harp as a rare and precious flower - just as you need to care for a flower to keep it blooming, you need to take care of your harp to keep it producing beautiful music.
So, we'll go over some tips to keep your harp in top condition, just like a well-cared-for flower. Here's what we'll cover:
How to store your harp properly
How to clean your harp, step by step
How to tune your harp with care
1 - Store Your Harp Properly
A key element of harp maintenance is ensuring that it is stored under the right temperature and moisture conditions.
Storing your harp properly is critical to ensuring its longevity and musical performance. It’s a delicate instrument, and exposure to extreme temperatures and moisture can cause damage to its various parts.
Your harp is best stored at a room temperature of about 68–72°F (20–22°C). Normal room temperature is ideal because it helps maintain the stability of the harp’s soundboard, strings, and tuning pins. As with most things, increases in temperature and humidity can cause things to expand, while decreases in temperature and humidity can cause things to contract.
Wood is particularly susceptible to moisture and dryness. In fact, a relative humidity change of just two percent can cause a harp to go out of tune.
Excess heat and moisture can cause the harp’s soundboard and strings to swell, leading to detuning and in extreme circumstances, warping. On the other hand, dryness can cause the soundboard to shrink and in rare cases, crack.
To protect your harp from such damage, we recommend:
Keep it away from windows, where it will be exposed to direct sunlight, temperature changes, and fluctuations in relative humidity
Stay clear of fireplaces or heaters that can cause damage to the timbre finish and structural integrity of the harp
Avoid air conditioning, which can cause the temperature and humidity levels in a room to drop dramatically
In very dry areas, use a humidifier to keep the room within the ideal humidity range for a harp (which is between 40–50 percent)
Store it in its carry case to protect it from physical damage, dust and debris, moisture, and environmental changes
The table below outlines the benefits and drawbacks of some storage options for harps:
| Storage Option | Benefits | Drawbacks |
| Hard case |
|
|
| Padded carry bag |
|
|
| Cloth cover |
|
|
In conclusion, by storing your harp properly at a normal room temperature, away from sources of moisture and dryness, and in its carry case when not in use, you can ensure its longevity and musical performance for many years to come.
2 - Clean Your Harp Periodically
Cleaning a harp is an important aspect of ensuring its longevity and optimal performance. Harps come in different finishes and each finish requires a different cleaning method to preserve its appearance and functionality.
The two main finishes on our harps are gloss and matte. Gloss finishes are highly reflective and are typically found on our honey and cherry harps.
The most appropriate method for cleaning the Veeh Harp is to use a slightly damp microfibre cloth. This helps clean grime and dust, without damaging the delicate timbre or finish. Be sure to avoid any moisture contact with the pin block as it is a crucial component of the harp that must remain dry. The pin block is responsible for holding the string tension and if it gets wet, it can cause the harp to lose its tuning and even lead to permanent damage.
Pay extra attention to areas that may have accumulated dirt or grime. Use a light touch and be gentle, as the gloss finish is delicate and may scratch easily. For stubborn areas of dirt or grime, you can use a small amount of methylated spirits or dishwasher detergent diluted in warm water. For gloss finishes that are mildly scratched, you may find it helpful to use a small amount of car polish and buff out the scratches with a microfibre cloth.
String cleaner can be obtained to refresh the strings and clean the natural oils that come from our body and hands. Use a dry cloth to wipe down the harp and remove any moisture or residue. This step is important because it will prevent water spots or other residues from forming on the harp's finish.
The harp is a delicate instrument and cleaning it correctly will extend its life and beauty. Cleaning your harp periodically, whether it's a gloss or matte finish, will keep it looking and sounding great for years to come.
3 - Tune Your Harp With Care
Tuning a harp is not just about making it sound beautiful, but it is also about ensuring its longevity. Just like giving your car a tune-up or your body a check-up, a harp needs proper care and maintenance to function and sound its best.
First and foremost, for younger players, it's important to have adult supervision when tuning a harp.
Harps can be fragile instruments and improper tuning can cause damage to the strings (or even string breakage), soundboard, and other parts of the harp. So, if you're not confident in your tuning skills, it's best to have a professional do it for you.
If you're ready to tackle tuning on your own, it’s best to use a tuning device such as an electronic tuner.
While tuning by ear can be a valuable skill, it's not always accurate and can lead to improper tuning. With a tuning device, you can be sure that your harp is in tune and avoid any potential damage.
It’s also important to understand the difference between strings that are too tight and too loose.
Think of a harp string as a rubber band. If the string is too tight, it's like stretching the rubber band too far; eventually, it's going to snap. On the other hand, if the string is too loose, it's like not stretching the rubber band enough - the sound will be weak, dull, and not at the correct pitch.
To adjust the strings, you'll need to use a tuning hammer (provided) to turn the tuning pins, which tightens or loosens the string. (Do not attempt to tune using another tool). If the string is too tight (ie. the pitch is too high), gently turn the tuning key clockwise to loosen the string and lower the pitch. If the string is too loose (ie. the pitch is too low), turn the tuning key counterwise to tighten it and raise the pitch.
It's important to make very small adjustments and let the string settle for a few moments before making additional adjustments. Continue to pluck the string being tuned to keep track of the pitch. With tuning, a little bit goes a long way!
In conclusion, proper and regular tuning is crucial for the longevity of your harp and health of your strings. Always have an adult or be under adult supervision when tuning, use a tuning device, and understand the difference between strings that are too tight and too loose.
With a little care and attention, your harp will play beautifully for years to come!
Conclusion
Caring for your harp comes down to:
Storing it properly, away from dust, extreme temperatures, and excessive humidity or dryness
Cleaning it periodically with the proper techniques
Tuning it with care
If you want your harp to last a lifetime, take proper care of it and it will continue to serve you for as long as you have it.
But if you haven’t bought one yet and are wondering what your options are and where to get one, check out Harmony Harp.
We are an Australian-owned and operated company and the official and exclusive distributor of the Veeh Harp in Australia. The Veeh Harp is portable and ideal for anyone who loves music. It’s the perfect harp for beginners and people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. With the Veeh Harp, it’s never “too late” to learn an instrument or “too hard” to make music on your own or in a groupd!
To learn more, contact us today.
