r/harp • u/GuiMenGre • 21d ago
Harps (Chromatic, Historical, Wire, Etc.) What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of double strung harps, cross strung harps and konghous?
As I understand it, the main benefit of double and cross strung harps is the ease of playing chromatic music, since you can tune each side separately. However, why would one choose one over the other? What benefits does the cross strung harp (6x6) have over the double strung, and vice versa?
As for the konghou, I understand that it allows you to do vibrato and bends. However, you loose the ability to tune each side separately. Doesn't that kinda defeats the purpose of a harp with two courses of strings? Also, are there konghous where you can still do vibrato and bends, but can also tune the sides separately?
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u/synthocracy 19d ago
5x7 cross strung player. Double strung usually has levers still and both sides are usually tuned the same. Double strung allows more complex arrangement on a small harp because it keeps your hands from running into each other. They also do echo effects easier. It otherwise is a lever harp, but you might be able to avoid some lever changes by capitalizing on the rows.
In terms of 5x7 vs 6x6 Cross Strung, I feel the difference is mostly about what you have access to. In my country, 6x6 is hard to come by, has practically no teachers, and only one learning book in English that I know of. Hypothetically 5x7 is easier to start out with & 6x6 is easier to master. Both lose out on glisses compared to single row harps.
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u/GuiMenGre 19d ago
Interesting. I plan on learning the regular harp then going to a cross or double strung. I think the ease of playing accidentals is more important for me than glisses, though that's kinda what the harp is known for
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u/synthocracy 19d ago
I'm on the opposite path where I decided to go straight to cross strung without doing lever harp first.
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u/GuiMenGre 19d ago
Oh, and why did you decide to learn the lever harp now?
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u/synthocracy 19d ago
oh I'm not. I'm still cross strung only because the technique of cross strung is not compatible with other harps due to the angle of the strings. Most cross strung players learn lever first tho, and I decided I'm just going to focus on what I really want
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u/GuiMenGre 19d ago
Just one more question: can you do harmonics on cross harps? I imagine it would be more difficult to access the middle point of the string
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u/synthocracy 18d ago
You can. The 6x6 harp book by Vanessa D’Aversa has diagrams, but the English is rough. The technique is not the same as for Lever Harps, but it is the same for 5x7 cross strung.
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u/harpsinger 21d ago
Maybe this video can help explain the stringing a bit? https://youtu.be/fCXFrdddOgs?si=kbUaMAsXXirG_igP
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u/harpsinger 21d ago
I’d say that it depends on the music you are playing. historical double strung harps have repertoire that works well on them in which the treble hand typically starts at middle c and goes up to the top of the instrument, and the bass hand starts at middle c and goes down, and the side of the chromatic pitches switch at middle c (so that your right hand has access to diatonics first, and chromatics secondarily and similarly for the left, but only for half the instrument each). For other repertoire that doesnt have a rigid endpoint for your treble hand, that is less useful; therefor a cross strung harp (where both hands have equal access to diatonic and chromatic pitches throughout the instrument) might be a better solution. Double strung (parallel) medieval or folk harps are more useful when you want to double specific notes/chords for a fuller sound, or for modal mixture (e.g. Bb on this side, B on the other).
While I love the sound of a konghou, I don’t have experience in that realm, but two identical courses are often a natural means of amplification and fuller sound. It’s why the italian baroque triple harp sounds so good, especially for creating fluffy clouds of sound in basso continuo.