<p>I have an audition for harp tomorrow, and it's for the Juilliard pre-college so it's a pretty big deal. For me, at least. The problem is, my B string broke for the second time and I don't have a spare! I've been practicing a lot, so I'm scared that my fingers will get used to not playing the B string, and I'll mess up tomorrow. Do you guys think I should just ignore the B string tomorrow altogether, or attempt to play it? Thanks!</p>
<p>How far away is your teacher? I would get a string from your teacher or another harpist and get it on tonight so it has a chance at staying in tune. I am also a harpist. Have you been in contact with your teacher about this issue? Do you know other harpists in your area you could try to get another string from? Is it a very high or very low b you will not use? Good luck. </p>
<p>@cellocompmom thanks for replying, i was really worried. I just ended up substituting one of my old violin strings. It was a 3b, lol. Thanks again!</p>
<p>angelacao, First of all best of luck in your audition. What kind of harp do you have? I assume you are a pedal harpist if you are auditioning at Juillard. I assume you know you need to put the right kind of string on your harp
for the brand and model of harp you have otherwise it can damage the soundboard. I have never heard of using a violin string and my son is a violinist. Are your other strings on the harp gut? A string with the wrong gauge can mess up the soundboard and I do not know what a violin string will do. Sorry to be negative. You could post on Harp Column and see what other harpists think. What did your teacher say to do? If you still want to put a harp string on do you have a list of harpists in area who could lend you one? Best wishes. </p>
<p>Any possibility that we’re feeding a ■■■■■?</p>
<p>That was what I was starting to think after the 2nd post but having had a young student break a string at a school competition last week when I was out of town I wanted to try to help just in case. Most harp strings except for the lowest bass wires have several strings you can get out of each string to that made me wonder as well. Moral of the story for any string player is always carry a full set of extra strings with you at all times. But that did not help my violin playing son when his shoulder rest fell off his violin on way into a competition and person escorting him in proceeded to step on it and break it into many pieces or when the same kid had his chin rest crack in the hallway minutes before a big competition. Oh well, you learn to rise to the event and make due. First event he got into the orchestra. Second event he did not win but played without chin rest and judges all commented on how well he adapted to the situation. </p>
<p>Can one really substitute a violin string on a harp? The only place one might fit- size wise- would be in the very upper register and those strings are made out of gut, nylon or fluorocarbon. Violin strings are metal and thinner than those used on a pedal harp- and let’s mention the risk of damaging the soundboard on a very valuable instrument. Juilliard is in NYC and there are quite a number of places there where one could purchase a replacement string. Too many things here still point to a ■■■■■!</p>
<p>If you follow the OP’s posts they seem legit, but I agree her remark about the violin string seems a little bizarre. </p>
<p>Yeah, i doubt very much she used a violin string, would simply not work from what I have seen of harps…and yes, there are several places close to juilliard where they could get a harp string. Not to mention I wonder about a string player of any kind not having spare strings, there is no reason not to (I realize Harps have a lot of strings, but still, at least with the thinner, more likely to break ones, sounds stupid not to)…</p>
<p>One time my son was performing, his e-string broke, then the replacement one broke trying to put it on the instrument (not surprising, it was an Evah Pirazzi, which have great sound, but are temperamental), so he had to play working around the e-string being missing…</p>
<p>Yikes! What a story. Yes, I think the OP was being sarcastic. </p>
<p>@glassharmonica @musicprnt @mezzo’smama Sorry for replying so late, but not to worry. I’ve been accepted into the precollege for harp, organ and percussion at msm, but I haven’t heard from Juilliard. No, I wasn’t being sarcastic, and I actually am still using a violin string. The tone is a little more harsh than a real harp string, but I just haven’t gotten around to purchasing a full set of strings. I don’t have a spare set, because, as I mentioned, I play a variety of instruments and since I come from a middle-class family, it is already very expensive to maintain the current standings.</p>
<p>That’s quite impressive-congrats! But how can you play those three instruments simultaneously in the precollege setting? </p>
<p>angelacao, You can buy individual harp strings. Even with shipping and even gut -not that much money. If you really do have the vioin string on your harp I would get it off NOW as the damage to soundboard might be permanent. Didn’t they question you about it at audition? As a harpist I cannot imagine how this could even come close to working. If this is a rental harp they would have a fit. </p>
<p>@glassharmonica I really don’t know; they are going to be giving out schedules and classes soon, and I guess Ill have to see how it turns out.
@cellocompmom not to worry, my individual string came last night. I was actually using one of the school’s harps during the audition.</p>
<p>OK, this still all seems pretty strange to me–a violin string on a Juilliard school harp?? I’m confused by your posts because in one place you say you used a violin string for the audition because couldn’t afford a set of strings, but now you have an individual string, but yet are saying you used a school harp for the audition. But, you say you still used a violin string from May 19 until today. You lost me somewhere there in translation. Plus, harp, organ, and percussion?? I’m still sort of doubting the validity of this post…Sorry.</p>
<p>@Clarimom sorry if I seem fake, but I really can’t prove anything to you. I’m sorry if my post was confusing. I did not audition with my personal harp. I was worried about the broken string because it was the day before the auditions, and I really needed to practice. During the actual auditions, I used a harp provided by the school. I was accepted into those three instruments for MSM, not Juilliard, if that helps. But thank you for your concern :)</p>
<p>I’m with you on this one Clarimom. That would be 3 hours of lessons on Saturdays plus theory, ear training, orchestra and various other requirements. Some students are given permission to take a secondary instrument- or even a double primary instrument- but I’ve never heard of anyone having time to have a third. Of course the additional instruments add significantly to the cost too. The conservatory students I’ve known who play the organ have had multi-bank instruments at home, for which their middle class parents paid dearly. Ditto with harps- they aren’t cheap. Depending upon the octave, harp strings must be replaced either every year or every other year (the same for the Bass Wires). Mixing strings between nylon and gut on a harp is done in an emergency but using a violin string would void warranties from Lyon and Healy and Venus for sure.
This whole thing just has too many holes in it.</p>
<p>@mezzo’smama Sorry for being in a situation that you don’t believe?</p>
<p>FWIW, I don’t think your story holds much water, either. Callback auditions for MSM precollege are this coming weekend, so how could you have been accepted on three instruments?</p>
<p>Yeah, I think it is bs as well, I am almost certain that MSM would not have a student on three instruments. There have been kids at Juilliard who in effect dual major in the pre college (cello and piano, for example), and they do allow instruction on a secondary instrument as a kind of minor, but I doubt very much that MSM would allow a student to do that, just too much work to do three lessons and the prep for them (lessons can happen during the week with these kinds of programs, but even so). </p>