Should I tune my lever harp in F Major instead of E flat or C?

It's common practice to tune a lever harp into either C Major or E Flat Major. But there are other options and in this video I'll explain why F Major could be a good choice for you and your harp.
🔸 CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
0:43 Tuning a C Major
1:32 Tuning in E Flat Major
2:19 But I don't always tune into C or E flat Major
2:46 Using the app CLEARTUNE on my iPhone
2:58 The problem with tuning lever harps
4:50 Choosing to tune in F Major
5:30 Finding F Major repertoire at the Music Discoveries Shop
🔸 The background music is "Butterfly Dreams".
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Thanks for watching!
♫ Anne
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My name is Anne Crosby Gaudet, I'm a music educator, composer and independent publisher from Nova Scotia, Canada. I am passionate about creative teaching and lifelong learning at the piano and harp.
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#harptuning #tuneyourharp #leverharptuning
Copyright © Anne Crosby Gaudet
Composed, performed and recorded by Anne Crosby Gaudet
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[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

Have you considered tuning to F Major? I’m using this tuning on my Marini and my Dusty double. Let us know if you are going to try it!

[@joanelizabethhall9455]

My Dusty Strings Ravenna 34 is tuned in F Major because I have a quite a bit of music in F, D Minor or associated modes. But now I know that I'm not just a weirdo. Other people do it too!!

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

LOL F Major weirdos unite! I love it!

[@KathyLoweHarpist]

Right there with you! Another member of the F Major Weirdos Club! I love this!

[@SaltLakeCityKitty]

I just barely decided to go back to F major and stick with that.

[@davidholden4543]

I played around with C at first and then Eb but came back to F for all the reasons you mentioned. I play liturgical music with a choir in keys ranging from F, C, G, D, E. The day I need to play in Eb or Ab, I’ll rearrange my levers. In the meantime F is the perfect choice for me!

[@KathyLoweHarpist]

I'm so glad you made this video. For a long time, I had my harp tuned to F, but felt that I SHOULD be tuning it to E-flat. I tried that, but, predictably because my harp isn't perfectly regulated (I've tried with limited success), it just didn't work for me, so I went back to tuning to F, which meets all my needs at this point. Now I feel validated! Thanks so much!

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

I'm happy to validate your F Major tuning 🙂 I think it makes a lot of sense to use F Major, even on a fully levered harp. My Dusty FH36S is in Eb, but the other two are in F. I'm going to regulate the Marini this week, but I'll likely keep it in F anyway.

[@paullyle3461]

I've only and 19 string harp, that I working with now and I tune it to F and have added the Levers myself, I also converting it over to threaded pins rather then wedged pins and changing some strings sizes, thanks for all your great videos.🎵❣️🎶😎

[@cherylzents5980]

I like to tune to F Major also; E flat just has too many levers to flip all the time, and besides, I hardly ever play a piece that needs more than 1 flat. And I have heard that too many levers up degrades the sound, though I guess it’s a matter of personal preference. After I had played my big Dusty bubinga for 20 years, I took it into their shop in Seattle, and had it re-strung and regulated. 👍❤️

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

Nice, sounds like lots of people opt for F Major tuning! I definitely find that some harp have a less desirable tone when the lever is raised, but it depends on the harp.

[@CommunicationCoach]

Thanks for this. I was tuning in C Major, with levers on F and C. Life was good. but I had some music with B Flat. So, I installed to full levers and tuned in E flat. What a mess. So confusing to have to have so many levers up and flip them around to get in to my old familiar keys. Plus there is the regulation issue you mention in the video. I tuned back to C, feeling like a loser. Your suggestion to tune in F Major will allow me to play the folk music I love AND give me the key of F for those few pieces that need one sharp. What do I sacrifice? Flat keys I wasn't going to play in anyway. Hooray.

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

I think F Major is a great solution for many harps! Glad it worked and made sense to you!

[@bethhunter4448]

Anne, I happened upon this program and am SO GLAD to hear you talk about tuning to F major! I started doing this when I took some lessons from William Jackson, and absolutely am happiest with my harp tuned to F major & 432. Thanks for all your beautiful music!

[@GloriaGarcia-yv1tk]

Great instructional video Anne! All four of my lever harps are tuned in FMajor. I like that my strings are more “open” & you’re right that when levers are up (i.e. Eb major) they can be out of tune. And of course my favorite key to play in is FMajor. I hardly ever play tunes in Eb. Cheers!🍀🎶

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

Exactly, that open string sound is often much nicer! I love F Major too!

[@leannmarshall28]

Thanks for sharing this! My harp is tuned to E flat Major, and I do notice the difference when raising the levers for C. I am going to tune to F Major and see the difference!

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

Definitely worth considering! Maybe start by checking the two pitches of each string with your tuner, regulating the lever isn't too tricky.

[@jeanninewpayne8506]

Thank you for recommending the Clear Tune app. My Snark was not as accurate. I tuned my harp to F major. I had been tuning to C major .

[@elizabethdexter3779]

I may try that. Thanks for giving me the idea

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

Makes sense doesn't it?

[@lindawhitaker7373]

I tuned my new Marini Lap harp to Eflat, but I think you are right that F would be better.

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

It's worth a try and see if you like it!

[@connieLo87365]

Thank You Anne very helpful

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

You're welcome, Connie!

[@johnmarcgreen]

Brilliant suggestion! Thank you

[@clareroslington]

So helpful to know this, thank you Anne! Recently I have found myself improvising in F major, lovely arpeggios, so it makes sense to tune in this key. You always bring a new perspective, it is a wonderful way to grow in musical understanding ❤️✨

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

F Major is such a nice key! I still keep my Marini harp in F Major! Glad you like it too 🙂

[@carpenanne]

Oh this is excellent, 🙏🏻

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

Options are good!

[@carpenanne]

@@annecrosbygaudetmusic i think i need to learn how to regulate levers

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

@@carpenanne Dusty Strings has good information on their website: manufacturing.dustystrings.com/harps/maintenance-troubleshooting

[@nihaimamoniquestamper7670]

Thank you for this teaching greeting from Netherland.

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

Thanks for visiting my channel!

[@carinafarnschlader3798]

Hello Anne Thanks for your wonderful harp music 🙂 Greeting from Germany

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

You're welcome!

[@fouellet1701]

What would be useful to know is how F tuning could offer other keys the way Eb does!

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

Well, if your harp is fully levered, you could play in a key signature with one flat up to six sharps. The Eb tuning gives you access to more common key signatures.

[@christianarathmer7163]

Thank you, Anne! As always: a very well structered video, clearly explained, very useful for all of us. Funny: In the last days I thought about asking you how you regulate your levers. I know, you make this on your own, because I asked you about the purpose for your maintainance- kit. Please, excuse my German- English, I hope my writing is comprehensive… Wy funny? Today, you posted a video with a related subject. Thank you very much. Christiana

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

Just curious... does KZbin's English closed captioning on the videos translate to German? I'm looking forward to taking some time to regulate the Marini and the Dusty double at some point soon.

[@christianarathmer7163]

@@annecrosbygaudetmusic Hm, I'm not shure, that I can answer your question well: I didn't use any possibility for translation, because I want to improve my English. This ist what I found til yet: Yes, there is a possibility for subtitles and also one for having translated subtitles. I had to look an other video-tutorial to find it... The possibility for translation is a little bit hidden... I checked it out with your recent video, the translation works very well. Is that for what you asked? Sending you kindest regards, Christiana

[@christianarathmer7163]

I am able to regulate a lever-harp, also a single-action-harp. But I don't use this skill, because here, in Germany, the next harp-constructor, or harp-technician ist not so far away as in Kanada... Beyond Covid-times, harp-technicians offer a mobile-harp-service. So it is easy to have a harp in a good condition. I appreciate the possibility for learning from each other. So, I'm very interested, how you regulate your harps. In this summer-holidays I installed "For-score"... This holiday-task was inspired by your video. Thank you for many, fresh impulses to an old, german harp-teacher! ;-)

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

@@christianarathmer7163 Great to know, thanks!

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

@@christianarathmer7163 Maybe when I regulate my Marini I'll do a little video, though I sure like the idea of a harp technician doing it for me!

[@organist1982]

Hi, Anne! How often would you say Eb's and Ab's are called for in lever harp music? I've been tuning all my harps in 3 flats for awhile now, but I know of at least 3 very experienced lever harp players (including Sylvia Woods and Rhett Barnwell) who still prefer to tune their harps in C-major and who do call for A#'s and even E#'s as an enharmonic to F in their arrangements of more chromatic music. Obviously, Bb's are fairly common in lever harp music, so I can see the advantage of keeping my B strings tuned as Bb's, but I'm trying to get a sense of whether Eb's or Ab's are needed very much. If only some of the strings had double levers so that, for example, Ab and A# would be possible on one string without having to retune, in the manner of a pedal harp! :)

[@lyndavonkanel8603]

Wow! This makes sense! At the beginning of my harp journey I took lessons for a few months to learn the basics and was told to tune my harp to E flat. It's been tuned that way ever since. Every time I sit down to play It I flip the levers up to get the naturals. Why not tune the strings that way in the first place?! I'm on it! Thanks!

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

I know, it took me a bunch of years to figure that out! I really like using F Major for some of my harps, though I still use Eb major for my big Dusty. Enjoy!

[@lyndavonkanel8603]

I retuned my L&H Ogden today and to F. I like having fewer levers to change between songs, getting to the next song quicker and know it will help me make fewer mistakes, such as missing one and getting the wrong note in the middle of a song.

[@peaceweaver3]

I play a double strung without levers, so I tune in C major. Thanks for this video, Anne!

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

If your double strung has a G as the lowest string I'd even consider tuning to G Major. Of course it depends on your repertoire!

[@peaceweaver3]

@@annecrosbygaudetmusic Thanks Anne. C is my lowest note, and I play lots of improv and modal pieces. Though I find different harps might respond better to another tuning. How is your Christina tuned?

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

@@peaceweaver3 I tuned the Christina to C Major for many years, then more recently changed to F Major.

[@SharonCullenArt]

I tune in Eb major. But I know that my fullsicle needs regulated. It is awful! My new Jolie by Musicmakers I think is okay but to be honest I haven’t really checked every key yet. But this is an awful time because I need to constantly tune. I don’t run air conditioning through the summer here in Michigan, so with temperature and humidity fluctuations, as we are within 6 miles or less of a body of water no matter where you stand in Michigan the humidity tends to run high. Once everything settles in with my tuning then I will look into regulating. It intimidates me. Rees harps told me it is not difficult and sent me video and took on how to do it but I am nervous. And I am not anywhere near a harp store in my rural area.

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

Yes, the humidity is high in Nova Scotia right now too! Not the best time to regulate, maybe in a month or so.

[@janeandcharlie]

I tune with all the levers down because that’s what my teacher said was best for the harp. Then I raise the E ,the A, and the B levers in all octaves. What key is that tuning in? I’m confused!

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

Hi Jane, sounds like you’re tuning to E flat major, then when you raise the levers you’re able to play in C major.

[@yueneshure1418]

After watching the clip, i tuned my harp to FM, it was really a lot easier to not raise the lever for many pieces. However, i kind of getting stuck when i need to play in AbM, how do i tune the E to Eb, the E lever now is already down. Do i use the tool to tune it to just the E string to Eb? Thank you.

[@annecrosbygaudetmusic]

A fun little trick for keys with lots of flats is to do an easy transposition. If the music is in Ab Major (4 flats), you can play it in A Major (3 sharps). Same reading, same strings just sounding a half step higher.

[@yueneshure1418]

I made a mistake saying Ab M, it is BbM instead. What is the eqivalent key for this key? Thank you. Yuene

[@organist1982]

@@yueneshure1418 There's not an "equivalent" key to Bb-Major, but you could play in B-Major while reading music in Bb-Major.