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Harps are heavy and awkward to move around, but if they
were built into the frame of a bicycle in the open area
between the front and rear wheel, you could cycle around
and always bring your harp with you.
To play your Bicycle Harp, you simply flip off the front
wheel, remove the saddle that
becomes a stand alone
seat, then up-end the bike to enable the cyclist to convert
to playing musician mode.
As an added bonus feature, the wind travelling through the
strings as you cycle along emits a constant low volume
spooky sound.
Large heavy Harp
https://www.salviharps.com/harp/aurora/ [xenzag, Nov 04 2021]
Tricycle harp
http://dclxvi.org/c...ons/homage/babydee/ [pocmloc, Nov 04 2021]
[link]
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This has been done. I saw a YouTube decades ago. |
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I just had a look. I do see a flimsy attempt at this,
but not the fitting of wheels etc to a heavy
instrument like I have in mind. |
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No - the wheels themselves should be like harps, with
each spoke tensioned to give a different note when
plucked. As an additional benefit, having a small lever on
the handlebars which 'strums' the wheel would also
obviate the need for a bicycle bell |
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I had considered using wheels but that would be
more of a Bicycle Banjo. [which is still a useful
item] This idea was to solve the
problem of moving around one of these big harps
(see link) |
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Wheels has also been done, I saw a photo decades ago of a harpist who did a bicycle tour (I think in Orkney) with a tiny harp strapped to his backpack, one of the photos was him sitting and "pretending" to play a bicycle wheel as if it were a harp. |
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There is also a professional harpist playing one of the full size harps who used to have it mounted on a tricycle, and cycle round the streets performing. |
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I.e. my conclusion is that combination bicycles/harps have been done in many (if not every) conceivable way, though granted this is a pretty niche area so it's not widely know to exist. but neither is it an original idea. |
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Also [hippo] some bicycle wheel builders pluck the spokes and listen to the pitch to help them tension the spokes appropriately. And a frame mounted plucker that strikes the spokes as you cycle was well baked by me and my friends about 100 years ago. |
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Wellif it's known to exist already I'll delete it. I
never saw a large harp converted to become a
bicycle, but I'll take your word for it. |
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//the wind travelling through the strings as you cycle
along emits a constant low volume spooky sound// - This
would be good - an Aeolian harp bicycle |
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Aeolian harp version would be cool. (My old bike used to be an
Aeolian flute, if the speed & wind were just right.) |
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