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Harp
Facts and Fun
The harp is a member of the string family.
A harp is basically a large wooden triangle, usually made primarily of
maple. White maple is the best wood
for the three sides because it is strong enough to withstand the 2,000 pounds of
stress of the strings. The soundboard,
which amplifies the sound of the strings, is usually made of spruce. Spruce is used because it is so
tough that it will not break or splinter.
Spruce enables the harp sound board to respond uniformly to the
vibrations of the strings to produce a rich, clear sound. The middle of the soundboard, known
as the center strip, is attached to the base of the strings and is usually made
of beech. Beech is used because it
is tough enough to bear the tension of the strings. The curved plate on the neck of the
harp, to which the strings are attached, is made of brass. The disks which control the length
of the strings are also brass, as are the pedals which control the disks. These external metal parts are often
plated with gold for appearance and to resist tarnishing. The strings of the harp are made of
a variety of materials, including steel, gut (derived from sheep), and nylon. Each material has different
properties which make it suitable for particular length of string.
A pedal harp is the large harp you see in symphony orchestras. These harps have seven foot pedals
that are used to change the pitch of a whole set of strings. For instance all the “D” strings can
be changed to sound “D” sharp, natural or flat by moving a pedal.
A lap harp is a small lever harp; one that is very portable and you can hold it
on your lap for playing. They come
in a wide range of prices to fit any budget, and are a great way to get started
playing the harp.
Lever harps come in two styles – “Celtic” lever harps and “Classic” lever harps. A Celtic lever harp or simply
“Celtic Harp” is similar in style to the harps that originated in ancient
Ireland, hence the term Celtic.
Celtic harps have a lower string tension than other harps.
A “Classic” lever harp typically has the string tension like that of a small
pedal harp and is an ideal choice for a student who may go on to the larger
pedal harps some day.
A lever harp may have a lever for each string (“fully levered”) or levers for
only some of t he strings (“partially levered”).
Some lever harps have no levers at all.
Having more levers makes it easier to set up the harp to play in many
different keys.
Additional Facts:
---A person that plays an orchestral harp is called a harpist. A person that plays a Celtic harp is
called a harper.
---Only eight fingers are used to play the harp.
The “pinkie” is not used because it is too short to effectively pluck the
strings.
---Harps have three different colors of strings:
red, black and clear. The
red strings are C and the blue strings are F.
The color coding is used for locating strings at a glance. Concert pedal harps have 47 strings.
---The first harp is mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 3:21: “. . . Jubal: he was the father of all such as
handle the harp and organ.” Harps
can be seen in Middle Eastern paintings 2500 years before Christ. King David played the harp. Smaller harps have been played by
minstrels and troubadours. During
the Renaissance in Europe, large floor harps began to be seen. Then in 1782, in France, the
double-action harp was invented, allowing the player to raise and lower the
pitch of the strings with foot pedals.
This system allowed harpists to play without having to retune the harp
for each piece. By the middle of
the 18th century the harp had become so popular that composers began
to include parts for the harp in their compositions for the symphony orchestra.
---The harp was made the symbol of Ireland, place on its Great Seal, by Henry
VIII, who was delighted by the Irish harpers who were retained by his court.
---Benjamin Franklin and Marie Antoinette played the harp.
---Every harp is a unique work of art and every step in the harp making process
requires extreme attention to detail.
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