Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio
F E A T U R E
Explore an Instrument: Harp
F E A T U R E
Explore an Instrument: Harp
HISTORY
The harp has a long history that spans thousands of years, though it has evolved quite a bit since its ancient origin. The earliest evidence of the harp comes from Egyptian paintings from around 3000 BC. Rather than depicting the harp’s familiar triangular body, this early artwork shows a stringed instrument that lacks a forepillar and resembles a hunter’s bow. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that harps with a central column began to appear. These frame-style instruments, first seen in Western Europe, allowed for higher tension strings and had a similar silhouette to our modern harps.
Around that time, harps in Ireland were associated with the aristocracy, with kings and chieftains employing resident harpers. The harp was so integral to Irish society that it played a major role in shaping traditional Irish music; the instrument’s importance has been memorialized through its inclusion on Irish passports and coins, as well as the country’s presidential seal and many other cultural icons.
In the 17th century, hooks were added to the harp to better accommodate key changes. Before that, a harpist would have had to retune individual strings to lower or raise any note, even if it were by just a half step. Found along the top of the harp, these hooks turned against a single string, pressing and shortening them, thereby changing the pitch. Eventually, the hooks were replaced by levers which are used on many of today’s harps.
However, because levers can only change one string at a time and require the use of hands, additional solutions were needed to facilitate easier key changes and accidentals. Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, harps were created with multiple sets of strings on one instrument. There were harps with two or three parallel rows of strings and even some with two sets of strings that crossed in the middle, resembling the letter X. The idea was that, with more strings, a harpist could reach over and pluck chromatically tuned notes while still having access to regularly tuned strings. These innovations ended up being quite cumbersome, and ultimately, it was the previous concept of hooks that inspired the best solution; by connecting pedals to a series of rods that ran through the harp’s column and attached to hooks at the top, a harpist could press down on the pedals and change the strings’ pitches with only the feet. This design, which gained popularity in the 18th century, was called the Single-Action pedal harp since the pedals could only be depressed by one notch. Then, in 1810, the Double-Action pedal harp was patented which allowed each pedal to be depressed by two notches. This revolutionary development became the basis for today’s concert harps.
HARP BASICS
Although the harp has strings like the violin or cello, it produces sound in a different way. Rather than using a bow to stroke the strings, we harpists must pluck the strings with our fingers. We only use 4 fingers when we play: our thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers. The pinky is left out because it is too short.
Before playing, we tilt the harp back so it’s near our right shoulder, but since we don’t want all of the weight of the harp to fall on one shoulder, the instrument rests just on the inside of each knee. Then, in order to find the correct notes, we have to rely on the color-coded strings. On all harps, Cs are red while Fs are black, and we use these colored strings as reference points to identify the other notes in between. Speaking of strings, you might also notice that the strings on a harp are all different lengths; the long ones seem to be on one side while the short ones seem to be on the other side. As we play higher on the instrument, the pitch also becomes higher. Similarly, the lower we go, the deeper the pitch of the note becomes.
LEVER HARPS
One way to tell the difference between lever and pedal hands is that one is smaller and the other is bigger. More importantly though, one has levers and the other has pedals. Most students, including myself, began their studies on a lever harp.
On lever harps, strings have levers attached to the top left side of the instrument. There are harps where all the strings have levers and harps where only some strings have levers. A lever can be pushed up so that it presses into a single string, which shortens its length and raises the pitch by a half-step. Likewise, you can push it back down to lower the pitch again (back to its original pitch). While it isn’t much of a problem to set any required levers before playing a piece, harpists sometimes need to adjust the levers while playing if they encounter accidentals in a song.
PEDAL HARPS
Another type of harp is the pedal harp. Pedal harps are larger than lever harps and are often found in orchestra and concert settings. On pedal harps, there are seven pedals that correspond to the seven notes in Western music: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. With four on the right side and three on the left, each pedal is connected to a metal rod. This metal rod extends through the harp’s hollow column and is attached to all the strings of a specific note via hooks and prongs. Each pedal has 3 positions, with each position raising the corresponding note by a half step at a time. For example, if the C pedal is in its neutral, top position, all C strings on the harp will be flat. When the C pedal is placed in the middle position, all Cs become natural, and when placed in the bottom position, all Cs will be sharp. This means that each string on the pedal harp can be three different notes, although not at the same time.
EXTENDED TECHNIQUES
When harpists slide their fingers over many different strings instead of just plucking single notes, this is called a glissando. Because the pedals can easily change the notes of a glissando compared to an instrument like the piano, it creates a sound that’s very unique to the harp.
Besides glissandos, there are many other “special effects” that harpists can use. Typically, only the pads of the fingers are used to pluck strings, but in very particular circumstances, a piece might specify that the harpist pluck with the fingernails. This makes the tone sound sharp and twangy. We can also make a brighter sound by playing lower on the strings and close to the soundboard. This technique, called pres de la table, or PDLT, makes the harp sound almost like a guitar. On the opposite end of the tone spectrum is the harmonic. By pressing exactly into the middle of a string with either the palm or knuckle and plucking it at the same time, harpists make a string sound one octave higher while also creating a bell-like resonance.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed having me “harp on” (pun intended) about one of my favorite instruments. If you find yourself wanting to know or hear more, check out the FAQ and clips from one of my recent solo performances down below, or feel free to get in touch!
Could you identify an extra special effect in Song of the Night? If you guessed that it was knocking on the soundboard, you are absolutely right. Another answer might be the whistling sound my left hand made swiping upward on the low strings or perhaps the nail glissandos I played at the end of the piece. There are a lot of correct answers!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed having me “harp on” (pun intended) about one of my favorite instruments. If you find yourself wanting to know or hear more, check out the FAQ and clips from one of my recent solo performances down below, or feel free to get in touch!
FAQ
How many strings are there on a harp?
There are 47 strings on a concert grand pedal harp. Smaller pedal harps have between 44-46 strings. Lever harps have 32-40 strings and there are even smaller lap harps (also considered lever harps) with as little as 22 strings.
How much does a harp weigh?
It very much depends on the model, but pedal harps are typically between 75-90 pounds while lever harps range from 20-45 pounds depending on the size.
How is a harp tuned?
Each string is attached to a peg. We use a tool called a tuning key that turns one peg at a time to tighten or loosen each string. Yes, we have to tune each string individually and yes, we have to tune the instrument ourselves!
How do you transport a harp?
Although they’re bulky, most lever harps are able to be carried by an adult. Pedal harps most often require a dolly to move. In terms of cars, you’ll find that most harpists drive SUVs or minivans. Personally, I have used my trusty RAV4 to drive my harp around for the last decade!
How expensive is a harp?
Harp prices have a wide range depending on the number of strings they have, their size, and how ornate their carvings are. For student models, a new, good quality lever harp is usually between $3,000-$5,500 while a new, good quality pedal harp is usually between $15,000-$25,000.
Can anyone learn to play the harp?
Definitely! One of the great things about the harp is that it never really sounds unpleasant, even in the hands of a beginner. Of course, you still have to practice to sound like an angel. Like pianists, we read the grand staff (treble and bass clefs), so a music reading background does help. However, with enough curiosity and dedication, it can be played well by anyone!
CLIP: TOCCATA, BALLADE (below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UNVhcKjz7A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWlVLDdjy2M
To learn more about harp instructors, visit our Harp Page.
The harp has a long history that spans thousands of years, though it has evolved quite a bit since its ancient origin. The earliest evidence of the harp comes from Egyptian paintings from around 3000 BC. Rather than depicting the harp’s familiar triangular body, this early artwork shows a stringed instrument that lacks a forepillar and resembles a hunter’s bow. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that harps with a central column began to appear. These frame-style instruments, first seen in Western Europe, allowed for higher tension strings and had a similar silhouette to our modern harps.
Around that time, harps in Ireland were associated with the aristocracy, with kings and chieftains employing resident harpers. The harp was so integral to Irish society that it played a major role in shaping traditional Irish music; the instrument’s importance has been memorialized through its inclusion on Irish passports and coins, as well as the country’s presidential seal and many other cultural icons.
In the 17th century, hooks were added to the harp to better accommodate key changes. Before that, a harpist would have had to retune individual strings to lower or raise any note, even if it were by just a half step. Found along the top of the harp, these hooks turned against a single string, pressing and shortening them, thereby changing the pitch. Eventually, the hooks were replaced by levers which are used on many of today’s harps.
However, because levers can only change one string at a time and require the use of hands, additional solutions were needed to facilitate easier key changes and accidentals. Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, harps were created with multiple sets of strings on one instrument. There were harps with two or three parallel rows of strings and even some with two sets of strings that crossed in the middle, resembling the letter X. The idea was that, with more strings, a harpist could reach over and pluck chromatically tuned notes while still having access to regularly tuned strings. These innovations ended up being quite cumbersome, and ultimately, it was the previous concept of hooks that inspired the best solution; by connecting pedals to a series of rods that ran through the harp’s column and attached to hooks at the top, a harpist could press down on the pedals and change the strings’ pitches with only the feet. This design, which gained popularity in the 18th century, was called the Single-Action pedal harp since the pedals could only be depressed by one notch. Then, in 1810, the Double-Action pedal harp was patented which allowed each pedal to be depressed by two notches. This revolutionary development became the basis for today’s concert harps.
HARP BASICS
Although the harp has strings like the violin or cello, it produces sound in a different way. Rather than using a bow to stroke the strings, we harpists must pluck the strings with our fingers. We only use 4 fingers when we play: our thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers. The pinky is left out because it is too short.
Before playing, we tilt the harp back so it’s near our right shoulder, but since we don’t want all of the weight of the harp to fall on one shoulder, the instrument rests just on the inside of each knee. Then, in order to find the correct notes, we have to rely on the color-coded strings. On all harps, Cs are red while Fs are black, and we use these colored strings as reference points to identify the other notes in between. Speaking of strings, you might also notice that the strings on a harp are all different lengths; the long ones seem to be on one side while the short ones seem to be on the other side. As we play higher on the instrument, the pitch also becomes higher. Similarly, the lower we go, the deeper the pitch of the note becomes.
LEVER HARPS
One way to tell the difference between lever and pedal hands is that one is smaller and the other is bigger. More importantly though, one has levers and the other has pedals. Most students, including myself, began their studies on a lever harp.
On lever harps, strings have levers attached to the top left side of the instrument. There are harps where all the strings have levers and harps where only some strings have levers. A lever can be pushed up so that it presses into a single string, which shortens its length and raises the pitch by a half-step. Likewise, you can push it back down to lower the pitch again (back to its original pitch). While it isn’t much of a problem to set any required levers before playing a piece, harpists sometimes need to adjust the levers while playing if they encounter accidentals in a song.
PEDAL HARPS
Another type of harp is the pedal harp. Pedal harps are larger than lever harps and are often found in orchestra and concert settings. On pedal harps, there are seven pedals that correspond to the seven notes in Western music: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. With four on the right side and three on the left, each pedal is connected to a metal rod. This metal rod extends through the harp’s hollow column and is attached to all the strings of a specific note via hooks and prongs. Each pedal has 3 positions, with each position raising the corresponding note by a half step at a time. For example, if the C pedal is in its neutral, top position, all C strings on the harp will be flat. When the C pedal is placed in the middle position, all Cs become natural, and when placed in the bottom position, all Cs will be sharp. This means that each string on the pedal harp can be three different notes, although not at the same time.
EXTENDED TECHNIQUES
When harpists slide their fingers over many different strings instead of just plucking single notes, this is called a glissando. Because the pedals can easily change the notes of a glissando compared to an instrument like the piano, it creates a sound that’s very unique to the harp.
Besides glissandos, there are many other “special effects” that harpists can use. Typically, only the pads of the fingers are used to pluck strings, but in very particular circumstances, a piece might specify that the harpist pluck with the fingernails. This makes the tone sound sharp and twangy. We can also make a brighter sound by playing lower on the strings and close to the soundboard. This technique, called pres de la table, or PDLT, makes the harp sound almost like a guitar. On the opposite end of the tone spectrum is the harmonic. By pressing exactly into the middle of a string with either the palm or knuckle and plucking it at the same time, harpists make a string sound one octave higher while also creating a bell-like resonance.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed having me “harp on” (pun intended) about one of my favorite instruments. If you find yourself wanting to know or hear more, check out the FAQ and clips from one of my recent solo performances down below, or feel free to get in touch!
Could you identify an extra special effect in Song of the Night? If you guessed that it was knocking on the soundboard, you are absolutely right. Another answer might be the whistling sound my left hand made swiping upward on the low strings or perhaps the nail glissandos I played at the end of the piece. There are a lot of correct answers!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed having me “harp on” (pun intended) about one of my favorite instruments. If you find yourself wanting to know or hear more, check out the FAQ and clips from one of my recent solo performances down below, or feel free to get in touch!
FAQ
How many strings are there on a harp?
There are 47 strings on a concert grand pedal harp. Smaller pedal harps have between 44-46 strings. Lever harps have 32-40 strings and there are even smaller lap harps (also considered lever harps) with as little as 22 strings.
How much does a harp weigh?
It very much depends on the model, but pedal harps are typically between 75-90 pounds while lever harps range from 20-45 pounds depending on the size.
How is a harp tuned?
Each string is attached to a peg. We use a tool called a tuning key that turns one peg at a time to tighten or loosen each string. Yes, we have to tune each string individually and yes, we have to tune the instrument ourselves!
How do you transport a harp?
Although they’re bulky, most lever harps are able to be carried by an adult. Pedal harps most often require a dolly to move. In terms of cars, you’ll find that most harpists drive SUVs or minivans. Personally, I have used my trusty RAV4 to drive my harp around for the last decade!
How expensive is a harp?
Harp prices have a wide range depending on the number of strings they have, their size, and how ornate their carvings are. For student models, a new, good quality lever harp is usually between $3,000-$5,500 while a new, good quality pedal harp is usually between $15,000-$25,000.
Can anyone learn to play the harp?
Definitely! One of the great things about the harp is that it never really sounds unpleasant, even in the hands of a beginner. Of course, you still have to practice to sound like an angel. Like pianists, we read the grand staff (treble and bass clefs), so a music reading background does help. However, with enough curiosity and dedication, it can be played well by anyone!
CLIP: TOCCATA, BALLADE (below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UNVhcKjz7A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWlVLDdjy2M
To learn more about harp instructors, visit our Harp Page.
