The harp is a plucked string instrument consisting of individual strings of different lengths attached to a frame. Harps are most commonly built in a triangular form. Multiple rows of strings and pedal attachments are added to some harps, with the pedals allowing each string to create different pitches.
History[]
Harps have been known since antiquity in Asia, Africa and Europe, dating back as early as 3000 BCE. The instrument had great popularity during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It soon evolved into a wide range of variants with brand new technologies, and was disseminated into Europe's colonies, finding particular popularity in Latin America.
Some ancient members of the harp family died out in South Asia and the Near East. Despite that, descendants of the harp family are still played in places like Myanmar and parts of Africa.
Construction[]
The construction of a harp is as follows:
- 1 — head
- 2 — neck
- 3 — tuning pegs
- 4 — discs
- 5 — shoulder
- 6 — harp's body
- 7 — soundboard
- 8 — suspension rod
- 9 — pedal box
- 10 — pedals
- 11 — pillars
- 12 — harp strings (40-47 strings on the average harp)
Trivia[]
- A person that plays the harp is called a harpist.
- The lever harp and the pedal harp and are the two types of harps.