The harp is one of the most wonderful yet underrated instrument choices of many music players.
It is versatile as well as expressive, dating back to the old ages, after which it eventually got its unique modern design defined during the Renaissance era in Europe.
However, many people still don’t have enough knowledge about this instrument. That’s why we decided that in this article, we’ll tell you more about the harp, after which you can appreciate this wonderful instrument even more.
So without further ado, here are the things you might not know about harp instrument.
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Usage
Thanks to its appealing design and beautiful tone, the harp eventually became widespread, finding its way into classical music as well as some “unconventional” musical movements, such as the world music.
You can also find different versions of it in traditional folk music as well as in rock, heavy metal, and a couple of modern music genres.
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Definition
To define it simply, a harp is a stringed instrument and its every note has its individual string which stands at an angle. And these strings are then fingerpicked with both right and left hands.
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Different Types of Harps
Thanks to its evolution over the years, nowadays we have several different types of harps, but still, there exist many other types of harps, such as multi-chorus, chromatic harps and Celtic. And then there are beginner harp, intermediate harp, and advanced harp used by different levels of harp players.
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Commonly Used Harps
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Concert Harps or Pedal Harps
The concert harp is very famous, which is otherwise known as the pedal harp. Pedal harps are diatonic instruments, which means that strings are tuned to one specific scale.
However, by using pedals, you are able to alter a pitch of the strings, after which you can either add chromatic alterations or play in a different key.
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Multi-Chorus
Compared to other types of harps which come with only one row of strings, multi-chorus harps come with multiple rows of strings. They are also known as “double-harps” because they have two rows of strings.
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Celtic and Folk Harps
Celtic harps and folk harps typically have nylon strings as well as levers which help in altering a pitch of the strings. They are smaller and don’t have any pedals. Additionally, they are also diatonic, which means that they are in one key.
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Chromatic
Chromatic harps are interesting ones as they cover all 12 semitones in one octave. They are either cross-strung, or can have strings in one single line. They are also very practical because there are no levers or pedals involved.
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Electric harps
These ones are not as common as the others. There also exist some electric harps which can convert string vibration into the electrical signal. Also, they can often come across as solid-body or hollow-body instruments.
In order to pick up a string vibration, these harps typically use piezo pickups for every individual string.
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Final Thoughts
As can be seen, harp, this amazing and yet still less popular instrument, came a long way before it became widespread and favorite of many players. And we hope that this article gave you a better knowledge about it, helping you to appreciate it even more.
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