Plucking Away on the Harp – Is it the Right Instrument for You?

Articles on Musical Instruments | Topics: instruments, instrument

by Geoffrey Evans

Plucking Away on the Harp – Is it the Right Instrument for You?

The harp is one of the oldest melodic instruments in the world. The earliest harps grew from the hunting bow. The wall paintings of earliest Egyptian tombs dating from as early as 3000 B.C. show an instrument that strongly resembles the hunter's bow, without the support that we find in modern harps. The angled harp came to Egypt from Asia in about 1500 B.C. The lyre was the preferred instrument of classical Greece and Rome. During the Middle Ages the column was added to sustain the tension of extra strings. Stiffer string materials like copper and brass were used and these alterations enabled the instrument to bring forth greater volume and a longer-sustaining tone.

As the early harps had no motorized devices for providing the player with diverse keys, harpists would be fast to retune those strings they needed for each piece. Modern non-pedal harps, on the other hand, are made with separate levers for each string. The earliest known portrayal of a frame harp in the British Isles is on an eighth century stone cross. Music was an essential part of life in ancient Ireland and the harp was a noble instrument, played in the courts of kings and before the chief of clans. Harpers were obligated to be able to induce three different feelings in their audience by their music: Laughter, tears, and sleep.

When selecting a harp, you want to look at two main standards. The harp should have a good tone, the harp ought to be reliably constructed. The tensions within a fully strung harp are substantial, and it is not unknown for an inadequately made instrument to pull itself apart. The following is a list of what you want to look for in purchasing a harp:

There should to be a full and even pitch from bass to treble strings. There should be no rattles or buzzes when you play each string.

The semi-tone levers or blades have to be checked independently to make sure they are accurate and firm. They should be precisely in tune, and should not slip out or buzz if the string is plucked firm.

The tuning pins should be firm but easy to turn a very small amount. Fine-tuning is all that is usually required.

If you have any option, it is not recommended to buy a harp with less than three octaves range (this is a knee harp), except if you want it for a specific purpose. Four or more octaves are essential if you are not to be restricted in the music you can undertake. However, being able to transport the harp is also important for some people. In this case, a knee harp may be appropriate. It is doable to play good music even on a harp of two to three octaves.

It is possibly imprudent buying a harp without semitone blades or levers – such a harp will need a lot more tuning from key to key, and is a drawback for a beginner.

Bit of History

Sometimes a musical phrase would perfectly sum up
The mood of a moment. One of those lovelorn sonatas
For wind instruments was riding past on a solemn white horse.
Everybody wondered who the new arrival was.

—John Ashbery (b. 1927)

Harps can have gut or nylon strings. Many players favor the sound of gut, but nylon has some rewards in excessive climates. Gut strings respond more to temperature and humidity and have a tendency to become sharp in the cold, and flatten when the environment is hot or humid since the gut absorbs moisture more than nylon does.

If you are considering a second-hand harps look at this list of considerations:

The major places of weakness on a harp are the prow, the neck, and the bottom of the harp where the fore pillar joins the soundbox. The stress on most harps is completely on one side and as a result, there is potential for the instrument frame to cave in unless it is properly constructed. Check that the harmonic curve and fore pillar are precisely in line.

Observe the soundboard carefully. Make sure that the board is not coming away from the sound box by examining directly where the soundboard joins the sound box. Inspect the strip in the center of the soundboard where the strings are connected.

Using a light to look inside the sound box and check that the load-bearing panels and strips have not split. Look beneath the soundboard for cracks.

Now that you have a bit of history and know what to look for in both a new harp and a second-hand harp, find the instrument that you will enjoy for many years and begin making beautiful music.

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