What kinds of harps are there?

Answer 1

folk harp(without petals*; pedal harp(around 5-7 ft high , with petals*); Concert grand( 7+ft with petals*; mainly used for concerts with Orchreastras) if you have any more harp questions you can e-mail me at xoxogirl29@gmail.com

*petals are used to change pitch of strings from natural to sharp, bacck to flat(in musical terms))

Answer 2

There is a wide variety of harps. Most of them fall into three classes:

• Pedal harps, the kind that are used in orchestras, typically have 47 strings and use pedals to change key and play accidentals (sharps and flats). They are usually about 2 meters (over six feet) tall and weigh up to 85 pounds (40 kg).
• Lever harps come in a range of sizes. The smallest have 22 strings (or less) and are only 24 inches (60 cm) tall. They can be played while sitting on your lap. Larger lever harps are up to five feet (1.5 m) tall and weigh up to 30 pounts (14 kg).
• Chromatic harps usually have two ranks of strings, one tuned to a diatonic scale and the other for all the other notes (like white keys and black keys on a piano). They eliminate most of the limitations of lever harps and pedal harps, but they are very tricky to play.

Since the market for harps is small, many are made by individual craftsmen, who create many distinctive designs. Some harps are designed to be authentic reproductions of historical instruments. Some of those have bray pins that can be engaged to make a buzzing sound (the Renaissance equivalent of a stomp box). There is a long tradition of South American harps, which are lightweight but have remarkable tone. Others are very high-tech and made from carbon composite materials. Yes, there are electric solid-body harps!