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Harps
A harp is a multi-stringed musical instrument. The harp is believed to date back to 3500 BC. It was originally from the Mesopotamia area.
265 Questions
Why do harps strings run perpendicular?
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By design primarily. String must run along the length of the neck to allow a player access to a multitude of notes and chords. I am wondering what type of arrangement you had in mind?
A harp is a stringed instrument which has its strings anchored in the soundboard. Each string is tuned to a different note of the scale, somewhat like a piano. The strings are plucked, using the thumb and fingers of both hands.
Unlike the piano, however, most harps have only seven strings in each octave. That would limit the harp to only one key (without retuning), if it did not have a mechanism to independently change the length of the strings.
Pedal harps have metal pins mounted on rotating disks, which grab the string at the right points to shorten the vibrating length of each string, raising the pitch by one or two semitones. The disks are rotated by a system of rods connected to pedals in the base of the harp, so that the player can change key or play accidentals on the fly.
Lever harps have a cam, operated by a lever, on each string. The cam presses the string against a metal pin at the right point to shorten the vibrating length and raise the pitch by one semitone. The levers are operated by the player's left hand.
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What is a double base harp in an orchestra?
I think the Harp is bigger. I think it's more inconvenient to carry around anyway.
What do the colours on the strings of a harp mean?
Harp strings are color coded so that the player can identify what strings to pluck. The C strings are red and the F strings are black, arranged in octaves like a piano.
What genre of music is a harp used in?
Theoretically, it could be used in any genre. The harp most often appears in classical music, though.
How many notes can a harp play at once?
A concert pedal harp typically has six and a half octaves. This is a very large harp, and most other types of harps have a much smaller range. Typical folk, Celtic or medieval harps range from two to six octaves. There are smaller harps having one or less, and some of the ancient professional instruments, which we see in art of the time, had less than one.
What parts of the body do you play the harp with?
A classical lyre has a hollow body or sound-chest (also known as soundbox or resonator), which, in ancient Greek tradition, was made out of turtle shell. Extending from this sound-chest are two raised arms, which are sometimes hollow, and are curved both outward and forward. They are connected near the top by a crossbar or yoke. An additional crossbar, fixed to the sound-chest, makes the bridge which transmits the vibrations of the strings.
Which harp string produces the lowest pitch?
the octobass, not comenly used in modern orchastras, its lowest string is tuned to C1 (32.7 Hz), one octave below the lowest C of the cello (C2, 65.41 Hz). in modern orchastes the lowest piched instrument would be the double bass.
What family does the harp come from?
The Jew's harp, also known as a mouth harp, belongs to the family of musical instruments called the plucked idiophones. These are also known as lamellophones. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system for musical instruments, this mouth harp belongs to category 12.
How many strings and pedals on harp?
There are around forty-six (46) strings on the harp, depending on what type it is and seven (7) pedals.
What country is the harp found in?
Harps were most likely independently invented in many parts of the world in remote prehistory. It is often said that the harp's origins may lie in the sound of a plucked hunter's bow string; the converse is considered possible. A type of harp called a 'bow harp' is nothing more than a bow like a hunter's, with a resonating vessel such as a gourd fixed somewhere along its length. To allow a greater number of strings, harps were later made from two pieces of wood attached at the ends: this type is known as the 'angle harp'. The oldest depictions of harps without a forepillar are from 4000 BC in Egypt[citation needed](see Music of Egypt) and 3000 BCE in Persia (see Music of Iran)[citation needed]. While most English translations of the Bible feature the word 'harp', especially in connection with King David, the Hebrew word is nevel, a type of lyre with 10 strings and not a harp at all.
How many strings does a Irish harp have?
The Irish harp has 47 strings. Count them if you don't believe me!
Answer:I did and I don't.The most famous Irish harp, the medieval Trinity College Harp, which is the national symbol of Ireland, has 29 strings.
Celtic harps today typically have anywhere from 27 to 38 strings.
Concert pedal harps have 40 to 48 strings, with 47 being standard, but they're not Irish!
Is the harp treble clef or bass clef?
actually basses can play on three clefs bass clef, tenor clef, and treble clef, its rare for basses to use to treble but it is used when the notes get higher and higher. so they can play both but mostly bass clef
Why is the harp in the string family?
the different lenghts play different pitches or notes, the longer the string, the lower the note.
To which section of the orchestra does the harp belong?
The harp is a solo string instrument, BUT it belongs to the percussion family in the orchestra, as it is used mostly for special effects.
What kinds of harps are there?
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))
Why is the sound of a harp soft in comparison with the sound of a piano?
The piano is louder because it is much heavier, much larger, and in places built with much more tension. A harpsichord is lighter in construction and is built completely of wood. Some modern harpsichords may have some metal in their frames or in other parts of their construction. Harpsichord strings are 'plucked' by a 'plectrum' which originally consisted of quills. The plectrum is built in such a way that the quill will pluck the string on the way up, and slide over the string on the way down. You can't vary the volume of a given note by changing the attack on the key. Pianos must have metal frames because the wires are on average longer and require much more tension to be brought to pitch. For most of the range of a piano, which is considerably wider than that of standard harpsichords, there are 3 wires per note. As you go toward the lower registers there are 2 wires, and then 1 wound wire per note. Most importantly, piano wires are struck by a hammer. Varying the attack on a key will vary the initial volume of the note quite a bit. The action of the piano, called an 'escapement' action, is very special. You can imagine that if there were just a simple lever causing the hammer action, then the hammer would strike and then rest on the wires it just struck. The escapement action allows the hammer to move freely (independently of the motion of the rest of the action) right before striking the wires. Then the hammer recoils and is checked by another part of the action.
What instrument is known by many names including blues harp Mississippi saxophone and tin sandwich?
I think those terms refer to a harmonica.
What could you do to make a harp sound louder?
The easiest and most effective way is to use a contact pickup. There are several brands available: B-band (AST), Mcintyre, Barcus Berry, and L.R. Baggs (I-Beam). Some people use two pickups--one low and one high on the soundboard--to get the full range. You may need to use some EQ to avoid too much bass. Most pickups can be mounted inside the soundbox, on the back of the soundboard.
Alternatively, you can use two microphones; one set low and one high. This gives a more natural sound than a pickup, but is more susceptible to feedback. The primary problem is avoiding hitting the upper mic when the harp is returned to its resting position. This is mostly a matter of the harpist getting in the habit of swinging the boom away, first.
What is the name of the harp that sits in your lap?
There are at least three different instruments that are commonly called "lap harps".
- First, there are small lever harps, which are real harps, with vertical strings, that sit on your lap rather than standing on the floor.
- Second, there is the autoharp, which is a form of zither with dampers that mute different strings, allowing you to strum chords.
- Third, there is an instrument known as a plucked psaltery, which has a number of strings stretched across a trapezoidal soundboard. These are generally used for playing melodies.
Why are harps not in the orchestra?
The harp isn't used in every composition written for classical music ... a harp part has to exist for it to be used as part of the orchestral ensemble. Sometimes it is used as a solo instrument. Sometimes it is used to add color (ie. glissandi) to a composition. Some composers double the harp part in piano or other instruments.
The harp is a symbol of Ireland as their national emblem. For some people, the harp is a symbol of heaven because of references in the Bible o hearing the voice of many waters and the harp being the instrument that mimics water.
