Harp

The harp is a plucked instrument and belongs to the stringed instruments. It is classified in the Hornbostel-Sachs system it is classified as a composite stringed instrument in which the strings run perpendicular to the soundboard. There are three basic types of stringed instruments: Harps, zithers and lutes. The concert harp is the largest orchestral instrument and usually weighs between 34 and 42 kg with a height of 175-190 cm. The harp has been known since around 3000 BC and was depicted in images from Mesopotamia and Egypt. The player of a harp is called a harpist or harpist. The harp is the instrument of the year 2016.

History of the harp

Our modern harp originated from the trigonon of the Greeks. Around 4700 years ago, the ancient Egyptians were already using a type of harp that was called a bow harp because it looked like a wooden bow. Four to seven strings of different lengths were attached to it. Harps were later built in Africa, Asia and Europe, some of them with more strings. In past centuries, harps often accompanied singers.

In the Middle Ages there were already instruments that looked almost like today’s harps. Pedals were added around 280 years ago. When the harpist steps on a pedal, the strings sound half a tone higher. This meant that many more notes could be played than before. The last development stage of the harp has 47 strings and seven pedals. The pedals can be operated in two stages. With the first step the harp sounds half a tone higher and with the second step a whole tone higher.

What types of harp are there?

The harp exists in numerous variants that differ in terms of construction, mechanics and intended use. Basically, the harp types can be divided into diatonic and chromatic instruments. Diatonic harps include the single pedal harp, the hook harp and the Tyrolean folk harp. These harps are usually tuned to a specific key and offer the possibility of raising individual notes by semitones using mechanisms such as pedals or hooks. The single pedal harp developed in the 18th century and the Tyrolean folk harp are well-known representatives that are used in both folk music and classical music.

Another important instrument is the double pedal harp, also known as the concert harp. It was standardized in the 19th century and has a complicated mechanism with which the tuning of each string can be changed by up to two semitones, allowing for a wide range of keys.

Chromatic harps such as the Arpa Dos Ordenes or the Pleyel harp offer the possibility of covering every tonal range and were already used in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. In the 20th century, they underwent a new development, mainly through models designed by modern harpists such as Christoph Pampuch. These instruments often have crossed or double rows of strings in order to make the full chromatic spectrum playable without additional mechanics.

Other variants include Latin American harps such as the Paraguayan harp and the Andean harp, which are characterized by regional construction methods and playing techniques and are an integral part of local folklore. Overall, the variety of harp types reflects a rich musical tradition and adaptability to different cultural and musical needs.

Diatonically tuned harps

Diatonic harps are instruments that are tuned to a fixed key and are traditionally characterized by their simple construction. They are designed to play a specific scale and usually offer only limited possibilities to change the pitch of individual strings while playing. These types of harp are particularly popular in folk music as they are characterized by their simple construction and handling. The most important diatonic harps are the single pedal harp, the Tyrolean folk harp, the hook harp, the double pedal harp and the Latin American harp.

Single pedal harp

Pedal harps were developed in the 18th century in order to be able to play different keys – a technique that is still used today. On these harps, the pitch of the strings is changed by a complex mechanism with up to 2,500 components, which is controlled by pedals so that the musician can make adjustments while playing.

Originally, the pedal system was designed so that the tuning of a string could be raised by a semitone. The harps usually had five pedals at first, later seven. Initially, the hooks were turned by hand, later cable pulls were used which were connected to a pedal. By pressing this pedal, the semitone could be produced directly.

In the middle of the 18th century, so-called “drawbridge mechanisms” were widespread. This mechanism used hooks to press the strings onto a bridge on the harp neck in order to change the pitch (developed by the Naderman company in Paris). Less common was a mechanism with several rotating hooks (Cosineau company, Paris).

Towards the end of the 18th century, the forked disk mechanism was developed, which is still used in concert harps today (by Naderman Paris and Erard London). A disk with two small pins rotates, holding and pressing the string so that it sounds a semitone higher when the pedal is pressed.

The mechanism guided the drawbars through the harp column with a deflection at the head between the neck and column. Alternative designs such as Cosineau’s, which tuned the strings by stretching them with rotating pegs, did not catch on. Compared to the hook harp, the single pedal harp considerably extended the number of possible keys during a piece of music.

Tyrolean folk harps

A special form of the simple pedal harp is the Tyrolean folk harp, also known as the Tyrolean song harp, which developed in the late 19th century. It enables the necessary retuning, which is typical of the frequent key changes in Alpine folk music, by simply pressing the pedals. The basic tuning of the harp is E flat major, so that it covers keys from E flat major to E major.

It is assumed that this harp is a further development of the Bohemian harp with a domed top. The name is derived from its distribution in today’s Tyrol and South Tyrol. These harps are relatively simple in construction. The static parts of the neck and the bearings of the mechanism are made of wood, the arrangement of the pedals varies depending on the manufacturer.

The harp maker Franz Bradl (1882-1963) from Brixlegg developed the construction method used today, which was significantly influenced by the harpist Berta Höller (1923-2014) from Vöcklabruck in Upper Austria. She advocated for the pedals to be arranged in the same way as the concert harp to make it easier to play.

Bradl dispensed with the wire hooks that used to be common, which harp maker Kammel from Schneizlreuth in Upper Bavaria still used for a long time. Many well-known harp makers such as Mürnseer (Kitzbühel), Petutschnigg (Lienz), Kröll and Zangerle (both Tyrol) and Fischer (Traunstein, Upper Bavaria) used the forked disk mechanism for their instruments. A typical feature of folk harps remained the design feature of the drawbars passing through the soundboard and deflected at the knee, giving the instruments a clear and powerful sound.

Double pedal harp

On May 2, 1810, Sébastien Érard applied for a patent for a new type of harp with a turntable mechanism and double resolution. This construction made it possible to operate each pedal in two stages and thus raise the pitch by two semitones or a whole tone. Thanks to this innovation and the production of 3500 instruments, the double pedal harp became the standard for concert harps, which are still strung with 45, 46 or 47 strings today and have hardly changed in their basic form.

The double pedal harp is therefore the typical concert harp of our time. It has 45 to 47 strings of different lengths (between 7 and 150 cm), which are tuned diatonically and cover a range of six and a half octaves. The harp is equipped with seven pedals, each of which is assigned to a keynote. These pedals are connected by metal rods or cables in the harp column to a mechanism that makes it possible to shorten the vibrating length of the strings and raise their tuning by a half or whole tone while playing. In the home position (top position), each note is automatically tuned to ♭.

In the 1970s, models with wider soundboards in the bass range were introduced, giving the front of the harp a pear-shaped form. This adaptation considerably expanded the sound possibilities of the harp, e.g. when playing glissandi over diminished seventh chords. In the 19th century, inspired by the 17th century arpa tripla, the double pedal harp re-established itself as an integral part of the classical orchestra and has remained so to this day.

Due to standardization, double pedal harps usually have a height of up to 1.80 metres and a weight of around 50 kilograms, although this can vary depending on the material and type of construction. With the development of the concert harp, string tension has also increased significantly, which requires harpists to undergo intensive training. This training is necessary to build up the necessary finger strength, to promote the formation of the cornea and to learn special relaxation techniques. The strings are plucked with the fingers pointing downwards and returned to the palm of the hand to relax them.

Hook harp

The hook harp, named after its retuning mechanism, is a diatonic instrument that is normally tuned in a fixed key, usually E flat major. To make retuning easier and to adapt to the tempered tuning, hooks began to be attached to the upper end of the strings below the tuning pegs in the 18th century. These hooks made it possible to shorten the strings and raise the pitch by a semitone. It is not absolutely necessary to attach a hook to each string; as a rule, the tuning is set before a piece begins. However, it is also possible to operate the hooks while playing, usually with the left hand.

Hook harps have been around since the 17th century, and the first pedal mechanisms for controlling the hooks were developed at the beginning of the 18th century. In art music, hook harps retained their importance alongside pedal harps until the 19th century. The so-called Bohemian hook harps, which were often played by itinerant musicians from Bohemia and Thuringia until the 1950s, are particularly well-known. Today, these instruments are once again very popular, especially in Franconia and southern Germany. Many of the so-called Irish or Celtic harps are also hook harps.

Modern hook harps often replace the original hooks with semitone keys, also known as “levers”, which allow for more precise and easier handling. However, the term “hook harp” has remained. The most common variants today are the Celtic and the Bohemian harp, both of which are based on this traditional design and are widely used in folk music and modern harp music.

Latin American harps

The Arpa Dos Ordenes was brought from Spain to Latin America in the 16th century and spread throughout the New World as a fashionable instrument. Over time, the harp lost its original pentatonic string sequence and developed into a diatonic instrument, which today is equipped with nylon strings and no retuning mechanism. In South America, the harp is firmly anchored in the folklore of various countries.

It is particularly popular in Paraguay and Venezuela. The Paraguayan harp is about 150 cm long and has 36 strings, which are spaced about one centimeter apart. The sound holes of this harp are on the back. The Venezuelan “arpa llanera”, which is also common in Colombia, is larger and measures 160 cm on average. It has 32 strings with a spacing of 1.4 cm and the sound holes are on the front of the soundboard.

In the Andean regions of South America, particularly among the Quechua-speaking people, a special harp with a wide resonating body and 34 strings has been an integral part of the local musical culture for over 150 years. This Andean harp is particularly widespread in the Peruvian region of Ayacucho. The harp is also known in Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia, but is losing popularity. In Mexico, it is particularly popular in the state of Veracruz, where it is mostly used as an accompanying instrument. The well-known song “La Bamba” comes from the harp repertoire of this region.

The widespread use of the harp in South America has led to the emergence of various musical styles that are influenced by it. Joropo, for example, is a well-known genre that is played in Venezuela and Colombia. This music is very rhythmic and influenced by the tropical climate of the region. In this tradition, the harp often accompanies the singing, which is sometimes performed as a chant and is also supported by cuatro, maracas and bass.

Paraguayan harp music is characterized by a melodic and melancholic sound and is often accompanied by guitar, requinto and sometimes accordion. The music of the Andes, on the other hand, is based on the pentatonic scale of the Incas and has a melancholic character, characterized by the alternation of minor and major tones and is perceived by Europeans as slightly sad. South American harps are typically played with the fingernails, which gives them a characteristic sound.

Chromatically tuned harps

In the The 15th or 16th century saw the emergence of chromatic harps in Spain and Italy, among which the double harp is particularly noteworthy. Several types of these chromatic harps are known today, including the Arpa Dos Ordenes, a Spanish harp with crossed strings, and the Arpa doppia, known as the Italian double or triple harp. Other variants are the Pleyel harp, the Weigel harp and the Welsh triple harp. Modern special forms are also represented. The joy of experimentation in harp making is still alive and well, as the 1999 harp congress in Prague showed. There, modern variations of the Pleyel harp and smaller chromatic models with twelve strings were presented in a series. These forms already existed in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, but were only in limited use at the time.

Around 1900, the chromatic harp experienced a brief renaissance as music became increasingly chromatic and the diatonic pedal harp was considered inadequate for these modern compositions. Claude Debussy was one of the best-known composers to write works for this instrument. At the beginning of the 20th century, the harpist Christoph Pampuch made another attempt to develop the chromatic harp further. He built a two-row, crossed model based on the construction of the Bohemian harp, which used a special playing technique to cover the entire chromatic spectrum without complicated mechanics.

The special feature of this harp is its tuning: the strings of each row are tuned in major seconds, similar to the Salzburg dulcimer, so that two parallel whole-tone scales are created. This construction makes the harp a 6-plus-6 instrument. To play a triad, two strings of one scale and one string of the other scale are played. Players of the chromatic harp have been meeting annually since 2005 to exchange experiences and further develop their playing.

Structure of the harp

The harp column forms the basic structure of the harp and is, in a sense, the backbone of the instrument. The head is located at the top of the column and is often ornately decorated. The foot is attached to the lower end. The neck leads from the head to the knee, which connects the body, which runs diagonally downwards, with the resonating body. Finally, the harp ends in the foot.

The soundboard consists of the soundboard and the holes for the strings. To reinforce the soundboard where the strings pass through, a strip is often attached to the inside or outside. The tuning pegs of the harp are located in the neck and, depending on the type of harp, a mechanism is also integrated. Pedal harps have pedal rods that run either in the pillar or in the body and are connected to the pedals in the foot.

In simple harps, each string is assigned a single tone. On hook harps, a hook, also known as a semitone key, can be used to raise each string by a semitone as required. Pedal harps allow each pedal to raise all notes of the same name on the instrument by a semitone. Double pedal harps even allow the pitch to be raised by a further semitone.

Nowadays, the term “concert harp” always refers to a double-pedal harp with the basic tuning of C flat major, which allows it to be played in all keys. In the Alpine region, the single-pedal harp is known as the “folk harp” or “Tyrolean folk harp”. It has a basic tuning of E flat major and is suitable for keys up to three B flat and four sharps, including C major.

Sound or sound generation

Sound is produced in a harp by striking or plucking the strings. Harps have an arrangement of strings of different lengths and thicknesses, which are stretched across the resonating body of the harp. The sound is produced by the vibration of these strings. Each string is tuned to a specific pitch and the total of all strings forms the range of the harp.

The harp can be played using various techniques. Strumming the strings with your fingers or a plectrum produces clear, precise tones. Plucking or bowing the strings with your fingers also allows for a variety of effects and expressive possibilities.

The harp also has pedals that can be used to change the pitch of the individual strings. By pressing the pedals, the strings can be raised or lowered by a semitone or a whole tone. This allows flexible adjustment of the pitch while playing and expands the harmonic potential of the harp.

The sound box, the lower part of the harp, also plays an important role. The vibrations of the strings are amplified by the sound box and give the sound of the harp its characteristic fullness and warmth.

Harp playing technique

The harp part is notated without transposing. Two staves are used, which are connected with an accolade. As with the piano, each system usually applies to one hand, the lower one (usually in bass clef) for the left hand, the upper one (usually in treble clef) for the right hand.

There are seven strings for each octave, corresponding to the diatonic tuning. The range extends from contra-C or -D to g””. The names of the strings correspond to the white keys of the piano. In the basic position, however, all strings are tuned a semitone lower, i.e. in C flat major. Each pedal can be used to tune all strings of the same name one or two semitones higher at the same time.

Some strings are color-coded: all C strings are red, all F strings are blue or black.

The strings are made of different materials. Most of the strings on a harp are made of coated gut, while the bass strings from the G string upwards are made of steel. Some harpists use nylon strings for the highest notes, as these are less likely to break.

Famous harpists

• Alice Coltrane
• Andreas Vollenweider
• Carlos Salzedo
• Joanna Newsom
• Marcel Grandjany
• Nicanor Zabaleta
• Xavier de Maistre

Manufacturer of harps

• Camac Harps (France)
• Holtkamp (Germany)
• Lyon & Healy (USA)
• Salvi Harps (Italy)

Instrument of the year 2016

The harp was voted Instrument of the Year 2016 by the regional music councils. This special award recognizes the importance and versatility of the harp as well as its outstanding role in music.