Harp - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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11/18/13 8:07 PM Harp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 1 of 20 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harp Harp A medieval harp (left) and a single-action pedal harp (right) String instrument Hornbostel–Sachs classification 322–5 (Composite chordophone sounded by the bare fingers) Playing range (modern pedal harp) [1] Related instruments Chang Çeng Lyre Harp From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The harp is a multi-string musical instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones (stringed instruments) and has its own sub category (the harps). All harps have a neck, resonator and strings. Some, known as frame harps, also have a pillar; those without the pillar are referred to as open harps. Depending on its size, which varies, a harp may be played while held in the lap or while it stands on a table, or on the floor. Harp strings may be made of nylon, gut, wire or silk. On smaller harps, like the folk harp, the core string material will typically be the same for all strings on a given harp. Larger instruments like the modern concert harp mix string materials to attain their extended ranges. A person who plays the harp is called a harpist or harper. Folk musicians often use the term "harper", whereas classical musicians use "harpist". Various types of harps are found in Africa, Europe, North and South America and in Asia. In antiquity, harps and the closely related lyres were very prominent in nearly all cultures. The harp also was predominant with medieval bards, troubadors and minnesingers throughout the Spanish Empire. Harps continued to grow in popularity due to improvements in their design and construction through the beginning of the 20th century. Contents 1 Etymology 2 Terminology 3 Origins 3.1 Near East 3.2 India: ancient Tamil harps 3.3 India: ancient veena 4 Structure and mechanism 5 Development and history 5.1 Europe 5.2 Latin America 5.3 Africa 5.4 Asia 6 Modern European and American instruments 6.1 Concert harp

description

harp

Transcript of Harp - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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11/18/13 8:07 PMHarp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Harp

A medieval harp (left) and a single-action pedalharp (right)

String instrument

Hornbostel–Sachsclassification

322–5(Composite chordophonesounded by the bare fingers)

Playing range

(modern pedal harp)[1]

Related instruments

ChangÇengLyre

HarpFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The harp is a multi-string musical instrument which hasthe plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to thesoundboard. Organologically, it is in the general categoryof chordophones (stringed instruments) and has its ownsub category (the harps). All harps have a neck, resonatorand strings. Some, known as frame harps, also have apillar; those without the pillar are referred to as openharps. Depending on its size, which varies, a harp may beplayed while held in the lap or while it stands on a table,or on the floor. Harp strings may be made of nylon, gut,wire or silk. On smaller harps, like the folk harp, the corestring material will typically be the same for all strings ona given harp. Larger instruments like the modern concertharp mix string materials to attain their extended ranges.A person who plays the harp is called a harpist orharper. Folk musicians often use the term "harper",whereas classical musicians use "harpist".

Various types of harps are found in Africa, Europe, Northand South America and in Asia. In antiquity, harps andthe closely related lyres were very prominent in nearly allcultures. The harp also was predominant with medievalbards, troubadors and minnesingers throughout theSpanish Empire. Harps continued to grow in popularitydue to improvements in their design and constructionthrough the beginning of the 20th century.

Contents1 Etymology2 Terminology3 Origins

3.1 Near East3.2 India: ancient Tamil harps3.3 India: ancient veena

4 Structure and mechanism5 Development and history

5.1 Europe5.2 Latin America5.3 Africa5.4 Asia

6 Modern European and American instruments6.1 Concert harp

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Harp player, Cycladic art, 2800–2700 BC.

6.1.1 Technique6.1.2 Use in music

6.2 Folk, lever, and Celtic instruments6.3 Wire-strung instruments ("clàrsach")6.4 Multi-course harps6.5 Cross-strung chromatic harp6.6 Inline chromatic harp6.7 Modern electric harps

7 As a symbol7.1 Political7.2 Corporate7.3 Religious

8 See also8.1 Related categories

9 References10 Additional sources11 External links

11.1 Celtic harp

EtymologyThe word harp derives from Old English hearpe, of Germanic origin;related to Dutch harp and German Harfe.[2]

TerminologyA number of non-harp-like instruments are colloquially referred to as"harps". Chordophones like the aeolian harp (wind harp) and theautoharp (with the piano and harpsichord) are not harps, but zithers,because their strings are not perpendicular to their soundboard.Similarly, the many varieties of harp guitar and harp lute, whilechordophones, belong to the lute family and are not true harps. Allforms of the lyre and kithara are also not harps, but belong to the fourthfamily of ancient instruments under the chordophones, the lyres.

The term "harp" has also been applied to many instruments which arenot chordophones. The vibraphone was (and is still) sometimes referredto as the "vibraharp," though it has no strings and its sound is producedby striking metal bars. In blues music, the harmonica is often casuallyreferred to as a "blues harp" or "harp", but it is a free reed wind instrument, not a stringed instrument, and istherefore not a true harp. The Jew's harp is neither Jewish nor a harp; it is a plucked idiophone and likewisenot a stringed instrument.

Origins

Near East

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Ancient Persian harps carved instone

An ancient Egyptian harp ondisplay in the British Museum

The origin of the harp goes back to Mesopotamia. The earliest harps and lyres were found in Sumer c, 3500BCE[3] Several harps were found in burial pits and royal tombs in Ur.[4] The oldest depictions of harpswithout a forepillar are from 500 BCE, which was the Persian harp of Perspolis/Persia in Iran and from 400BCE in Egypt. The Harp (Persian: !"# Chang) flourished in Persia in many forms from its introduction,about 3000 BCE, until the 17th century. The original type was the arched harp as seen at Choghâ Miš and onlater third millennium seals.

Around 1900 BCE arched harps were replaced by angular harps withvertical or horizontal sound boxes.[5] By the start of the Common Era,"robust, vertical, angular harps", which had become predominant in theHellenistic world, were cherished in the Sasanian court. In the lastcentury of the Sasanian period, angular harps were redesigned to makethem as light as possible ("light, vertical, angular harps"); while theybecame more elegant, they lost their structural rigidity. At the height ofthe Persian tradition of illustrated book production (1300 to 1600 CE),such light harps were still frequently depicted, although their use asmusical instruments was reaching its end.[6]

India: ancient Tamil harps

See also: Yazh and Ancient Tamil music

The works of the Tamil Sangam literature mention the yaaḻ harp partsand its types. Attestations of the yaaḻ are as early as 200 BC in TamilSangam literature and the harp was the first musical instrument playedby the Tamil people. The Tamil Sangam literature played a vital role indocumenting the Tamil yaaḻ (யா#) harp. The documented history ofyaaḻ begins as early as 500 BC with iconographical testimonies (templeswith statues of harp players) and literary attestations which show thesangam Tamil people using a harp with 100 strings named aathi yaaḻ(ஆ%யா#). One of the Sangam literature works, the Kallaadam(க'லாட*) of the 9th century AD presents various types of yaaḻ

+'யா# (vil yaaḻ)(21 strings),ேப.யா# (peri yaaḻ) (21 Strings),மகரயா# (magara yaaḻ) (17 or 19 strings),ச2டயா# (sagoda yaaḻ)(16 strings),3சக யா# (keesaga yaaḻ) (14 strings)ெச5267யா# (sengotti yaaḻ) (7 strings),89யா# (seeri yaaḻ) (7 strings),

and further describes a story as to how the first yaaḻ harp was created from the bow (i.e. someone shootingan arrow from a bow and the sound that the very taut string of the bow made giving them the idea ofcreating the first yaaḻ with multiple strings). A work as early as the Tirukkuṛaḷ (%:;<ற>) of Thiruvalluvar(%:வ>@வA) (c. 5th century BC) already mentions and describes the yaaḻ.

India: ancient veena

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Coin of Gupta period depictingSamudragupta playing the earlyveena, an ancient type of Indian harp

The basic structural elements and terminology of aconcert harp

.

See also: Ancient veena

The ancient Indian veena of the Gupta period and before was(contrary to the later veenas which are classified as luths) a harpwhich was played with the strings being kept parallel to the body ofthe player, of the type of the Saung or Burmese harp. In fact this typeof harp, still used in Burma today was probably introduced fromIndia and descends from this type of veena. One famous depiction ofthat veena which testifies of the popularity of this type of harp inIndia in that period is found on some of the Samudragupta goldcoins. It shows (presumably) the king Samudragupta himself playingthe instrument.

Structure and mechanismHarps areessentiallytriangular and aremade primarily ofwood. Modernharp strings are

often nylon or gut for the strings that are the A above lowG and metal for low G and down ; tuning pins are alsometal components. The bottom ends of each string is fedthrough a small metal eyelet and tied in a knot on theinside of the sounding-board, which is the upward-facingsurface of the resonating cavity (the sound box or body).The body is hollow and when a taut string is plucked, thebody resonates, projecting sound both inward towards theharp player through a series of usually oval openings(whose principal purpose is to allow access to the stringsand only secondarily to enhance resonance) and, muchmore importantly and powerfully, outward through theflexible and taut-strung sounding board. The crossbar, orneck, contains the mechanism or levers which determinethe pitch alteration (sharps and flats) for each string. The upper ends of the strings are attached to pins inholes drilled through the neck at specific intervals and at specific distances from the soundboard.

The longest side of the harp is called the column or pillar. In those harps which have pedals, this side is ahollow column and encloses the rods which control the pedal mechanisms. At the base of a pedal harp areseven pedals, which activate the rods when the pedals are downwardly pressed. The modern sophisticatedinstrument spanning 6½ octaves in virtually all keys was perfected by the 19th-century French makerSébastien Érard and because of its pedal-driven ability to play all sharps and flats of all notes within itsrange, it continues today as the standard style of most large professional concert grand harps.

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A medieval European harp (theWartburg harp) with buzzing braypins.

Lever harps, however, do not have pedals or rods, and the pillar's only purpose in these instruments is tohold up the neck against the great strain of the strings. Lever harps use a shortening lever (usually shapedlike a capital letter L) on the neck next to each individual string which is to be activated (i.e., turned)manually to shorten the string and raise the tone a half step. A string tuned to natural may be played insharp, but not flat. A string tuned to flat may be played in natural, but not sharp. Also, to change a stringfrom one tone to another during a performance, a harp player must take one entire hand off the harp for amoment and switch the lever—this may cause an acoustic gap in a performance, as for a brief moment onlyone hand will be in use. Lever harps are considerably lighter in weight than pedal harps and are smaller insize and number of strings. They are also much easier to manufacture, less easily damaged, easier to repair,and far less expensive to produce and maintain.

Finally, many harps are built without either pedals or levers. These harps can only play in a single keyduring any performance, though any string on a harp can be tuned to a corresponding sharp or flat before aperformance and then be returned to its regular tension (key) afterwards with little effort.

Development and history

Europe

Angle harps and bow harps continue to be used to the present day. InEurope, however, there was further development. Adding a thirdstructural member, the pillar, to support the far ends of the arch andsound box. The Triangular Frame harp is depicted in sculpture from the8th-century Pictish stones in Scotland[7][8] and in manuscripts (i.e. theUtrecht Psalter) from the early 9th-century France.[9] The curve of theharp's neck is a result of the proportional shortening of the basictriangular form to keep the strings are equidistant. If the strings wereproportionately distanced, the strings would be farther apart.

European harps in medieval and Renaissance times usually had a braypin fitted to make a buzzing sound when a string was plucked. By thebaroque period, in Italy and Spain, more strings were added to allow forchromatic notes; these were usually in a second line of strings. At thesame time single-row diatonic harps continued to beplayed.[citation needed]

The first primitive form of pedal harps was developed in the Tyrolregion of Austria. Hochbrucker was the next to design an improvedpedal mechanism, followed in succession by Krumpholtz, Nadermann, and the Erard company, who cameup with the double mechanism. In Germany in the second half of the 17th century, diatonic single-row harpswere fitted with manually turned hooks which fretted individual strings to raise their pitch by a half step. Inthe 18th century, a link mechanism was developed connecting these hooks with pedals, leading to theinvention of the single-action pedal harp. Later, a second row of hooks was installed along the neck to allowfor the double-action pedal harp, capable of raising the pitch of a string by either one or two half steps. Theidea was even extended to triple-action harps, but these were never common. The double-action pedal harpremains the normal form of the instrument in the Western classical orchestra.

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Harp on a Tarsia panel by BaronHenry de Triqueti (1803–1874),dated 1863, photo c. 1870.

African kora – a double-bridge-harp-lute.

There was a chromatic harp developed in the late 19th century that onlyfound a small number of proponents, and was mainly taught inBelgium.[10] For the chromatic harp see below the section Cross-strungchromatic harp and article Cross-strung harp

Latin America

In Latin America, harps are widely but sparsely distributed, except incertain regions where the harp traditions are very strong. Such importantcentres include Mexico, Andes, Venezuela and Paraguay. They arederived from the Baroque harps that were brought from Spain during thecolonial period.[citation needed]

In Perú harp is used commonly in andean music called Huayno.

Detailed features vary from place to place. Paraguayan harps and harp music have gained a worldwidereputation, with international influences alongside folk traditions. Mexican "jarocha" harp music ofVeracruz has also gained some international recognition, evident in the popularity of "la bamba". In southernMexico (Chiapas), there is a very different indigenous style of harp music. Travel between the ports ofVeracruz and Venezuela afforded an opportunity for transmission of harp traditions between theseareas.[citation needed]

In Venezuela, there are two distinct traditions, the arpa llanera and the arpa central (or arpa mirandina).The modern Venezuelan arpa llanera has 32 strings of nylon (originally, gut). The arpa central is strung withwire in the higher register. An authoritative source in Spanish is Fernando Guerrero Briceno, El Arpa enVenezuela (The Harp in Venezuela).[citation needed]

Paraguayan harps have a wide and deep soundbox which tapers to the top. Like Baroque harps, but unlikemodern Western harps, they do not stand upright when unattended. The harp is Paraguay's nationalinstrument. It has about 36 strings. Its spacing is narrower and tension lighter than that of modern Westernharps. It is played with the fingernails.[citation needed]

Africa

There are many different kinds of harps in Africa. They do not haveforepillars and are either bow harps or angle harps. As well as true harpssuch as Mauritania's ardin. There are a number of instruments that aredifficult to classify, often being labelled harp-lutes. Another term forthem is spike harps. The West African kora is the most complicated andbest known of these instruments. It doesn't fit into any one category, butseveral, and must be awkwardly classified as a "double-bridge-harp-lute." The strings run in two divided ranks making it a double harp, theydo not end in a soundboard but are held in notches on a bridge making ita bridge harp, they originate from a string arm or neck and cross abridge directly supported by a resonating chamber making it a lutetoo.[citation needed] Another type is simply known as an African harp.

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A Mangbetu man playing amangbetu harp.

A Sassanid era mosaicexcavated at Bishapur

Asia

In Asia, there are very few harps today,though the instrument was popular inancient times; in that continent, zitherslike China's guzheng and guqin andJapan's koto predominate. However, afew harps exist, the most notable beingBurma's saung-gauk, which isconsidered the national instrument inthat country. Turkey had a nine-stringharp called the çeng that has alsobecome extinct. There was an ancientChinese harp called konghou; the nameis also now used for a modern Chineseinstrument which is being revived.This double bridge harp has theunusual ability to pitch bend the notes

while playing. The paired strings are joined at opposite ends of freelymoving short levers so that while playing, manually tensioning one ofthe strings raises the pitch of its linked pair.[citation needed]

In the Middle East there are several forms of Harps that predate modern harps and some that are still inexistence and use today. An example of this is in the Nuristan providence of Afghanistan where the KafirHarp has been part of the musical traditional for many years.

Modern European and American instrumentsMost European-derived harps have a single row of strings with strings for each note of the C Major scale(over several octaves).

Harpists are aided in telling which strings they are playing because all F strings are black or blue and all Cstrings are red, and the wire strings are silver or bronze if C or F, or wrapped in red, blue, or black wire.

The instrument rests between the knees of the harpist and along their right shoulder. The Welsh Triple Harpand early Irish and Scottish harps, however, are traditionally placed on the left shoulder.

The first four fingers of each hand are used to pluck the strings; the little fingers are too short and cannotreach the correct position without distorting the position of the other fingers, although on some folk harpswith light tension, closely spaced strings, they may occasionally be used. The fifth finger may also havebeen used on earlier, more lightly strung modern harps: Madame de Genlis, for example, in her Méthode,published in Paris in the early 19th century, promotes the use of all five fingers,[11] while Roslyn Renschsuggests that Mlle de Guînes, the harpist for whom Mozart wrote his Concerto for Flute and Harp, mightoccasionally have used all five fingers when playing the harp.[12] In more modern music, the fifth finger isused very rarely, for example in simultaneous cluster chords, such as in Daniel Kessner's Sonatina.[13]

Plucking with varying degrees of force creates dynamics. Depending on finger position on the string,

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Tudor Tulok – Glissando Imprecisionfor 2 Harps

Problems playing this file? See media help.

The action of the wheels in the pedalsystem to change the pitch of a string.The tip of a string is shown in blue,points in contact with the string areshown in red, and points not incontact with the string are in green.

different tones can be produced: a full sound in the middle of the string, and a nasal, guitar-like sound at thevery bottom of the string. Tone is also affected by the skin of the harpist, how much oil and moisture itcontains, and the amount of thickening by callous formation and its surface texture.

Concert harp

Main article: Pedal harp

The concert harp is large and technically modern, designed for classical music and played solo, as part ofchamber ensembles, and in symphony orchestras as well as in popular commercial music. It typically has sixand a half octaves (47 strings), weighs about 80 pounds (36 kg; 5.7 st), is approximately 1.85 metres(6 ft 1 in) high, has a depth of 1 metre (3 ft 3 in), and is 55 centimetres (22 in) wide at the bass end of thesoundboard. The notes range from three octaves below middle C♭ to three and a half octaves above, usuallyending on G♯. Using octave designations, the range is C♭1 to G♯7. At least one manufacturer gives theharp a 48th string, a high A♭ (A♭7) giving the instrument a range of C♭1 to A♯7. The two loweststrings, C♭1 and D♭1, are not affected by the pedal mechanism (i.e. their tuning is not affected by theposition of, respectively, the C and D pedals). They must be tuned manually. Their pitch (respectively C♭,C♮ or C♯, and D♭, D♮ or D♯) must be adjusted in advance for the whole piece (or section of a piece).It can't be changed while playing.

The concert harp is a pedal harp. Pedal harps use themechanical action of pedals to change the pitches of thestrings. There are seven pedals, each affecting the tuningof all strings of one pitch-class, and each pedal isattached to a rod or cable within the column of the harp,which then connects with a mechanism within the neck.When a pedal is moved with the foot, small discs at thetop of the harp rotate. The discs are studded with two pegs that pinch the string as they turn, shortening thevibrating length of the string. The pedal has three positions. In the top position no pegs are in contact withthe string and all notes are flat; thus the harp's native tuning is to the scale of C-flat major.

In the middle position the top wheel pinches the string, resulting in anatural, giving the scale of C major if all pedals are set in the middleposition. In the bottom position another wheel is turned, shorteningthe string again to create a sharp, giving the scale of C-sharp major ifall pedals are set in the bottom position. Many other scales, bothdiatonic and synthetic, can be obtained by adjusting the pedalsdifferently from each other; also, many chords in traditional harmonycan be obtained by adjusting pedals so that some notes areenharmonic equivalents of others, and this is central to harptechnique. In each position the pedal can be secured in a notch sothat the foot does not have to keep holding it in the correct position.

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Harpist Elaine Christy plays with bothhands approaching the strings fromeither side of the harp; foot pedals(not shown) can change the pitch ofspecific strings by a half step.

Three strings on the pedal harp have no pedal tuning mechanism: the two lowest strings (contrabass C andD) and the highest string (G).[14] These strings are normally tuned to C, D and G natural respectively.However, they can be manually tuned to sharp or flat through scordatura prior to performance. This can beindicated by verbal statements at the beginning of a composition, for example, "Tune Low C to C flat", or"If necessary, tune high G to G sharp".[15]

This mechanism is called the double-action pedal system, probably invented by Sébastien Érard in 1810.Earlier pedal harps had a single-action mechanism that allowed strings to play sharpened notes.

The tension of the strings on the sound board is roughly equal to 10 kN (a ton-force) or 2,000 pounds. Thelowest strings are made of copper or silver-over-silk over steel, the lower-middle strings of gut (from sheepor cows) and the upper-middle or highest of either gut or nylon.

Technique

The pedal harp is played with the fingertips of the first four fingers(thumb, index, middle and ring fingers of both hands), with forcefrom the hand and arm, and ultimately the upper body. The littlefingers are normally not used (see above for the use of the littlefinger). The fingertips are drawn in to meet the palm of the hand,thus releasing the string from whatever pressure was placed upon itby the fingers. The fingers are naturally curved or rounded as theytouch the strings, and the thumb is gently curved as the tip rises tothe string as an arc from its base; this is called plucking. There arediffering schools of technique for playing the pedal harp. The largestare the various French schools, and there are specific Russianschools, Viennese and other schools from differing regions ofEurope. One is called the Attl technique after Kajetan Attl, in whichapparently only the uppermost parts of the fingers move and the handis largely still. There is a St. Petersburg school (more than one) inRussia in which the thumbs are moved in a circular fashion ratherthan in and out toward the hand.

The differences between the French schools lie in the posture of the arms, the shape of the hand and themusical aesthetics. The traditional French schooling allows for the right arm to be lightly rested against theharp using the wrist to sometimes bring the hand only away from the string. The left arm moves more freely.Finger technique and control are the emphasis of the technical approach, with extensive use of exercises andetudes to develop this. Two very influential 20th-century teachers of this approach were Henriette Renie andMarcel Grandjany, who both studied with Alphonse Hasselmans.

The other major French school is the Salzedo school, developed by Carlos Salzedo, who also studied withAlphonse Hasselmans at the Paris Conservatoire. Salzedo's technique generally calls for the arms to be heldhorizontally[16] and emphasises the role of aesthetic hand and arm gestures after the string has been plucked:"Each of the thirty-seven tone colors and effects of the harp calls for a gesture corresponding to its sonorousmeaning."[17]

Use in music

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Harpist performing

The harp found its early orchestral use as a solo instrument in concerti by many baroque and classicalcomposers (Handel, J. C. Bach, Mozart, Albrechtsberger, Schenck, Dussek, Spohr) and in the opera housesof London, Paris and Berlin and most other capitals. It began to be used in symphonic music by HectorBerlioz but he found performances frustrating in such countries as Germany where few harps andsufficiently proficient harpists were to be found. Franz Liszt was seminal in finding uses for the harp in hisorchestral music, and Mendelssohn and Schubert used it in theatrical music or oratorios. The French andRussian Romantic composer particularly expanded its symphonic use. In opera, the Italian composers used itregularly, and Puccini was a particular master of its expressive and coloristic use. Debussy can be said tohave put the harp on the map in his many works that use one or more harps. Tchaikovsky also was of greatinfluence, followed by Rimsky-Korsakov, Richard Strauss and Wagner. The greatest influence on use of theharp has always been the availability of fine harps and skilled players, and the great increase of them in theUS of the 20th century resulted in its spread into popular music.

The first harpist known to play jazz was Casper Reardon, a pioneer in the world of "hot" music. DorothyAshby (sampled by hip-hop artists) and Alice Coltrane are other jazz harpists.

Many passages for solo harp can be found in 19th-century balletmusic, particularly in scores for the ballets staged for the MariinskyTheatre of St. Petersburg, where the harpist Albert Zabel played inthe orchestra. In ballet, the harp was utilised to a great extent toembellish the dancing of the ballerina. Elaborate cadenzas werecomposed by Tchaikovsky for his ballets The Nutcracker, SwanLake, and The Sleeping Beauty; as well as Alexander Glazunov forhis score for the ballet Raymonda. In particular, the scores ofRiccardo Drigo contained many pieces for harp in such works as LeTalisman (1889), Le Réveil de Flore (1894) and Les Millionsd'Arlequin (1900). Cesare Pugni wrote extensively for the harp aswell—his ballet Éoline, ou La Dryade included music written forharp to accompany the ballerina's numerous variations and enhancethe atmosphere of the ballet's many fantastical scenes. LudwigMinkus was celebrated for his harp cadenzas, most notably theVariation de la Reine du jour from his ballet La Nuit et le Jour(1881), the elaborate entr'acte composed for Albert Zabel from hisballet Roxana (1878), and numerous passages found in his score forthe ballet La Bayadère, which in some passages were used to represent a veena which was used on stage as aprop.

French ballet composers such as Delibes, Gounod, and Massenet made use of the harp in their music.

There is a prominent harp part in "She's Leaving Home" by The Beatles in their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper'sLonely Hearts Club Band. In the 1970s, a harp was common in popular music, and can be heard in such hitsas Cher's "Dark Lady", the intro of "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves", and "Boogie Nights" by Heatwave. Mostoften this was played by Los Angeles studio harpist Gayle Levant, who has played on hundreds ofrecordings. Irish band Clannad featured the harp heavily in their music during the 1970s and 1980s. Incurrent pop music, the harp appears relatively rarely. Joanna Newsom, Dee Carstensen, Darian Scatton,Habiba Doorenbos, and Jessa Callen of The Callen Sisters have separately established images as harp-playing singer-songwriters with signature harp and vocal sounds. Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah

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New Salem Village re-enactorsplaying Celtic harps

McLachlan plays the harp in her 2006 holiday album, Wintersong. In Hong Kong, a notable example of harpin pop music is the song "Tin Shui Walled City" (天水圍城) performed by Hacken Lee with harp played byKorean harpist Jung Kwak (Harpist K).

Harp use has recently expanded in the "alternative" music world of commercial popular music. A pedalharpist, Ricky Rasura, is a member of the "symphonic pop" band, The Polyphonic Spree. Also, Björksometimes features acoustic and electric harp in her work, often played by Zeena Parkins. Philadelphiabased Indie Pop Band Br'er uses a pedal harp as the foundation for their cinematic live sets. Art in Americawas the first known rock band featuring a pedal harp to appear on a major record label, released in 1983.The pedal harp was also present in the Michael Kamen and Metallica concert and album, S&M, as part ofthe San Francisco Symphony orchestra. R&B singer Maxwell featured harpist Gloria Agostini in 1997 onhis cover of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work". On his 7th solo album Finding Forever, Hip- Hop artistCommon features harpist Brandee Younger on the introductory track, followed by a Dorothy Ashby samplefrom her 1969 recording of By the Time I Get to Phoenix. Some Celtic-pop crossover bands and artists suchas Clannad and Loreena McKennitt include folk harps, following Alan Stivell's work. Recently FlorenceWelch has begun to incorporate harps into her songs, notably on "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)". The WebbSisters from UK use different size harps in almost all their material during live performances. Sierra Casady,of the freak-folk group CocoRosie plays harp on several of their songs.

Aside from its use in music, the harp occasionally appears in the Marx Brothers' movies when Harpo playsit. Sometimes entire scenes focus on his harp-playing.

Folk, lever, and Celtic instruments

The folk harp or Celtic harp is small to medium-sized and usuallydesigned for traditional music; it can be played solo or with smallgroups. It is prominent in Welsh, Breton, Irish, Scottish and other Celticcultures within traditional or folk music and as a social and politicalsymbol. Often the folk harp is played by beginners who wish to moveon to the pedal harp at a later stage, or by musicians who simply preferthe smaller size or different sounds. Alan Stivell, with his father JordCochevelou (who recreated the Breton Celtic harp), were at the origin ofthe revival of the Celtic harp (in the 1970s).[18]

The folk or lever harp ranges in size from two octaves to six octaves,and may use levers or blades to change pitch. The most common sizehas 34 strings: Two octaves below middle C and two and a half above(ending on A), although folk or lever harps can usually be found withanywhere from 19 to 40 strings. The strings are generally made ofnylon, gut, carbon fibre or fluorocarbon, or wrapped metal, and areplucked with the fingers using a similar technique to the pedal harp.

Folk harps with levers installed have a lever close to the top of eachstring; when it is engaged, it shortens the string so its pitch is raised asemitone, resulting in a sharped note if the string was a natural, or a natural note if the string was a flat.Lever harps are often tuned to the key C or E-flat. Using the E-flat scheme, the major keys of E-flat, B-flat,F, C, G, D, A, and E can be reached by changing lever positions, rather than re-tuning any strings. Manysmaller folk harps are tuned in C or F, and may have no levers, or levers on the F and C strings only,

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The Celtic harp, the instrument ofthe bards

allowing a narrower range of keys. Blades and hooks perform almost the same function as levers, but use adifferent mechanism. The most common type of lever is either the Camac or Truitt lever although Lovelandlevers are still used by some makers.

One of the attendant problems with lever harps is the potential loss ofquality when the levers are used. The Teifi semi tone developed byAllan Shiers is a development from traditional mechanisms and nips upthe string with two forks similarly to a concert harp. The semi tone isdouble locking for a full clear sound and does not wear the string. It ismachined from solid brass and hardened steel and is adjustable by aneccentric roller to suit any gauge of string. In addition, the whole unitcan be moved up or down to affect perfect pitch and string alignment.The lever arms are coloured for ease of note recognition and two sizesare made to suit treble, mid and bass.

Alan Stivell is a well-known crossover and Celtic harpist. He firstrecorded an EP record, "Musique Gaélique," in 1959, then an LP in1964 called "Telenn Geltiek " (available in CD). Following these, he hasreleased 21 other albums including his harps, from 1970 until now (thelast one is "Explore" – 2006– ). He also recorded some albumsespecially dedicated to the harp: the famous Renaissance of the CelticHarp (1972), "Harpes du Nouvel Age" (1985), and "Beyond Words"(2002). He helped to promote developments in Electro-acoustic andElectric harps.[18] Another innovator in this field is the German harpistRüdiger Oppermann, who has also brought together harpists from allover the world to German music festivals and owns a private library offolk-music harps from every continent. The Swiss popular musician Andreas Vollenweider also playselectro-acoustic harps. Other Celtic harpists include Tristan Le Govic.

Wire-strung instruments ("clàrsach")

Main article: Clàrsach

The Gaelic triangular, wire-strung harp has always been known by the feminine term cruit but by 1204 wascertainly known by the masculine term 'clàr' (board) and, by the 14th century, by the feminine form of 'clàr',i.e., 'clàirseach/clàrsach'. (Gd.)

The origins of the Gaelic triangular harp go back at least to the first millennium. There are several stonecarvings of triangular harps from the 10th century, many of which have simple triangular shapes, generallywith straight pillars, straight string arms or necks, and soundboxes. There is stone carving evidence that thelyre and/or perhaps a non-triangular harp were present in Ireland[citation needed] during the first millennium.Evidence for the triangular harp in Pictish Scotland dates from the 9th century.[19]

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The Scottish medievalclàrsach 'Queen Mary harp'Clàrsach na Banrigh Màiri, (c.1400)[22] now in the Museumof Scotland, is a one of onlythree surviving medievalGaelic harps.

The harpist on theMonifeith Pictish stone,Scotland, 700 - 900 CE

Maedoc book-cover,Ireland, c. 1000 CE

The clàrsach or harp was the most popular musical instrument in later medieval Scotland and Ireland andGaelic poets portrayed their Pictish counterparts as very much like themselves.[20]

Scotland, because of her affinity and intercourse [with Ireland], tries to imitate Ireland in musicand strives in emulation. Ireland uses and delights in two instruments only, the harp namely, andthe tympanum. Scotland uses three, the harp, the tympanum and the crowd. In the opinion,however, of many, Scotland has by now not only caught up on Ireland, her instructor, butalready far outdistances her and excels her in musical skill. Therefore, [Irish] people now lookto that country as the fountain of the art.

—Gerald of Wales[21]

The clàrsach or harp played by the Gaels of Scotland and Ireland betweenthe 11th and 19th centuries was certainly wire-strung. The Irish Maedocbook shrine dates from the 11th century, and clearly shows a harper with atriangular framed harp including a "T-Section" in the pillar. The Irish wordlamhchrann came into use at an unknown date to indicate this pillar whichwould have supplied the bracing to withstand the tension of a wire-strungharp.

The Irish and Highland Harps by Robert Bruce Armstrong is an excellentbook describing these ancient harps. There is historical evidence that thetypes of wire used in these harps are iron, brass, silver, and gold. Three pre-16th-century examples survive today; the Brian Boru Harp in TrinityCollege, Dublin, and the Queen Mary and Lamont Harps, both in Scotland.

One of the largest and most complete collections of 17th-century harpmusic is the work of Turlough O'Carolan, a blind, itinerant Irish harper andcomposer. At least 220 of his compositions survive to this day.

Since the 1970s, the tradition has been revived. Alan Stivell's Renaissancede la Harpe Celtique (perhaps the best-seller harp album in the world),using mainly the bronze strung harp, and his tours, have brought theinstrument into the ears and the love of many people.[18] Ann Heymann has

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Double harp

revived the ancient tradition and technique by playing the instrument as well as studying Bunting's originalmanuscripts in the library of Queens University, Belfast. Katie Targett-Adams (KT-A) is currently leadingthe modern day crossover movement for the clarsach, performing to mainstream audiences across the globe,notably China. Other high profile players include Patrick Ball, Cynthia Cathcart, Alison Kinnaird, BillTaylor, Siobhán Armstrong and others.

As performers have become interested in the instrument, harp makers ("luthiers") such as Jay Witcher,David Kortier, Ardival Harps, Joël Herrou and others have begun building wire-strung harps. The traditionalwire materials are used, however iron has been replaced by steel and the modern phosphor bronze has beenadded to the list. The phosphor bronze and brass are most commonly used. Steel tends to be very abrasive tothe nails. Silver and gold are used to get high density materials into the bass courses of high qualityclàrsachs to greatly improve their tone quality. In the period, no sharping devices were used. Harpers had tore-tune strings to change keys. This practice is reflected by most of the modern luthiers, yet some allowprovisions for either levers or blades.

Multi-course harps

A multi-course harp is a harp with more than one row of strings. A harp with only one row of strings iscalled a single-course harp.

A double-strung harp consists of two rows of diatonic strings one on either sideof the neck. These strings may run parallel to each other or may converge so thebottom ends of the strings are very close together. Either way, the strings thatare next to each other are tuned to the same note. Double-strung harps oftenhave levers either on every string or on the most commonly sharped strings, forexample C and F. Having two sets of strings allows the harpist's left and righthands to occupy the same range of notes without having both hands attempt toplay the same string at the same time. It also allows for special effects such asrepeating a note very quickly without stopping the sound from the previousnote.

A triple harp features three rows of parallel strings, two outer rows of diatonicstrings, and a center row of chromatic strings. To play a sharp, the harpistreaches in between the strings in either outer row and plucks the center rowstring. Like the double-strung harp, the two outer rows of strings are tuned the same, but the triple-strungharp has no levers. This harp originated in Italy in the 16th century as a low headed instrument, and towardsthe end of 17th century it arrived in Wales where it developed a high head and larger size. It establisheditself as part of Welsh tradition and became known as the Welsh harp (telyn deires, "three-row harp"). Thetraditional design has all of the strings strung from the left side of the neck, but modern neck designs havethe two outer rows of strings strung from opposite sides of the neck to greatly reduce the tendency for theneck to roll over to the left.

Cross-strung chromatic harp

The cross-strung harp consists of one row of diatonically tuned strings and another row of chromaticnotes.[23] These strings cross approximately in the middle of the string without touching. Traditionally thediatonic row runs from the right (as seen by someone sitting at the harp) side of the neck to the left side ofthe sound board. The chromatic row runs from the left of the neck to the right of the sound board. The

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Cross-strung chromaticharp

diatonic row has the normal string coloration for a harp, but the chromatic row may be black. The chromaticrow is not a full set of strings. It is missing the strings between the Es and Fs in the diatonic row andbetween the Bs and Cs in the diatonic row. In this respect it is much like a piano. The diatonic rowcorresponds to the white keys and the chromatic row to the black keys. Playing each string in successionresults in a complete chromatic scale.

An alternate form of the cross-strung, the 6-plus-6 or isomorphic cross-strung,has 6 strings on each side of the cross instead of 5 on one and 7 on the other.This configuration is less intuitive to someone coming from a piano/organbackground, but more intuitive to someone with a guitar/violin or otherchromatic or whole-tone instrument background because it utilises a chromaticscale or wholetone scale. This configuration gives the entire octave in only 6strings per side, making more efficient use of the size of the instrument.

The earliest example of a cross-strung chromatic harp is the Arpa de dosórdenes (Spain and Portugal, 17th c.; see article Cross-strung harp).

Inline chromatic harp

An inline chromatic harp is a harp where the strings for all 12 chromatic notesof the octave are placed in one row (the same way strings are placed on astandard concert harp), as opposed to their being placed in two or three (parallelor crossing) courses.

At least one example of a harp with two parallel inline chromatic courses has also been produced.[24]

Single course inline chromatic harps have been produced for at least the past 110 years: in 1902 KarelWeigel of Hanover (Germany) patented a model of inline chromatic harp.[25] He built at least one 54 string(4 octaves and a fourth) model which is now housed in the Deutsches Museum (Munich).

Harp makers who have in the past 20 years produced single course inline chromatic harps include PhilippeClément (Canada), Steve Green (US), Philippe Volant (France).

As of 2013 only Philippe Volant offers an inline chromatic harp model (5 octaves, 61 strings).[26]

Harpists using the inline chromatic harp include French harpist Laura Perrudin.[27]

Modern electric harps

Amplified (electro-acoustic) hollow body and solid body electric lever harps are produced by manyharpmakers at this time, such as Lyon and Healy Harps out of Chicago, Salvi Harps out of Italy, and CamacHarps out of France. They generally use individual piezo-electric transducers one per string often incombination with small internal microphones to produce a direct output mixed electrical signal. Hollowbody instruments can also be played acoustically, while solid body instruments must be amplified.

In the late 20th century instrument builder and American musician Robert Grawi created an electric doubleharp-lute based on the West African kora but strung and tuned differently. The gravikord is a lightergonomically designed instrument made of modern materials mostly stainless steel tubing. It is a double

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The Gravikord

Coat of arms of Ireland

harp that has 24 strings evenly divided in two ranks arrayed on a free standing "Vee" shaped bridge made ofsynthetic material including an integral piezo-electric sensor. The tuning of the gravikord is an extendedversion of the "G" major / "E" minor tuning system of the Hugh Tracey kalimba while its overall physicalstructure is derived from the African kora. It was created to enable easier playing of complex African crossrhythms on an African derived modern electro-acoustic harp.[28]

The laser harp is not a stringed instrument at all, but is a harp-shaped electronic instrument that has laserbeams where harps have strings. The laser beams that are configured like harp strings do not produce anysound themselves but act as triggers for electronic synthesised sounds. These can also be programed to

trigger other theatrical affects in sync with performances such as lighting, videoloops, sound effects, etc. For some events they can be made in extended formswithout a frame at all, but only a long parallel rank of laser beams yet are stillcalled laser harps.

Some contemporary players of these modern electric harps, especially solid bodyand minimalist design instruments, have been able to add the advantage ofmovement on stage into their musical performance. With these light stronginstruments and modern wireless amplification these musicians can easily playstanding up, move, and even incorporate dance on stage while playing theirelectric harps.

As a symbol

Political

The harp has been used as a politicalsymbol of Ireland for centuries. Its originis unknown but from the evidence of the

ancient oral and written literature, it has been present in one form oranother since at least the 6th century or before. According totradition, Brian Boru, 'High King' of Ireland (d. at the Battle ofClontarf, 1014 CE) played the harp, as did many of the gentry in thecountry during the period of the Gaelic Lordship of Ireland (ended c.1607 CE with the "Flight of the Earls" following the ElizabethanWars).[citation needed]

In traditional Gaelic society every clan and chief of any consequencewould have a resident harp player who would compose eulogies andelegies (later known as "planxties") in honour of the leader and chiefmen of the clan. The harp was adopted as a symbol of the Kingdomof Ireland on the coinage from 1542, and in the Royal Standard ofKing James (VI of Scotland / I of England ) in 1603 and continued tofeature on all English and United Kingdom Royal Standards eversince, though the styles of the harps depicted differed in some respects. It was also used on theCommonwealth Jack of Oliver Cromwell, issued in 1649 and on the Protectorate Jack issued in 1658 as wellas on the Lord Protector's Standard issued on the succession of Richard Cromwell in 1658. The harp is alsotraditionally used on the flag of Leinster.

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Pub plaque, Omagh

Nathan confronts David; bronzebas-relief by Henri de Triqueti.

Since 1922, the government of Ireland has used a similar left-facingharp, based on the Trinity College Harp in the Library of TrinityCollege Dublin as its state symbol. It first appeared on the Great Seal ofthe Irish Free State, which in turn was replaced by the coat of arms, theIrish Presidential Standard and the Presidential Seal in the 1937Constitution of Ireland. The harp emblem is used on official state sealsand documents including the Irish passport and has appeared on Irishcoinage from the Middle Ages to the current Irish imprints of Eurocoins.

A South Asian version of a harp known in Tamil as a 'yaal' ('யா#'), isthe symbol of City of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, whose legendary root originatesfrom a harp player.

Corporate

The harp is also used extensively as a corporate logo — for both Privatecompany and government organisations. For instance, the Irish drinkGuinness uses a harp, facing right and less detailed than the versionused on the state arms. Guinness started using the harp as an image onits labels in 1862 and registered two trademarks in London in 1876, bothof which used the harp as part of the image. A simplified harp wasadopted in the 1990s.

Relatively new organisations also use the harp, but often modified toreflect a theme relevant to their organisation, for instance; Irish airlineRyanair uses a modified harp, and the Irish State ExaminationsCommission uses it with an educational theme.

The harp is also used as the logo for League of Ireland football teamFinn Harps, who are Donegal's senior soccer club.

Other organisations in Ireland use the harp, but not always prominently;these include the National University of Ireland and the associated University College Dublin, and theGaelic Athletic Association. In Northern Ireland the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Queen'sUniversity of Belfast use the harp as part of their identity.

Religious

In the context of Christianity, heaven is sometimes symbolically depicted with saints and/or angels playingharps in it. This symbolism may derive from the account of the heavenly vision recorded in the ChristianBible in Revelation 14:2 reading: "And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as thevoice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps." (KJV) This may be areference to the kind of harp played, e.g., by David during Old Testament times. Modern orchestral musicsometimes employs the ethereal sound of the modern orchestral harp to depict heaven.[citation needed]

See also

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ClàrsachElectric harpEpigonionGravikordHarp guitarKafir HarpKoraPsalteryCross-strung harp

Related categories

Harpists

References1. ^ Dave Black and Tom Gerou, "Essential Dictionary of Orchestration." Alfred Publishing Co. ISBN 0-7390-0021-72. ^ harp (http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/harp?q=harp), on Oxford Dictionaries3. ^ http://ml.oxfordjournals.org/content/X/2/108.extract4. ^ http://sumerianshakespeare.com/509245/499545.html5. ^ Skyphos Songs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=GESNLHsUzDk&list=PLcpIAFes_O8tlwlWiAiySStan1b9D3sx6&index=21), sound of reconstructed ancient(500 BCE) "Skyphos" angular harp found in Altai Mountains in Siberia: music and songs by Elena Frolova on Ishtarand other "Skyphos poems" by Marina Tsvetaeva

6. ^ http://www.tehrantimes.com/highlights/2269-harps-of-persian-origin7. ^ Montagu, Jeremy (2002). "Harp". In Alison Latham. The Oxford Companion to Music. London: Oxford University

Press. p. 564. ISBN 0-19-866212-2. OCLC 59376677 (//www.worldcat.org/oclc/59376677).8. ^ The Anglo Saxon Harp, 'Spectrum, Vol. 71, No. 2 (April 1996), pp. 290–320.9. ^ The Anglo-Saxon Harp Robert Boenig Speculum, Vol. 71, No. 2 (April 1996), pp. 290–320 doi:10.2307/2865415

(http://dx.doi.org/10.2307%2F2865415) This article consists of 31-page(s).10. ^ Sylvain Blassel, article in the Bulletin de l'A.I.H. no. 45 (2007), Web version: part 1

(http://www.sylvainblassel.com/page.php?id=34), part2 (http://www.sylvainblassel.com/page.php?id=35), part 3(http://www.sylvainblassel.com/page.php?id=36)

11. ^ Rensch (2007/1989), 164–165.12. ^ Rensch (2007./1989), 170.13. ^ Inglewood and Neill (1985), 77.14. ^ Inglefield and Neill (1985), 3. A few modern harps have a pedal mechanism for the high G string.15. ^ Inglefield and Neill (1985), 'Scordatura', p.49.16. ^ Lawrence and Salzedo (1929), 6.17. ^ Lawrence and Salzedo (1929), 17.18. ^ a b c JT Koch (ed). Celtic Culture. A Historical Encyclopaedia ABC-CLIO 2006 pp 1627–162819. ^ "The Origins of the Clairsach or Irish Harp", Musical Times, Vol. 53, No 828 (Feb 1912), pp 89–92.20. ^ Forsyth, "Evidence of a lost Pictish Source", pp. 27–28.21. ^ Gerald of Wales, "Topographia Hibernica", 94; tr. John O' Meary, The History and Topography of Ireland,

(London, 1982).22. ^ Caldwell, D.H. (ed). Angels Nobles and Unicorns: Art and Patronage in Medieval Scotland. Edinburgh: NMS,

198223. ^ Cross-stringing is most of the time used in order to achieve chromaticism but not invariably so. There have been

some (rare) cases of harps with two diatonic cross-strung courses. The purpose of cross-stringing is then simply tomake either course playable by either hand

24. ^ Philippe Clément's double inline chromatic harp (http://www.harpspectrum.org/folk/clement_short.shtml)

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25. ^ Karl Weigel's patent (http://www.google.com/patents/US707041) (with patent text and drawings(http://www.google.com/patents?id=eOVjAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract))

26. ^ Philippe Volant's inline chromatic harp (http://www.harpe-volant.fr/innovations.htm)27. ^ Laura Perrudin's YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/arualnidurrep)28. ^ http://www.gravikord.com/instrument.html#gravikord

Additional sourcesThomas Gaisford's Etymologicum Magnum (1848) THOMAS GAISFORD S.T.P.ETYMOLOGICON MAGNUM LEXICON ISBN 960–400–139–6Lucia Bova, L'arpa moderna (http://www.luciabova.it/arpa_moderna.htm). La scrittura e lanotazione, lo strumento e il repertorio dal '500 alla contemporaneità, preface by Luis de Pablo,Suvini Zerboni, Milano, 2008. ISBN 978-88-900691-4-7"The Anglo Saxon Harp", Spectrum, Vol. 71, No.2 (April 1996), pp 290–320."The Origins of the Clairsach or Irish Harp", Musical Times, Vol. 53, No 828 (February 1912), pp 89–92.Alasdair Ross discusses that all the Scottish harp figures were copied from foreign drawings and notfrom life, in "'Harps of Their Owne Sorte'? A Reassessment of Pictish Chordophone Depictions",Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies 36, Winter 1998.Snyder's Medieval Art, 2nd ed, p. 32. Luttikhuizen and Verkerk.Courteau, Mona-Lynn. "Harp". In J. Shepherd, D. Horn, D. Laing, P. Oliver and P. Wicke (Eds.), TheContinuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Vol. 2, 2003, pp. 427–437.Inglefield, Ruth K. and Lou Anne Neill (1985). Writing for the Pedal Harp: A Standardized Manualfor Composers and Harpists. University of California Press.Lawrence, Lucille and Carlos Salzedo (1929). Method for the Harp. G. Schirmer.Montagu, Jeremy (2002). "Harp". In Alison Latham. The Oxford Companion to Music. London:Oxford University Press. p. 564. ISBN 0-19-866212-2. OCLC 59376677(//www.worldcat.org/oclc/59376677).Rensch, Roslyn (2007/1989). Harps and Harpists, revised (2nd) edition. Indiana University. ISBN 0-253-34903-6.Floraleda Sacchi, Elias Parish Alvars, The Liszt of the Harp, Odilia Publishing, Dornach, 1999. ISBN3-9521367-1-9

External linksHarp History (http://www.harphistory.info) siteInternational Festival of Harp (http://www.internationalfestivalofharp.com/) – International Festival ofHarp official website(Europe)Harp Spectrum (http://www.harpspectrum.org/) – general information about the harpVideo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Ww-Iwa6iY) – short video showing the parts of the leverharpYour harpist (http://www.yourharpist.com/harpworks.html) – Information on harps full with diagramand parts labelled.Jacqueline Pollauf's Harp Site (http://www.jpharp.com/), particularly the section Composing for theharp (http://www.jpharp.com/composition.html)

Celtic harp

earlygaelicharp.info (http://www.earlygaelicharp.info/) – information about early Irish and Scottish

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harpsGaelic Modes (http://www.calumcille.com/) Information about Gaelic harp harmony and modesAsni: harp lore (http://www.asni.net/harplore.html) – descriptions of several types of historicalEuropean harps (with sound samples)The Celtic Harp Page (http://www.celticharper.com/main.html) – information on Celtic and othertypes of harpsMy Harp's Delight (http://www.myharpsdelight.com/) – learning to play the Celtic harp, tips andtechniques, buying a harp"Tears, Laughter, Magic" – An Interview with Master Celtic Harp Builder Timothy Habinski onAdventuresInMusic.biz, 2007 (http://adventuresinmusic.biz/Archives/Interviews/celticharp.htm)Celtic Harp Amplification Series (http://www.alisonvardy.com/harp-info/harp-amplification-series.htm) – using microphones and guitar amplifiers with folk harpsMarkwood Strings (http://www.markwoodstrings.com)-information on installing harp strings, harpstring installation guide

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