Q: How long has the harp been around?

A: The harp has existed for thousands of years and has evolved dramatically since its ancient beginnings.

Q: When and where does the earliest evidence of the harp appear?

A: The earliest evidence comes from Egyptian paintings dating back to around 3000 B.C.

Q: What did ancient harps look like?

A: Early harps lacked a forepillar and resembled a hunter’s bow rather than the modern triangular shape.

Q: When did harps start to resemble their modern form?

A: During the Middle Ages, harps with a central column, known as frame-style harps, appeared in Western Europe. These could support higher string tension and more closely resemble modern harps.

Q: What role did the harp play in Irish history?

A: In medieval Ireland, harps were associated with the aristocracy. Kings and chieftains employed resident harpers, and the harp became a symbol of Irish identity and music.

Q: How important is the harp in Irish culture today?

A: The harp remains a national symbol, appearing on Irish passports, coins, the presidential seal, and many other cultural emblems.

Q: When were hooks added to the harp, and why?

A: Hooks were added in the 17th century to make changing keys easier. Before that, harpists had to retune individual strings for even small pitch adjustments.

Q: How did the hooks work?

A: Found along the top of the harp, hooks pressed against strings to shorten them and raise the pitch by a half step.

Q: Do modern harps still use hooks?

A: No, hooks were later replaced by levers, which are still used on many modern harps.

Q: What problem remained even after levers were introduced?

A: Levers could only change one string at a time and required the use of hands, making quick key changes difficult.

Q: How did harp makers try to solve this issue?

A: In the 1700s and 1800s, some harps were built with multiple rows of strings – two or three parallel sets, or even crisscrossed strings – to allow for chromatic notes. The idea was that, with more strings, a harpist could reach over and pluck chromatically tuned notes while still having access to regularly tuned strings.

Q: Why didn’t multi-string harps become common?

A: They were too cumbersome and impractical to play.

Q: What innovation led to the creation of pedal harps?

A: The previous concept of hooks that inspired the best solution; by connecting pedals to a series of rods that ran through the harp’s column and attached to hooks at the top, a harpist could press down on the pedals and change the strings’ pitches with only their feet. This became known as the Single-Action Pedal Harp in the 18th century, since the pedals could only be depressed by one notch.

Q: When was the Double-Action Pedal harp invented, and why was it important?

A: It was patented in 1810. This design allowed each pedal to be pressed twice, providing harpists with greater flexibility in key changes and forming the basis of the modern concert harp.

Q: How does a harp produce sound?

A: Unlike violins or cellos, harpists pluck the strings with their fingers instead of using a bow.

Q: Which fingers do harpists use?

A: Harpists use their thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers – the pinky is too short to reach the strings.

Q: How is the harp positioned when played?

A: The harp is tilted back to rest near the right shoulder and supported between the knees to balance the weight.

Q: How do harpists find the correct notes?

A: Harps use color-coded strings – red for C and black for F – to help identify pitches.

Q: Why are harp strings of different lengths?

A: Longer strings produce lower pitches, while shorter strings create higher notes.

Q: How do lever harps differ from pedal harps?

A: Lever harps are smaller and use levers instead of pedals to change pitch. Most students begin their studies on a lever harp.

Q: How do levers work on a harp?

A: Each lever, when pushed up, shortens a string to raise its pitch by a half step. Pushing it back down returns the strings to their original pitch.

Q: Do all lever harps have levers on every string?

A: Not always – some have levers on all strings, while others only on certain ones.

Q: When might harpists adjust levers while playing?

A: They may do so when encountering accidentals or key changes within a piece.

Q: What distinguishes a pedal harp from a lever harp?

A: Pedal harps are larger and use pedals to change the pitch of notes instead of levers.

Q: How many pedals does a pedal harp have, and what do they represent?

A: There are seven pedals, one for each note in the musical scale: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.

Q: How are the pedals arranged?

A: Four pedals are on the right side and three are on the left.

Q: How do the pedals change pitch?

A: Each pedal has three positions: the top for flat, the middle for natural, and the bottom for sharp. Each pedal is connected to a metal rod. This metal rod extends through the harp’s hollow column and is attached to all the strings of a specific note via hooks and prongs. Each pedal has three positions, with each position raising the corresponding note by a half step at a time. For example, if the C pedal is in its neutral, top position, all C strings on the harp will be flat. When the C pedal is placed in the middle position, all Cs become natural, and when placed in the bottom position, all Cs will be sharp.

Q: Can a single string play multiple notes?

A: Yes. Each string can produce three pitches – flat, natural, and sharp – depending on the pedal’s position.

Q: What is a glissando on the harp?

A: A glissando is when a harpist slides their fingers across many different strings instead of just plucking single notes. This creates a flowing, cascading sound.

Q: What makes harp glissandos unique compared to other instruments?

A: Pedals allow harpists to easily change the notes within a glissando, giving it a distinct sound.

Q: What other special effects can harpists create?

A: There are many other “special effects” that harpists can use. Typically, only the pads of the fingers are used to pluck strings, but in very particular circumstances, a piece might specify that the harpist pluck with the fingernails. This gives the tone a sharp and twangy sound. Harpists can also make a brighter sound by playing lower on the strings and closer to the soundboard. This technique, called ‘pres de la table’ or ‘PDLT,’ makes the harp sound almost like a guitar. On the opposite end of the tone spectrum is the harmonic. By pressing exactly into the middle of a string with either the palm or knuckle and plucking it at the same time, harpists make a string sound one octave higher while also creating a bell-like resonance.