The Harp is an acoustic musical instrument which is made up stings that are held stretched under tension, which will produce harmonics when plucked with the fingers, a pick or a similar device. There are two primary kinds of harps, bow and angle. Bow harps are so named after the discovery that bow strings would create sounds when plucked under tension. Soon, bow harps would be given the addition of multiple strings to create multiple notes and form a full melody. It became the case that more strings were desired, so the angle harp was created, which was made up of two angled pieces of wood, between which the stings were tied under pressure. Both harps would also feature a resonate cavity (similar in function to the body of an acoustic guitar) which would amplify the harp's sound.

Both harps have seen frequent usage up to the modern day. In Europe, the angle harp received the structural improvement of a support column placed at the ends of the two angled pieces of wood. This enables many more strings to be used, as each would have many pounds of tension straining the wooden frame. In the Baroque period harps were given a second row of strings tuned to a different scale to allow the combination of a harmony and melody. Concert harps have pedals installed which when pressed will apply pressure upon the strings in order to adjust the sound from a smooth to a sharp sound.

Playing the harp involves the complete use of the hand with the exception of the little finger, as it typically does not have the strength to fully engage the string the way that is necessary in order to generate the ideal sound for harp playing. Many techniques for playing the harp involve the use of alternating weak and strong finger techniques, as the thumb and first finger are significantly stronger than the second finger. The strings would then be tensioned appropriately to enable a full range of sound for the given strength of the finger.

Harps have found their place in ballads and classical music, and are especially utilized for special effects such as the arpeggios and glissando. 19th century ballet music can feature many harp solo scores. In the European region, the Irish had come up with the Celtic harp, or folk harp. These are small to medium instruments that are played either solo or in large groups, lending the sound of the harp to the traditional Celtic music of the Irish. Since then, the Irish would use the harp as a political and civil symbol, on currency and the coat of arms.

Today, harps have found usage in Jazz and folk music, along with performers providing classical treatments. As the music culture evolves, many artists are beginning to use the instrument in new and creative ways in order to bolster the quality of work that the artist puts out.

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Originally posted 2009-02-02 05:49:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Acoustic Musical Instruments, Harps, Instrument History

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acoustic guitar, ballads, baroque period, bow strings, cavity, classical music, discovery, finger techniques, fingers, frequent usage, harmony and melody, little finger, musical instrument, pieces of wood, playing the harp, sharp sound, support column, tension, thumb, wooden frame