What do pedals on a harp do

From left to right: Loveland lever, Triplett blades and levers. Harp pedals and positions, source unknown close. Discs, from 'Thumbs Up! Producing Harmonics, Hand positions, source unknown close. Did you always want to know How much does it weigh?

How tall is it? How much did it cost? How do you transport it? I have a custom harp dolly or hand truck designed and built by my husband, which makes it fairly easy to move around and to load into a vehicle. I transport the harp in a minivan with the rear seats removed. Other harpmobiles include a large station wagon, a pickup truck with a canopy, or some SUVs.

Do you have to keep your fingernails short? Do you have calluses on your fingertips? Do you wish you had learned to play the piccolo instead? Are all female harpists beautiful? Do you have to tune it often? Yes, constantly! Do you play with 10 fingers? No, I use only eight of my ten fingers when playing the "pinkies" are just along for the ride! A Brief History The harp is one of our most ancient musical instruments.

Producing Sound Several of the parts of the harp help to make its sound loud enough to be heard throughout a room or concert hall. Materials Used As many as eight woods including willow, birch, pine, spruce, and maple, are used in making a pedal harp, and usually several different kinds are used in a single instrument. The modern concert harp is very different in appearance from the instruments used centuries ago to accompany songs and those used today in folk music across the world such as the Irish harp.

Endowment opportunities at the Philharmonia offer supporters unique access and insights to our players. Find out more here:. Find out more. The concert harp sound is very similar to that of its relatives only more powerful and richer in tone.

Although the harp has a long history it was not really used in orchestral music until the 19th century. What brought this about was the development of a pedalling system, which enabled the player to continually change the tuning whilst playing, turning the harp into a fully chromatic instrument.

The harp is not a particularly loud instrument but the sound of its attack does penetrate, so composers often only use one with an orchestra or two with a larger orchestra. The harp relies on 7 foot pedals to change the pitches of its 47 strings.

They allow the harp to play chromatic notes but this also means that composers need to be aware of the need to allow sufficient time for pedal changes. Because of the unique characteristics of the harp there are elements of the notation which are different, but essentially the harp is notated on two staves like the piano.

Occasionally a composer will add pedal markings to the score in particular for glissandos but normally the harpist will work out their own pedalling.

Harpists can play only four notes simultaneously in each hand, and 4 note chords must be close together as the stretches become difficult. The hands to play particular notes can be marked m. Key changes and chromatic notes require planning by the harpist and they need a little time to change pedals if lots of chromaticism or a complicated key-changes are called for. More advanced classical harp music requires a pedal harp. Lever harps come in a variety of sizes with two options — lap harps and floor harps.

Smaller harps tend to be lap harps, with are very transportable and can be played on the lap. Larger lever harps are floor harps, as they sit on the floor and you lean the harp against your shoulder. It is always possible to place a lap harp on a stall or a table, making it a floor harp. There are also basic and specialist types of harp that don't have pedals or levers. Unless you are playing very specific repertoire like medieval music, it's always advisable to get a lever harp.

There are lots of harps available with various number of strings. Usually lever harps have 22 to 36 strings, though you can get lever harps with 19 to 40 strings. A pedal harp generally has 47 strings, though different number of strings are available with these as well.

A smaller harp isn't necessarily for beginners. In fact, smaller harps can be harder to learn on! The number of strings determines the range of notes available to you.

A good number of strings for lever harps is generally agreed on as Most pop music can be played on any type, but for rock and blues, you may want an electric. Also, keep in mind that cost does not automatically mean quality. If you really have your heart set on playing a pedal harp, look into renting one before committing to such an expensive purchase.

Cherie Yurco is a former editor at Making Music and has worked as a freelance editor and writer for over 20 years. Pedal Harps Pedal harps aka concert grand or orchestral harps are the largest member of the harp family. Lever Harps Lever harps include folk harps, Celtic harps, Irish harps, and all types of non-pedal harps. Choose a Harp Lever harps make good beginner harps because they come in a variety of sizes and prices, making them more affordable than pedal harps.

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