Role in the orchestra because it can make aĬertain kind of sound that no one else can make. ("The Firebird Suite, Finale"īy Igor Stravinsky (1919)) The harp has a unique These things are turningĪnd turning up there on the top of the instrument, We call it the action of a harp because that's where all (light music) And, if I wanna make it very noisy, I can. The D pedal controls all the Ds, which are a white string. Into the next position, and it shortens the string byĪbout a quarter of an inch. On the old, old folk harps, you did it manually with your hand, but this is too complicated. Turns this little disc, because I'm busy playing with my hands, so I can't do that manually. The fingerboard of a violin, or even like putting a key down on a flute to make the air stream shorter or longer. It's like putting your finger down on the fret of a guitar, or on Going from an open string, C flat, and then when I move the pedal, it turns a little disc which So, the C pedal, which is located on the left side of the instrument, and I press with my left foot, controls all the C strings. ![]() Why are there seven? Because there's seven notes of the scale: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. This is actually the house, the container, in which there are seven rodsĬonnected to seven pedals. They're called forks,Īnd they actually turn because they're connected to a rod which runs up the column. Of changing the pitches by turning little levers which exist at the top of the instrument. Each pedal has three positions, so I have 21 slots to choose from. It's connected to a system of pedals at the bottom of the Top of the instrument and this consists of It's not just about plucking the strings, it has a mechanical system that runs all along the (bright music) But, the mystery of the harp is that it has a mechanical ![]() It has 47 strings whichĪre made out of gut, and nylon and metal. 2" by Maurice Ravel) - This is a very important member of the orchestra, it's a harp. The harp is tipped onto its side and slid into the car then you carefully drive to where you are going. You also have to have a small mattress in the back and extra cushions so that the harp does not get banged around. To get the harp into a car, we have to have a somewhat large car like a minivan. The harpist pulls the handel back which tips the weight onto the wheels and then the harp can be pushed around somewhat easily. The dolley is a cart that has a bottom with two wheels placed on the back, then it has a back that holds the harp up straight and has a handle. First, the harp gets put in a case to prevent scratching and such. Harps are somewhat difficult to transport. Mine is not full size, but rather the size right below, and weighs 80 pounds. If the sound board widens out, it adds a good bit of weight. Some harps have straight sides, while others flare out towards the bottom, for a lack of a better phrase. Then there are the harps such as the one that Nancy Allen plays which can weigh up to around 100 pounds. These harps weigh around 10 pounds or around there depending on some other factors. Some harps are very small, sometimes having as few as 12 strings. All of the notes on the harp can be tuned through this way, except for the two lowest notes, and the highest note. ![]() This arrangement allows the performer to play almost all combinations of sharps and flats. Today's modern harp pedals have three positions they be completely off, or change the pitch one, or two, half-steps higher. (Technically, the default setting is C-major, with all of the pedal on once, but with them all off, it makes everything flat, making the actual natural tuning C-flat major.)Īs for manipulating accidentals (the sharps and flats of piece), that is done by employing the pedals of the harp. Oftentimes, a harp will be tuned, using the pedals, to a different key to make performing a piece simpler, but with all pedals "off," the key is C-flat major. This produces the best starting position for the pedals and their tuning techniques and abilities. Compared to C-natural major, everything would be tuned one half-step down. Most modern concert harps are tuned, by default, to C-flat major (enharmonically B major).
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