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The curved plate on the neck of the harp, to which the strings are attached, is made of brass. The disks which control the length of the strings are also brass, as are the pedals which control the disks. These external metal parts are often plated with gold for appearance and to resist tarnishing.
An arched harp made of wooden brackets and metal strings is depicted on an Indus seal. [18] The works of the Tamil Sangam literature describe the harp and its variants, as early as 200 BCE. [ 19 ] Variants were described ranging from 14 to 17 strings, and the instrument used by wandering minstrels for accompaniment. [ 20 ]
Many of the bigger folk harps (34 & 36-string) also have metal-wound strings in the bass octave. Wire-strung harps at one point almost vanished altogether, however they've made quite a resurgence recently, and now many harp companies offer wire-strung models along with their nylon-strung models.
Oct 12, 2024 · Harp, stringed instrument in which the resonator, or belly, is perpendicular, or nearly so, to the plane of the strings. Each string produces one note, the gradation of string length from short to long corresponding to that from high to low pitch. Learn more about harps, including their history.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The cast-iron frame, also called the plate or harp, is responsible for sustaining the massive tension of the strings. Before advances in metallurgy, the frame was made of wood, which would bend and warp under high string tension. In order to prevent this warping, the strings had to be kept at a lower tension, resulting in a softer sound.
Mar 22, 2024 · Strings: Harp strings vary in material, ranging from gut (made from the intestinal fibers of animals), nylon, or metal. Gut strings offer a warm, traditional sound, nylon strings provide durability and a bright tone, while metal strings, often steel or copper-wound, produce a brilliant, penetrating sound.
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Harp strings are made of metal gut and sometimes nylon, and are coloured to give the player a visual aid to find the right string, with all the Cs red and all the Fs black. The lowest strings are made from steel and the rest of the strings are made from gut, although some players use nylon strings for the very highest notes, as gut strings tend to break more often.
