How to Make a Harp

Few musical instruments are as beautiful or calming as the harp. The harp’s evolution started in prehistory when the first humans realized that their bowstrings made sounds when plucked. Things changed over thousands of years to bring us the harp we know and love today. When you make a harp, you’re giving yourself the gift of a striking musical instrument. You’re also making a beautiful piece of art that looks great in any kind of décor.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Power tools
• Wood
• Sandpaper
• Plumb bob
• Strings
• Wood stain
• Tuning pegs

1. Design the harp you’re going to build so you have an idea of the end result. While you can make any harp you want, there are two main ones in use today: the concert harp features a 45-degree beam against which the harpist leans his or her shoulder, where a vertical post provides the strength necessary to anchor the s-shaped top that holds the tuning pegs; the Celtic harp features a resonant chamber that leans against the harpist’s shoulder. A single, curved piece of wood forms the top and front side of the Celtic harp. The top of this piece features tuning pegs to adjust the string tension. Make sure the harp is not too large for the person who will be playing it. Your fingers should be able to easily reach the very last strings.

2. Get your lumber. If you are making your first harp, you might want to start out with pine or a softer kind of wood. Using hardwood, however, will give you better sound and better looks in the end. Use power tools to shape the wood according to your design. At this point, the pieces don’t have to be perfect.

3. Assemble the pieces to make sure there are no problems with the fit. Once you’ve determined everything is OK, disassemble the harp and sand all of the pieces smooth. Start with coarse sandpaper and work down to fine sandpaper. Put the harp back together, this time with some wood glue or some carefully placed nails.

4. Drill the holes for the strings in the bottom piece of your harp. These should be evenly spaced half an inch apart. Hang a plumb bob at the top piece of the harp to find the place where you should add the tuning pegs. Drill the holes for the tuning pegs, but don’t put them in yet.

5. Decorate your harp. You can go for a classic look and use an oil-based stain, or you can apply paint for a more unique look.

6. Now you can add the tuning pegs by screwing them in. At long last, you can string up your harp by threading the ends through the bottom holes of the harp and twisting them through the tuning pegs.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• This detailed source features harp information written by a harpist.
• This comprehensive site gives you information on fixing and playing your harp.