How to Make a Simple Harp

Video Transcript

"Hi my name is Briawna Howard, and I am here at Summerhays Music Center in Salt Lake City, Utah to talk a little bit about how a harp is made. Harps are made using primarily wood parts with a few metal parts like these pegs that you see at the top, and also the small levers. To make a harp a harp maker must first start with a sound board, which needs to be a flat piece of solid wood. The wood is cut to be the appropriate size and shape, and aged over time so that it will have maximum resonant quality. From there the harp crafter must carefully carve separate pieces of wood to fit the harmonic curve of the harp. This is one of the most complex aspects of building a harp. To get this harmonic curve right many mathematic equations must be involved. Once the neck of the harp is phased it is then bound and glued to the column of the harp, which is afixed to the base of the harp, which is then afixed to the body or the sounding portion right here. From there the sound board becomes the next important step. Afixed to the sound board is a bridge, in the bridge are drilled tiny holes through which the strings will fit. From there small mechanisms called levers are afixed with bolts to the neck of the harp. And through the neck of the harp holes are drilled where pegs, which will eventually hold the strings are placed. Then all that is left to do is to string the harp, and hope that it stays in tune."