Video: What Is a Harp

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A harp is a musical instrument that has been around for years, and it is a stringed instrument often found in symphonies and orchestras. Learn about the structure of a harp and how it produces sound with help from a harp instructor in this free video on harps.

- Kinds of Harps

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Video Transcript

Hi I'm Briawna Howard, and I'm here today at Summerhays Music. I'm a professional harpist and a harp teacher, and we are going to talk a little bit about what a harp is. Harps are one of the oldest musical instruments, they were first invented by prehistoric hunters who actually strung extra strings onto their bows and arrows, and flexed them to produce a sound. A harp is an instrument in the string family often found in symphony's and orchestras. There is also a vast repertoire for solo harp performance. The harp has many different parts. This front part we call the column, and that is what supports the harp. At the base here we have the base of the harp, and connected to it are several pedals. Seven to be exact, which control the chromatic action of the harp. That is what allows it to have sharps and flats. The strings here are color coded red for C's , and blacks or blues for F's The strings on a harp can range anywhere from twenty-two to forty-seven.

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What Is a Harp

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