Doe, Jon
Dr. Melon
Music Appreciation 10
8 FEB 2013
The Harp: Classically Ancient From religious rituals to pure entertainment, the harp has captivated many with its beautiful sound and unusual structure and mechanics. With its rich history, the harp is one of the oldest musical instruments known to man. As noted in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, the earliest documentation on the harp dates back to the “3rd millennium BCE in the Middle East and Egypt” (882). From this period on, the harp has evolved tremendously. Whether it is the shape, size or type of material used, the harp has endured many changes. The earliest form was the arched harp. It was bow-like in shape, which leads many to believe the harp was invented based on the structure of an ancient weapon, the bow and arrow. One most likely realized the string on their bow made a sound when plucked and so they created an instrument with more strings to create different pitches. The rest is history. The earliest type of harp was arched, known as an ‘open’ harp, which made way to the ‘framed’ harp. The framed harp did not become in existence until the Middle Ages. It was stated in the work of Roslyn Rensch, The Harp: From Tara’s Hall to the American Schools, “the [open] harp of ancient civilizations lacked the column, or fore-pillar, that is an important part as we know it [today]” (4). As Rensch has pointed out, the open harp only consisted of a body and neck, between which were strung various lengths of gut, the primary material used for strings in ancient times along with other animal parts, such as leather and horsehair. This construction likely made the strings fairly loose, creating low pitches. The framed harp uses the addition of a column connecting the neck and body creating the famous triangular shape we know today. This extra piece adds rigidity to the whole instrument allowing there to be more tension added to strings, broadening the pitch range. Although when the framed harp was invented centuries ago, its early form is primitive and an ancestor to the modern concert harp used in orchestras today. The history, style of play and its many uses truly make the harp a renowned instrument critical to mankind. The harp was an important part of ancient civilizations dating back to 3000 BCE, predominantly in Egypt. This “is evident from the extant works of art of these peoples” (Rensch 3). Different art pieces have been found depicting the playing of harps, with some of these people being priests or persons of high power. This shows that the harp represented something very meaningful to these people. But the Egyptians were not the only ancient people playing the harp. There have been discoveries of ancient art of the Babylonian and Assyrian people with pictures of harps and musicians dating back to 2500 BCE. The harp is also found in the civilizations of ancient Israel and Greece. “The Greeks had a form of the harp which they called ‘kinyra’, but this instrument never gained great popularity” (Rensch 7). The lyre is also a Greek form of the harp which has been more popular. All of these civilizations paved the way for the coming of the modern harp people use today. Since the invention of the harp, there have been various playing positions and modifications made to the structure, but the basics remain the same. That is, until around the ninth century when the framed harp came into existence. “It is variously stated that the column was contributed to the harp by the Celts or Anglo-Saxons, sometime before the ninth century” (Rensch 15). It is thought that the “hardy Vikings, who plundered the coast of Europe in the 8th century, brought with them a triangular harp” (Rensch 15).
In the book by Eliseo Mauas Pinto, The Celtic Harp, Pinto points out that “Celtic countries prominent in the development of harps [were] Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany” (1). These Celtic countries were the first to introduce the third column onto the harp. This became known as the Celtic Harp. “The word harp is believed to be an Anglo-Saxon word which means ‘to pluck’” (Pinto 7). One of the earliest representations of it is on the Scottish cross of the eighth century. The Scottish people were very proud of their harp and appointed harpists were treated like royalty. This was also the case with the Irish, who were at war with the English around the start of the second millennium. The English insisted on the idea that the Irish were “barbarians” for observing the custom of harpists eating at the table of the kings. After time, the Irish finally gave in and stopped this practice. “With the gradual weakness of the kings in their sovereign power, the fall of the leadership of the harpists began by the end of the sixteenth century” (Pinto 16). It is then that the harp finds refuge in Scotland, where many were still dedicated to its performance. At the turn of the sixteenth century, there were an extensive number of harpists who settled in Scotland. The harp had even become the national instrument. But after several years of “feudal expansion and fights for power, the importance of the harp decayed by the end of the seventeenth century” (Pinto 17). This caused the national instrument to be replaced by the Scottish bagpipe.
Meanwhile, in other parts of the word, the harp was thriving. “Ever since it first appeared in musical sources in the middle of the sixteenth century, the harp has been linked with keyboard instruments in terms of musical function” (New Grove 901). Around this time, music became very popular and people started writing music. The first piece to be written for the harp is Tiento IX, Cifras para harpa y organo by Alonso Mudarra.
Throughout the second millennium many variations were made to the harp. A traditional harp had one set of strings, or rank. During the middle of the millennium musicians were playing with double or even triple rank harps with more strings, more pitches and broader sound. Pegs, made to tighten the strings, were also added. Ribs were added to the body to create a different tone color. The body was hollow, or solid, to change the color as well. While all these additions added diversity for the instrument, it was still difficult to obtain certain sounds from the harp. Two and three rank harps were complicated to make and hard to play. “Sometime during the late seventeenth century or early eighteenth, a method of obtaining some notes on a single rank harp was developed” (New Grove 911). Strong metal j-shaped hooks were inserted in the neck to provide pitch changes. This was still difficult for musicians because tuning the strings left only one hand to play the actual notes. This led to a mechanized pedal system. The pedals were connected to metal wires running up the body, which were tied to certain strings. When a pedal was depressed the wires turned hooks and sharpened the particular strings. This also led to a double-action harp which allows the harp to be played in all keys. This type of tuning is still used today in modern orchestras. Of course, the craftsmanship has gotten better through time. The creation of musical sound through the harp is quite simple. The body of the harp, often called the soundboard or resonator, is connected to a neck that is usually positioned at the top extending outwards. The neck has strings extending down at an angle connecting to the body. The framed harp type has the third side, or a column connecting the outermost part of the neck to the bottom of the body. This forepillar gives structure and rigidity to the whole instrument. Sound is usually produced by plucking the string with one’s fingers or fingernails, which bounces off the soundboard and is then projected to the audience. The use of fingernails is predominant in Irish culture with the Celtic harp. “Strings may also be struck with a stick or strummed with a plectrum while strings which are not wanted to sound are damped” (New Grove 881). The energy source comes from the harpist’s fingers. A harp can be played softly by barely touching the strings, or very loudly by plucking them with intensity. The vibrating element of this instrument is the heart and soul, the strings. These are either made of animal gut, silk or sometimes brass wire. The numbers of strings vary according to the size and the use of the harp. Through the various tuning mechanisms, a beautiful sound is produced with an extremely wide pitch range. The harp is capable of playing many scales of notes.
Due to this wide pitch range, the harp can be played in many different styles and for many different purposes. The harp’s use ranges from religious ritual to pure entertainment. “Harpists are depicted in royal salons, banquet scenes and processions as soloists or in ensembles” (New Grove 881). Throughout history, the harp has been used for celebratory events as well as funerals. Today, the harp is mainly used in opera houses and in orchestras. But there are still soloists performing as well. “The two most well-known harpists of the twentieth century are Carlos Salzedo (1885-1961) and Marcel Grandjany (1891-1975)” (Sara Chasse). Both were born in France and studied at Paris Conservatory. After graduating, they both traveled to America to establish harp departments. Both had their own method to the harp. “One being called the Salzedo Method and the other Grandjany Method” (Chasse). Harpists all over the world still use their methods of play. Sivan Magen of Germany performed one of Marcel Grandjany’s most beautiful pieces and posted the video on Youtube. He played the piece with the utmost respect and passion. It was amazingly soft and technical. The piece was called Rhapsodie. Magen could not have played it better.
The harp is one of the most ancient musical instruments known to mankind. It was invented before the biblical era and is still widely used today. It has undergone many transformations regarding style of play, construction and has climbed many steps on the social ladder. Like from its own soundboard, the harp has resonated throughout history changing the way people hear music. It is truly its own piece of history.

Works Cited
Chasse, Sara. “Famous Harpists of the Twentieth Century”. Sarachasse.tripod.com. 7 March 2007. Website. 5 Feb 2013.
“Harp.” New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians: Glinka to Harp. Ed. Stanley Sadie and J. Tyrrell. Volume 10. London: Macmillan, 2001. Print.
Magen, Sivan. “Marcel Grandjany: Rhapsodie”. Youtube. 14 June 2009. Web. 5 Feb 2013.
Pinto, Eliseo Mauas. The Celtic Harp. N.p.: Pinto, 2012.
Rensch, Roslyn. The Harp: From Tara’s Hall to the American Schools. New York, NY: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1950.