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String instruments, also known as chordophones, refer to musical instruments that rely on the vibration of strings in order to produce sounds. The most popular string instruments in this family of musical instruments include guitar, electric bass, violin, viola, cello, double bass, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and harp. Harps are one of the most widely used instruments and have dynamic ways in which they can be played – by sitting or standing and in solos, concerts, and orchestras. They have a number of individual strings running somewhat perpendicular to the resonator, or belly, and each string produces a single note based on the length of the string. Some variations of the harp are also equipped with pedal attachments and multiple rows of strings.
History of the Harp
Different variations of the harp have been found across several regions of Asia, Africa, and Europe and the instruments span over thousands of years. It rose to prominence during the Middle Ages and later on during the Renaissance, as new variants were being discovered to create a wider range of music. They became particularly popular in the European colonies, especially in Latin America. Though it became defunct in some regions of Asia and Africa, some of the early variants continued to be used in places like Egypt and Myanmar.
Origin
Some of the earliest harps found in regions like Egypt and Mesopotamia date back to about 3000 BCE. They were depicted on the sides of ancient Egyptian tombs and in the clay tablets of Mesopotamia. The name of the instrument comes from an amalgamation of the German, Old Norse, and Anglo-Saxon words, which meant “to pluck”. Though most harps were meant to be played vertically with fingers of both hands plucking at the strings, the harps found in Mesopotamia were designed to be played vertically. Similar ones were also found in India that dated back to 800 CE.
Types of Harps
Some of the most popular types of harps include:
- Arched Harps
- Angular Harps
- Frame Harps
- Medieval Harps
- Gothic Harps
- Lever Harps
- Pedal Harps
- Wire Harp
- Multi-Course Harps
- Latin American Harps
- Electric Harps
- Adungu
- Saung
- Aeolian Harp – Wind Harp
Dynamic Uses and References
The harp gained a sublime status as an aristocratic instrument for entertaining royalty and was used to invoke in the audience three distinct things: laughter, tears, and sleep. It also became a symbolic instrument of folklore and myths and was often portrayed in poems and art as being played by angels. However, over the years it has assumed symbolic significance in a wide range of areas. The harp had been adopted as the national symbol of Ireland since the 13th century. It was also adopted as the official symbol of the Irish beer brand, Guinness. Moreover, while modern harpists use only the first four fingers of their hands to pluck the strings with the pads of their fingers, Irish harpists use their fingernails to pluck the wires.
Over the years, every culture is seen to have produced its own variation of the soft-sounding instrument and the hunting bow-shaped antique harp has gone through a lot of transformation until it assumed its modern structure which is mass-produced by corporates.
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