Harp

The harp is a multi-stringed musical instrument where the strings are positioned perpendicularly to the sound board. The harp originated in Mesopotamia with the earliest harps and lyres dating back to 3500 BCE. Several harps have been found in royal tombs and burial pits in Ur.

All harps have a neck, strings and resonator. The strings can be made of gut, wire, nylon or silk and depending on the size, the string composition will vary. Larger orchestral harps use a variety of materials for the strings to give it a wide range of sound. There are various types of harp, those with a pillar are known as frame harps whilst those without a pillar are known as open harps. Depending on the size harps can either be played in the lap (for example ‘folk harps’), on tables or on the floor.