Types of harps

A lot of people ask me about my harp or what kind of harp do I play, so I decided to write about types of harps since they are not all the same.  Well, there is some similarities:  all harps are triangular in shape.  But, they come in many varieties and sizes.  The five harps illustrated below are some of the most common types.  They are:

1.  Irish lap harp.
2.  Gothic lap harp.
3.  Medium-size folk harp. (Frankie!)
4.  Irish high-headed harp. (Trudie!)
5.  Concert Grand Pedal harp - (Beth!)

Most of these harps have one set of strings in the order of the piano’s white keys: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C.  Check out this blog for more info on the color of the strings.

Beth, my Concert Grand Pedal harp has 47 strings, or six-and-one-half octaves, almost the full range of the piano.  The bottom string is C, three notes above the piano’s lowest A.  The top string is G, four notes below the piano’s highest C.  The Pedal Harp also has seven pedals, one for each note in the scale, that are attached mechanically to discs at the top of the strings and are used to change all octaves of each note by two half-tones, flat to natural to sharp. 

• When looking for a harpist for an event, especially weddings, it is important to consider what type of harp the harpist plays.   

• You want to make sure you that the harp will be fitting for the right theme and look:  for example a concert grand harp is larger and provides an elegant, sophisticated look and louder sound, whereas lever harps (i.e. Frankie and Trudie) are smaller which makes it perfect for a casual setting or beach wedding.  

To learn more about each of these harps, check out this FAQ from the Harp Connection.

References:  Harp Spectrum and Harp Connection.