The orchestra harp, also known as the classical harp, is the largest instrument in the harp family. It is played with both hands, with the left hand plucking the lower strings and the right hand plucking the higher strings. It has 47 strings that make up six and a half octaves or musical scales. It is usually used as a solo instrument, but it can also be found in orchestral settings. Like a piano or guitar, it can play both melody lines and chords, giving it a lot of versatility.
A classical harp’s construction is intricate, resulting in a delicate instrument. The strings are attached to a curved bar that is held in place by the instrument’s base. It’s in the shape of a triangle, with one of the corners resting on the ground. Each C is a red string, and each F is a black string, to aid the harpist in navigating the strings.
While playing, one side of the triangle is pulled back against the harpist’s body, causing the entire instrument to lean against him. A harpist always sits down to play, with the harp resting between his or her legs and leaning against the right shoulder.
The sound box, also known as the resonation chamber, is a chamber built into the side of the harp that faces the harpist. The harp would not be loud enough to carry over an orchestra without the sound box. The sound box is frequently embellished with carvings or other ornamentation for purely aesthetic reasons.
The key of C flat is used on classical harps. This indicates that the harpist can only play notes in that key. To solve this problem, pedals are used to raise the pitch of the strings by two half steps across the board.
In a musical key, half steps are the smallest musical division. The harpist can play in any key by raising the pitch by one or two half steps. A classical harp has seven pedals, one for each of the seven notes in a musical scale. Each pedal alters the pitch of all the strings associated with that note.
The tuning pegs can also be used to tune individual strings. Tuning pegs must be turned with a special tool. The classical harp, like any stringed instrument, can go out of tune due to humidity or excessive string pressure. Harpists should check their harp’s tuning on a regular basis to ensure the best sound. Although the harpist could technically retune for a different key, doing so would be extremely time consuming.