The harp is a large plucked string instrument, one of the oldest plucked string instruments in the world, originating in ancient Persia.

The modern harp was designed in 1810 by the French pianist S. Ellard and has 47 strings of different lengths and 7 pedals that change the pitch of the strings to play in all keys.

The harp has a beautiful and rich sound and is a special colorful instrument for symphony orchestras and cabaret, mainly for harmonic accompaniment and glissando ornamentation.

In chamber music, the harp is also an important solo instrument, with an infectious softness and beauty when played solo.

Structure and materials of the harp:

The body of the harp is made of wood (including posts, pegboard, resonance box, and base), and the string system (including strings, shafts, variable transmission mechanism, and pedals).

The usual or ideal string combination:

Nylon strings for the treble, gut strings for the alto, and metal wound strings for the bass.

Variable pitch drive mechanism: using curved brass plates.

Two common types of harps and playing:

1. Pedal harp, usually with 47 strings, but also with smaller models such as 46 or 44 strings. The pedal harp has a wide range of sound and complex playing techniques and can play all tonalities, making it an important colorful instrument for orchestras and a great soloist.

There are 7 pedals under the harp, each controlling all the eponymous notes in the row. All pedals have a three-stage design, which can be stepped on to raise or lower the tone, with the middle position indicating a reduction.

Using the pedals, the player can play the heptatonic scale in all keys and can modulate other scale forms.

2. Chromatic harp/lever harp is relatively small, with no pedal alteration system, common specifications are 38 strings, 34 strings, 27 strings, etc.

The range and transposition ability are limited, the repertoire will be limited. However, it is easy to carry and can be used for solo and accompaniment applications.

The harp is played with the first to fourth fingers of the left and right hands, without the pinky.

The soprano part of the score is played by the right hand and the bass part is played by the left hand.

One hand can play single tones, double tones, chords (simultaneous sounding), and up to four tones in each hand, with a maximum width of ten degrees.

When the range of the tone pattern is wide, it is easy to play it in a roundabout way, with a coherent tone to tone connection.

The two hands can be swapped to produce a single-note chord like a piano. The two hands can also play interlocking notes in the same register. Overtones, stops, and slides are also characteristic of the harp.

The difficulty of the harp:

The difficulty is hard to set the notes, there are 7-foot pedals. The difficulty of using the hands and feet is high, and the player's physical coordination needs to be very good.

Maintenance of the harp：

Under normal use, the harp will last a long time if with the following care:

1. Avoid sun, rain, or high-temperature changes and impacts.

2. The body (wooden part) can be cleaned with oil and a dry cloth to keep it bright and clean.

3. Strings (nylon strings) are expendable materials and are prone to break if used improperly, so you should reserve an extra set of strings.

4. If it breaks down and cannot be repaired easily, you can ask a professional technician to repair it.