Harp
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The Harp is one of the oldest instruments dating back to around l200 B.C. The modern double-action or concert harp, with seven pedals, was invented in 1810. This is one of the earliest examples, but very few changes have been made since then. The harp is a regular member of the symphony orchestra and opera orchestra, and is sometimes used to great effect in chamber music.
| Family |
| Strings |
| Pitch range |
| Six-and-a-half octaves. |
| Material |
| Wood, with gut strings. |
| Size |
| 5 ft 6 in (1.70 m) tall. |
| Origins |
| The true predecessor of the harp - the frame harp - was first depicted between the 8th and 10th centuries A.D., and was widely used by minstrels all over Europe up to the mid-fifteenth century. The harp as we know it today dates from around 1810. |
| Classification |
| Chordophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of strings. |
| And also... |
| The tension exerted by the strings on the frame of a double-action, or concert, harp can be as much as 1500 lb (680 kg). |
