A harp is a musical instrument.
A harp is a musical instrument that has strings located vertically and whose frame is shaped like a triangle. The harp is played with both hands, either with fingers or with plectrums.
According to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), the term can also be written with an initial H : harpa . The notion derives from the French word harpe , although its most distant etymological origin is found in the Germanic languages.
Your story
In the ancient towns of Egypt , Israel and Assyria , the harp was already played. The instrument reached its greatest popularity in the Middle Ages and then lost fame. Nowadays there are different types of harp.
As the 18th century came to an end, the main historical evolution of the harp emerged in Germany : the inclusion of pedals to increase the sound options of the instrument. Today the most used harps have seven pedals and 47 strings, made of copper or nickel silver , nylon and sheep gut.
The harp is used in classical music , being present in orchestras. The instrument has also been used in jazz , electronic music , rock and pop , although not as frequently. Traditional Celtic music , for its part, usually makes use of the harp.
The Frenchman Alan Stivell , the American Zeena Parkins , the Spanish Héctor Braga , the Canadian Loreena McKennitt and the Argentine Athy are some of the most famous contemporary harpists.
Types of harp
It must be established that there are many and varied types of harps that exist, among which we can highlight the following:
- Mouth harp , also called birimbao . It is a very small musical instrument made up of a metal bow and a steel reed. It is held in the mouth.
- Celtic harp , which is characterized by having 34 strings and a maximum size of 105 centimeters.
- Medieval harp , which has metal strings and a height that does not exceed 75 centimeters in height.
- Paraguayan harp , which is a key piece of vernacular music and has the peculiarity that it is tuned very similar to that of a guitar.
There are various myths and symbolisms associated with the harp.
Mythology and symbolism
The harp and mythology have a close relationship, since there are many figures identified with this musical instrument. Thus, for example, the god Dagda , who is the most important in Irish Celtic mythology, has a harp made of oak that was known as Uaithne .
This instrument was considered magical since, among other things, it allowed him to control the order of the seasons and had the particularity that it could play three melodies: gentraiges (chord of laughter), goltraiges (chord of crying) and suantraiges (chord of dream).
It is said that on one occasion Dagda 's harp was stolen by the Fomorians . He managed to get her back by going to where she was and starting to sing. And, upon hearing him, that instrument took down from where it was and headed towards its owner.
The expression "closer to the harp than to the guitar" , on the other hand, is used in some countries with reference to the proximity of death . This is associated with symbolic images of deceased people playing the harp or lyre.