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The harp

adrianastewart0
By Isabella Stewart
The harp
What is the harp?
The harp is a stringed musical instrument which has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard, which are plucked with the fingers. Harps have been known since antiquity in Asia, Africa, and Europe. The harp comes in lots of colours but the traditional harps come in gold and sometimes silver.
History of the harp
The earliest discovery of the harp was found in Ancient China 2500 BC. They were shaped like bows or angular and had very few strings.The angled harp came to Egypt from Asia in about 1500 B.C. It was built from a hollow sound-box joined to a straight string-arm at an angle. The strings, possibly made of hair or plant fibre, were attached to the sound-box at one end and tied to the string-arm at the other. The strings were tuned by rotating the knots that held them.The frame harp [irish] had its first appearance in medieval western Europe in the 8th to 10th century AD.
Types of harps
Harps vary globally in many ways. In terms of size, many smaller harps can be played in the lap, while larger harps are quite heavy and rest on the floor. Different harps may use strings of catgut or nylon, or of metal, or some combination. While all harps have a neck, resonator, and strings, "frame harps" have a pillar at their long end to support the strings, while "open harps" such as arch or bow harps, do not. Modern harps also vary in techniques used to extend the range and chromaticity of the strings, such as adjusting a string's note mid-performance with levers or pedals which modify the pitch.
Diagram of the harp
This is a diagram of the harp.
How to play the harp
You play the harp by sitting down with your legs on either side, with the neck of the harp leaning on your right shoulder. Each string sounds a different note (they come in different colors to help you tell one from another) and you play them by plucking the strings with your fingertips and thumb. Attached to the bottom of the harp are seven foot pedals, which change the pitch of each string and allow them to sound the pitches of the black keys on the piano. The harp is quite easy once you have figured out a technique.
Development of the harp
The first harp was a bowl shaped harp and it has developed to a angled harp then the lyre harp then a triangular framed harp after that is the 25 string harp ,34 string harp and the latest harp the 47 string harp. 
Where the harp is played 
The Harp is one of the oldest instruments in the world and it is now played all over the world mostly in Europe.
Video
This is a video of five harpists playing the song fireflies.


Tone color of the harp
The tone color of the harp is warm and sweet while it also produces a buzzing sound coming from the plucking of the strings.
Bibliography
* http://www.singaporeharpist.com/history.htm
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harp
* /www.harp.com/history-of-the-harp.htm
* http://www.internationalharpmuseum.org/visit/history.html

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