Harp: Difference between revisions

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'''Harps''' are instruments that have multiple strings perpendicular to the sound board, plucked by the player's hands. Each string corresponds to one pitch, which in the case of lever and {{W|pedal harp}}s, may be modified by the lever or pedal mechanism to get more than one pitch. In the case of the pedal harp, the strings are tuned to a diatonic scale, and depressing a pedal (of which one is available for each note of the diatonic scale), depressing a pedal rotates a set of discs with pins set to stop the corresponding strings (in all octaves) so as to raise their pitch by a chromatic semitone (including allowance for the resulting slight increase in string tension). The double-acting pedal harp extends this concept to have two sets of string-stopping discs, actuated by successive further depressions of the corresponding pedal, which can be locked at either of its depressed positions; the strings are tuned to all flats, and the first depressed position of a pedal raises the pitch of the strings to achieve the corresponding natural notes, while the second depressed position of the pedal raises the pitch further to achieve the corresponding sharp notes. The modern double-acting harp also has two lowest C and D strings and one highest G string to which this mechanism does not apply, so these strings are tuned to whichever pitches are required for the music being played.

Unfortunately, the above design in its standard implementation is wedded to [[12edo]] – the value of the chromatic semitone is fixed, and a standard pedal harp has no provision for adjusting the position of the string stops, nor for partial action of the string stops   attempting to move a pedal to an intermediate position does not produce an in-between note, but instead produces a buzz or a fearsome rattle (depending upon how hard the string was plucked) as the string hits the pins on the incompletely turned disc. The only microtonal tuning systems that can make efficient use of pedal harps to get in-between notes are multiples of 12edo, with multiple harps tuned to different rings of 12edo, as done by [[Ivan Wyschnegradsky]] with pianos. Although no recording is known of actual harp use in this way, [[Norokusi]] has written a composition in [[24edo]], rendered by soft synthesizers, that uses this technique (see below); in principle, it could be transcribed and then played on a full set of acoustic instruments, including two harps with the orchestra. Thus, microtonality on most harps (unless using multiple harps) is limited to whatever can be achieved by retuning the available 7 strings per octave. See the music section below for examples of obtaining microtones by [[#~~Retuned individual strings~~|retuning individual strings]] and [[#Retuned multiple harps|retuning two or more harps offset by one step within a multiple of 12edo]].

Unfortunately, the above design in its standard implementation is wedded to [[12edo]] – the value of the chromatic semitone is fixed, and a standard pedal harp has no provision for adjusting the position of the string stops, nor for partial action of the string stops   attempting to move a pedal to an intermediate position does not produce an in-between note, but instead produces a buzz or a fearsome rattle (depending upon how hard the string was plucked) as the string hits the pins on the incompletely turned disc. The only microtonal tuning systems that can make efficient use of pedal harps to get in-between notes are multiples of 12edo, with multiple harps tuned to different rings of 12edo, as done by [[Ivan Wyschnegradsky]] with pianos. Although no recording is known of actual harp use in this way, [[Norokusi]] has written a composition in [[24edo]], rendered by soft synthesizers, that uses this technique (see below); in principle, it could be transcribed and then played on a full set of acoustic instruments, including two harps with the orchestra. Thus, microtonality on most harps (unless using multiple harps) is limited to whatever can be achieved by retuning the available 7 strings per octave. See the music section below for examples of obtaining microtones by [[#Scordatura tuning|scordatura tuning]] (retuning individual strings) and [[#Retuned multiple harps|retuning two or more harps offset by one step within a multiple of 12edo]].

Here is a demonstration of harp string buzz:

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== A solution that does not yet exist ==

~~An instrument called~~ a "fluid harp" ~~exists that~~ has sliders to enable continuously-variable pitch variation on each string, as demonstrated in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzhlYaevFR8 ''Fluid Harp – Adjustable Microtonal Harp''] (2017), ~~but~~ it is actually a zither and produces a very different tonal quality from a harp; as such, it belongs to a page about zithers, and is not further covered here. In principle, such a mechanism – or better yet, a pedal-actuated slider mechanism – could be applied to an actual harp, but so far, none have been built.

Although a "fluid harp" has been made with sliders to enable continuously-variable pitch variation on each string, as demonstrated in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzhlYaevFR8 ''Fluid Harp – Adjustable Microtonal Harp''] (2017), it has strings parallel to the sound board. Therefore, it is actually a zither, and produces a very different tonal quality from a harp; as such, it belongs to a page about zithers, and is not further covered here. In principle, such a mechanism — or better yet, a pedal-actuated slider mechanism — could be applied to an actual harp, but so far, none have been built.

== Lever harp ==

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== Manual string stopping ==

Another possible solution is to wear a metal cylinder on one finger and use it to stop pairs of adjacent strings. This enables any amount of pitch bend (potentially while plucking these and nearby strings with other fingers on the same hand), and can be used on any harp, although it only applies to one pair of strings at a time for each metal tube (conceivably, one could wear a metal tube on one finger on each hand to do this with two pairs of strings). See the music section below for examples of [[#Manual string stopping|manual string stopping]].

== Concert (Modern) Konghou ==

The Chinese {{W|Konghou#Modern_konghou|concert konghou}} is a pedal harp-lyre hybrid (since it has additional soundboards parallel to the strings) which loops each string from one side to the other, dividing the string into segments of the same pitch on each side. (Note that "{{W|konghou}}" without specifying "concert konghou" or "modern konghou" can refer to any of several quite different instruments.) It is possible to play the segment on one side while pressing against the segment on the other side to increase the tension, shown in the following video being used for vibrato, but in principle also usable for sustained upward pitch bending.

=== Demonstration ===

; [https://www.youtube.com/@HarpistKT Kristan Toczko]

* [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kMV_b4jKCjk ''What a unique harp!''] (2024)

== More strings ==

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* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHxUnzVWHdQ ''KHEÍRŌN opus 53, Nocturne pour harpe – Caroline Lizotte (Juliette Duguay, harpiste)''] (2026) (uses the metal tube on finger technique)

=== ~~Retuned individual strings~~ ===

=== Scordatura tuning ===

; {{W|Alain Bancquart}}

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSDAz4qS3H0 ''Ma manière de chat''] (1979) (from video comments: some strings are tuned down by a quarter-tone)

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 '''Harps''' are instruments that have multiple strings perpendicular to the sound board, plucked by the player's hands. Each string corresponds to one pitch, which in the case of lever and {{W|pedal harp}}s, may be modified by the lever or pedal mechanism to get more than one pitch. In the case of the pedal harp, the strings are tuned to a diatonic scale, and depressing a pedal (of which one is available for each note of the diatonic scale), depressing a pedal rotates a set of discs with pins set to stop the corresponding strings (in all octaves) so as to raise their pitch by a chromatic semitone (including allowance for the resulting slight increase in string tension). The double-acting pedal harp extends this concept to have two sets of string-stopping discs, actuated by successive further depressions of the corresponding pedal, which can be locked at either of its depressed positions; the strings are tuned to all flats, and the first depressed position of a pedal raises the pitch of the strings to achieve the corresponding natural notes, while the second depressed position of the pedal raises the pitch further to achieve the corresponding sharp notes. The modern double-acting harp also has two lowest C and D strings and one highest G string to which this mechanism does not apply, so these strings are tuned to whichever pitches are required for the music being played.
-Unfortunately, the above design in its standard implementation is wedded to [[12edo]] – the value of the chromatic semitone is fixed, and a standard pedal harp has no provision for adjusting the position of the string stops, nor for partial action of the string stops &nbsp; attempting to move a pedal to an intermediate position does not produce an in-between note, but instead produces a buzz or a fearsome rattle (depending upon how hard the string was plucked) as the string hits the pins on the incompletely turned disc. The only microtonal tuning systems that can make efficient use of pedal harps to get in-between notes are multiples of 12edo, with multiple harps tuned to different rings of 12edo, as done by [[Ivan Wyschnegradsky]] with pianos. Although no recording is known of actual harp use in this way, [[Norokusi]] has written a composition in [[24edo]], rendered by soft synthesizers, that uses this technique (see below); in principle, it could be transcribed and then played on a full set of acoustic instruments, including two harps with the orchestra. Thus, microtonality on most harps (unless using multiple harps) is limited to whatever can be achieved by retuning the available 7 strings per octave. See the music section below for examples of obtaining microtones by [[#Retuned individual strings|retuning individual strings]] and [[#Retuned multiple harps|retuning two or more harps offset by one step within a multiple of 12edo]].
+Unfortunately, the above design in its standard implementation is wedded to [[12edo]] – the value of the chromatic semitone is fixed, and a standard pedal harp has no provision for adjusting the position of the string stops, nor for partial action of the string stops &nbsp; attempting to move a pedal to an intermediate position does not produce an in-between note, but instead produces a buzz or a fearsome rattle (depending upon how hard the string was plucked) as the string hits the pins on the incompletely turned disc. The only microtonal tuning systems that can make efficient use of pedal harps to get in-between notes are multiples of 12edo, with multiple harps tuned to different rings of 12edo, as done by [[Ivan Wyschnegradsky]] with pianos. Although no recording is known of actual harp use in this way, [[Norokusi]] has written a composition in [[24edo]], rendered by soft synthesizers, that uses this technique (see below); in principle, it could be transcribed and then played on a full set of acoustic instruments, including two harps with the orchestra. Thus, microtonality on most harps (unless using multiple harps) is limited to whatever can be achieved by retuning the available 7 strings per octave. See the music section below for examples of obtaining microtones by [[#Scordatura tuning|scordatura tuning]] (retuning individual strings) and [[#Retuned multiple harps|retuning two or more harps offset by one step within a multiple of 12edo]].
 Here is a demonstration of harp string buzz:
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 == A solution that does not yet exist ==
-An instrument called a "fluid harp" exists that has sliders to enable continuously-variable pitch variation on each string, as demonstrated in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzhlYaevFR8 ''Fluid Harp – Adjustable Microtonal Harp''] (2017), but it is actually a zither and produces a very different tonal quality from a harp; as such, it belongs to a page about zithers, and is not further covered here. In principle, such a mechanism – or better yet, a pedal-actuated slider mechanism – could be applied to an actual harp, but so far, none have been built.
+Although a "fluid harp" has been made with sliders to enable continuously-variable pitch variation on each string, as demonstrated in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzhlYaevFR8 ''Fluid Harp – Adjustable Microtonal Harp''] (2017), it has strings parallel to the sound board. Therefore, it is actually a zither, and produces a very different tonal quality from a harp; as such, it belongs to a page about zithers, and is not further covered here. In principle, such a mechanism — or better yet, a pedal-actuated slider mechanism — could be applied to an actual harp, but so far, none have been built.
 == Lever harp ==
@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 == Manual string stopping ==
 Another possible solution is to wear a metal cylinder on one finger and use it to stop pairs of adjacent strings. This enables any amount of pitch bend (potentially while plucking these and nearby strings with other fingers on the same hand), and can be used on any harp, although it only applies to one pair of strings at a time for each metal tube (conceivably, one could wear a metal tube on one finger on each hand to do this with two pairs of strings). See the music section below for examples of [[#Manual string stopping|manual string stopping]].
+== Concert (Modern) Konghou ==
+The Chinese {{W|Konghou#Modern_konghou|concert konghou}} is a pedal harp-lyre hybrid (since it has additional soundboards parallel to the strings) which loops each string from one side to the other, dividing the string into segments of the same pitch on each side. (Note that "{{W|konghou}}" without specifying "concert konghou" or "modern konghou" can refer to any of several quite different instruments.) It is possible to play the segment on one side while pressing against the segment on the other side to increase the tension, shown in the following video being used for vibrato, but in principle also usable for sustained upward pitch bending.
+=== Demonstration ===
+; [https://www.youtube.com/@HarpistKT Kristan Toczko]
+* [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kMV_b4jKCjk ''What a unique harp!''] (2024)
 == More strings ==
@@ Line 37: / Line 44: @@
 * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHxUnzVWHdQ ''KHEÍRŌN opus 53, Nocturne pour harpe – Caroline Lizotte (Juliette Duguay, harpiste)''] (2026) (uses the metal tube on finger technique)
-=== Retuned individual strings ===
+=== Scordatura tuning ===
 ; {{W|Alain Bancquart}}
 * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSDAz4qS3H0 ''Ma manière de chat''] (1979) (from video comments: some strings are tuned down by a quarter-tone)