Harps

Harps, all different, but still a part of the harp family, can be traced to just about every continent on earth.

Asia has very few types of harps, there are still some native harps, however, only in limited production.

Egyptian, Persian, and Greek harps are some of the oldest dating back some 6000 years.

South American harps are derived from harps brought from Spain in the early 1600's. The most popular of South American harps is the Paraguayan harp, the national Instrument of Paraguay.

There are many different kinds of harp in Africa. They do not have forepillars and so are either bow harps or angle harps. As well as true harps such as Mauritania's ardin, there are a number of instruments that are difficult to classify, often being labeled harp-lutes, another term for them is spike harps. The West African Kora is the best known of African harps, the strings run from a string arm to a 'spike' and the resonating chamber is attached to the base of the spike.

Europe has many harps if not the most from Greece to Ireland dating back 3000-5000 years: the Cross Strung Harp, Irish Harp and Double Harp are just a few. There are only a few surviving harps from medivel times like the Waterburg Harp and Queen Mary Harp. Harps are still a big part of European culture. Pictures of harps can be found on wine and whiskey bottles, money and even Coat of Arms.

Like South American harps modern American harps are also derived from European harps imported in the early 1600's. The kind of wood used to make harps varies by region. Harp wood must be a strong wood, like Ebony or Mahogany, as a harp needs to hold a great amount of string tension.

The strings of harps are made of nylon, steel or copper. Old harp strings from around the world where made of catgut "sheepgut," hide or in Asia they used silk and in Africa antelope hide.

Catgut is the name applied to cord of great toughness, prepared from the intestines of the sheep or goat, and occasionally from those of hog, horse, mule, pig, and donkey. Those of the cat are not employed, however it is supposed that the word is properly kitgut ("violin string"), kit being derived from the ancient word "citara" or "kitara" from which comes the modern word "guitar." The present form may have arisen through confusion that kit = cat. Another explanation of the origin of the cat in catgut is that it is an abbreviation for cattle which originally denoted not only cows, but all types of livestock.

Harps produce calm music. It is said: If if one can play a Piano one can also play a harp.

Anthony Benjamin is an avid world traveler, lover of nature and animals. He loves to write and share his wealth of information and adventures in his writings. His favorite place to retreat and write is his summer home, secluded high on a mountaintop in the Great Smoky Mountains. A visit to his website is a true delight: http://www.appalachian-treasures.com