harp

Plucked musical string instrument. It consists of a set of strings stretched vertically over a triangle-shaped frame. The strings rise from a sloping soundboard and are tensioned at the opposite end by pegs. The orchestral harp is the largest instrument of its type. It has 47 strings covering the range B0–C7 (seven octaves). At its base there are seven double-action pedals (one for each note of the octave) to alter pitch. Before the pedals are depressed, the strings sound the scale of C flat major, but each note can be raised a semitone or a whole tone by one of the pedals. Thus all the notes of the chromatic scale can be sounded.

It is one of the oldest of all musical instruments, with its ancestor the lyre being played in ancient Greece. It existed in the West as a harp as early as the 9th century, and was common among medieval minstrels. At that time it was quite small, and was normally placed on the knees. It grew in size because of a need for increased volume, following its introduction into the orchestra in the 19th century. Composers for the harp include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Maurice Ravel, Carlos Salzedo, and Heinz Holliger. The harp has also been used in folk music, as both a solo and accompanying instrument, and is associated with Wales and Ireland.