

Many brands are offering more and more harps with wire strings, as t hey are easier to play, and sound slightly more powerful with a bell-like characteristic. The wire harp is a relatively modern type of harp characterized by wire strings instead of the more common nylon strings of traditional harps. Some of them are pretty rare today as they were played in past centuries, but many are still commonly used with modernized versions. While the main two types of modern harps are pedal and lever, there are many more weird and wonderful harp types in different cultures worldwide.
#Large harps professional#
Professional pedal harps cost between $20,000 to $150,000 USD, making them some of the most expensive musical instruments. However, a standard pedal harp has 47 strings with seven strings per octave. Just like the lever harps, there are different-sized models with a varying number of strings. I t is a complex instrument to master as you need a good level of coordination to use your hands and feet simultaneously to reach the notes in complex music pieces. If you want to play harp professionally, you will likely have to switch to pedal harps at some point. The pedals are connected to the discs on the instrument’s neck, allowing the players to change the pitch from a natural position to a sharp or flat one. In total, there are 7 pedals in a pedal harp, which are placed at the bottom end of the instruments. They feature pedals instead of levers and allow players to shift the note of a string with their feet, thus facilitating the playing of more complex pieces of music without losing time when adjusting them with their hands – like with lever harps. Pedal Harps are the other primary type of harp and are considered to be a more suited harp for experienced harpists. Their cost varies between $2,500-$5,000 USD, which is a relatively affordable price range for harps. There are many different sizes of lever harps with varying numbers of harp strings. I t is tough to change the levers while playing a complex piece of music, making this type of harp more suited for beginners who need to get used to the instrument by playing basic pieces. With this, the harpist can play two different notes on each string and can shift the string’s note to the flat, natural, or sharp with the levers.Īs lever harps require you to use your hands to shift the notes, they are not typically preferred by professional players, but more by entry-level harpists. These harps feature levers placed on the harp’s neck at the top of each string. Lever Harps are one of the two main types of harps that are commonly used today.

Harps are stringed musical instruments played with both hands by picking individual strings. Also, check out how many strings does a harp have? The answer may surprise you.Learn about different harp types and their uses in the past and present-day.Discover one of the oldest and richest instruments in human history.Disclosure: We may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
