Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [harp]

A string instrument with strings perpendicular to the soundboard. For questions regarding the free reed wind instrument, use the "harmonica" tag.

31 questions
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How is this dissonant harp sound achieved?

In "L’Impatiente de Balfour" for viola and harp by Claire-Mélanie Sinnhuber, there are some harp notes that sound somehow dissonant and metallic, almost like a prepared piano. In this video by the Ensemble Intercontemporain it starts at around…
All Ears
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Harp Tuning Tendencies

I am a flutist and I will be playing flute in a harp ensemble. Is there anything I should know concerning tuning issues with harps while playing. Are there certain notes or octaves that are prone to being flatter or sharper than others?
user303537
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Add harp muffle notation in Lilypond

I'd like to add a muffle notation to my music sheets for the harp. The notation is a cross with a circle inside for left hand and that plus a circle outside for both hands. Example: There are a few more variations described here:…
Bani
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Thicker or thinner gauge for frequently snapping harp strings?

I have a kora (West-African harp) on which the highest two strings only seem to last about a week before snapping. The two strings are tuned to A (880Hz) and G (784Hz) respectively and are stretched 220mm and 250mm between bridge and machine…
Ian Mackinnon
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Scoring for the harp

I would like to know more about scoring for the harp. I don't really intend to attempt to write music for the harp but I would like to improve my understanding and appreciation. I am considering western classical music and the modern pedal harp. …
badjohn
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Is it OK to replace a harp string with an adjacent string?

I'm trying to fix up my girlfriend's Salvi concert harp, but just as I finally got the whole thing stringed and tuned, another string broke, and sadly, we did not have this specific string in stock. However, I figure that it can't hurt all that much…
Sanchises
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How do I record zither, harp etc. with a pickup?

Is there a way to record stringed instruments like zither, harp, piano via a pickup, similar to an electric guitar? Of course, these instruments can all be recorded via microphones, but what's preventing me from using a pickup? Unfortunately, I…
Johannes
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How to write this glissando/arpeggio for orchestral harp?

I want to end my piece with the following orchestral harp glissando/arpeggio (not sure which term best applies), starting with Ab2 on the fourth beat, using only the first and fifth note of each octave it travels through…
Walter
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Lilypond finger placement brackets

In music sheets intended for beginner harpists it's very common that the fingering includes not only the numbers but also brackets that indicate which fingers are positioned at the same time, replacements, etc. Here is one example: I'd like to know…
Bani
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Why do these notes have two sets of beams?

I'm puzzled by the bar ringed in red from a piece for Celtic harp (La danseuse T'ang, in Images de Chine, by Monique Grabus). There are two sets of beams, and every note has both an upward stem and a downward stem. My harp teacher advises me to…
Thomas Green
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Is a harp anything like a piano?

I play and teach piano, and I would like to learn the harp. Does my knowing piano give me an advantage in playing the harp, or does it not matter? Are they anything alike? Thanks a million! Btw I am speaking of a small harp, not a huge pedal harp,…
Moss
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As a beginner, what should I look for in a 22 string harp?

I am looking to buy a (hopefully not too expensive) 22 string harp. I've never played the harp, nor do I know anyone who has one, so I have no idea what to look for or how to know if it is of reasonably good quality. I don't need the best of the…
Moss
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Harp - “Half Pedal”

I know from Kurt Stone's book Music Notation in Twentieth Century: Hold pedal halfway between two notches to allow the string to vibrate against the tuning gear. So, how exactly is half pedal executed on the harp? (if possible suggest a sound…
Libera Me
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What is the reason for using non-standard harp pedal notation?

According to this page, harp pedals are notated as D C B E F G A. In the score for Holst's Planets - 7. Neptune, the order Cb D# Eb G# Ab B F# was used. Is there a specific reason for this non-standard notation?
Karlo
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How to notate specific-note harp glissando?

I am writing a piece in which I want the harp to play a glissando containing only specific notes, like so: Is this the best way to notate this type of thing, or is there a better way?
COBI
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