How the pedal harp makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the pedal harp belongs to the harps: strings run at an angle away from the soundboard, each plucked open.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
The pedal harp (also known as the concert harp) is a large and technologically modern harp, designed primarily for use in art music. It may be played solo, as part of a chamber ensemble, or in an orchestra. It typically has 47 strings with seven strings per octave, giving a range of six and a half octaves.
In this type of harp the pedals alter the pitch of the strings, so that the pedal harp can easily play works written in any key. This is particularly important in the harmonically complex music of the Romantic period and later 20th-century classical music.
Other harps
Frequently asked questions
What does a pedal harp sound like?
As one of the harps, its sound comes from the way strings run at an angle away from the soundboard, each plucked open.
What type of instrument is the pedal harp?
It is classified as harps (Hornbostel–Sachs 322.222).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q1231959 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Pedal harp – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by N.S.M. s.p.a. – CC BY-SA 4.0