Introduction to the Harp
The harp is a beautiful instrument, which exists in numerous forms throughout the world. Many people are intrigued by the harp, but not everyone has an opportunity to see a harp close up or to try playing it. On this page you'll find an introduction to the harp, covering some basic information and introductory skills through a combination of text and video. Of course, there are many different approaches to playing the harp, with different techniques and styles of music, so everything that I've put together here is just one possible approach of many.
In the videos that follow, I use two standard kinds of classical harps, a medium-sized lever harp and a full-sized pedal harp. If you're interested in how these instruments work mechanically and the differences between them, all of that is explained in the How a Harp Works page that follows this one. Any of the videos here (or on any of the pages, actually) can be made large by clicking the full screen button in the bottom right-hand corner.
I hope that this introduction gives you a window into the harp!
Sitting at a Lever Harp
The harp is generally played sitting down. The harp rests on the right shoulder, with the right arm wrapped around the harp and the left arm free. It's best to sit on something firm and flat, such as a bench or stool, rather than an upholstered piece of furniture.
Sitting at a Pedal Harp
This is quite similar to sitting at a lever harp, but the harp is larger. Many people sit a bit higher on some sort of bench or adjustable stool. The music stand is placed on the left side of the harp (for either lever or pedal harp).
The Order of the Strings
The strings are named after the first seven letters of the alphabet, A B C D E F G, just like on all instruments. Some of the strings are color-coded as a visual reference, to help identify the individul strings. As C is an important note, it is color-coded red. F is also color-coded, either black or blue, and the remaining strings are white.
Basic Hand Position
When playing the harp, the little finger is not used, but the thumb and first three fingers all are used. Fingernails are kept short. People play with a wide variety of hand positions, but the way I play is to have the fingers pointing down, the thumb pointing up. Harpists use both hands to play.
Playing with the Index Finger
One way to start is to play with just the index finger. In doing this, I like to think about the finger pointing down, parallel to the string, and then giving the string a bit of a squeeze before coming away. You can play individual strings like this, or put them together in a scale.
Adding the Thumb
It works well to add the thumb next. You can play with the index finger and the thumb simultaneously, thinking about the finger pointing down while the thumb does the opposite and points up. Then, release both finger and thumb at the same time to create the sound.
Playing with the Index Finger and the Thumb Separately
Much of the finger placement on the harp revolves around the idea of being prepared in advance. Many people find this to require some focus when they are first starting out. To play the finger and the thumb separately, you want to set both on the strings, so that they're ready and waiting, and then squeeze and release them individually.
Playing a Glissando
A fun and simple harp technique is to play a glissando, also called a gliss. To do this you just run your finger along the strings while ascending, and your thumb along the strings while descending.
Playing with Three Fingers
You can add another finger, and play with the thumb, index finger, and middle finger. The thumb still points up and the index and middle fingers both point down, with very similar positions on the strings. When playing each finger individually, again the focus is on setting up all three simultaneously and then playing one at a time.
Playing Chords
You can also play chords with all three fingers, setting up with the same fingers, but now playing three strings simultaneously.
Playing with Four Fingers
Finally, you can add in the fourth and final finger. This has the same position as the index and middle fingers, but the ring finger is not an independent or flexible finger by design. Many people find that it feels a little stiff at first. Similarly to before, set up all four fingers before playing them individually.
Putting it Together
Here are a couple of beginning pieces that many people play when first starting out: