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| What do I call someone who plays the harp? |
| How do different types of harps look and sound? |
Question: What do I call someone who plays the harp?
Answer:
There are two terms which are generally used to refer to a person who plays
the harp: harpist and harper. There is no concrete rule governing the terms,
but general usage in the harp world is as follows:
| harpist | a person who plays the pedal harp |
| harper | a person who plays a folk/Celtic harp |
| harp player | a general catch-all, like saying 'piano player' instead of 'pianist', more informal |
| harpest | not a word in English, but it is the word
for 'harpist' is some other languages if seen in conjunction with the English language it is simply a mispelling |
That's the simplest way to put it. To refine it further:
| harpist | generally has classical training and a more classical mindset, has learned or is learning the standard classical repertoire (Debussy, Ravel, Mozart) |
| harper | comes from a folk music tradition, more learning by ear, more arranging and improv on traditional tunes |
So then . . . I play four different types of harps and many different types of music, what would you call me? In my case the fact that I have classical training takes precedence, I go by 'harpist'. Also, the majority of my gigs are played on the pedal harp. However, if I'm playing at a folk music festival on a folk harp, by all means, call me a harper that day.
What should you call a harp player if you're not sure what tradition they come from? Go with the cue of what kind of harp they are playing. If you're not sure what they play, better to take a chance and say 'harpist.'. Beyond that, pay attention to how they refer to themselves. All of my web page titles say, "Kari Gardner, harpist". Therefore, if you were to e-mail me to inquire about hiring me, your best bet is say, "I'm looking for a harpist to play for my [event]," regardless of what type of harp you'd like me to play.
Question: How do different types of harps look and sound compared to each other?
Answer:
This table is not meant to be a complete explanation
of the types of harps included. It is however, a quick way to check what a
harp term refers to and listen to sound samples. For a more complete
explanation, please continue on to Page Two. For
larger pictures, go to my Harp Gallery.
| Categories of harps | |
| Pedal harp | The modern harp, has 7 pedals used to change the pitch of the strings in order to get sharps and flats. |
| Non-pedal harp | Any harp without pedals. May instead have levers or blades. |
| Lever harp | Type of non-pedal harp, has levers at the top of some or all of the strings which can be used to change the strings' pitch by a half-step. |
| Blade harp | A type of non-pedal harp. Also can fall under the category of lever harp. A blade is a type of lever which rotates to change the pitch of the string on a wire-strung harp rather that flipping up and down. |
| Styles of harps | |
| Floor-standing harp | Played with the harp standing on the floor and the harpist seated behind the body of the harp. Usually between 4 and 6 feet tall. |
| Lap harp | A style of non-pedal harp meant to be played with the harp sitting on the harpist's lap. Usually around 3 feet tall. |
| Name(s) | Category |
Appearance
|
Short Description | Sound Sample |
| Pedal harp Concert harp Concert Grand harp Orchestral harp Classical harp Double-action pedal harp |
Pedal |
 |
The big ornate, sometimes gilded-gold harp most often thought of when 'harp' is said today. Gets the name 'pedal harp' from the 7 pedal on the base of the harp. |
Two minute sampler |
|
Celtic harp
|
Non-pedal |
 |
This term is catch-all phrase for wire, gut, and nylon strung non-pedal (lever/folk) harps that grew out of the Celtic tradition. | |
|
Irish harp |
Non-pedal Blade |
 |
The national instrument of Ireland, the kind of harp that's pictured
on a bottle of Guinness beer. It's strung with brass or bronze wires
as strings. Pictured are both a floor-standing model and a lap harp. |
Coming soon. |
|
Folk harp |
Non-pedal Lever |
 |
Most often used as a general term to refer to gut or nylon strung lever harps, which are more common than wire-strung harps today. | Coming soon. |
|
Double-strung folk harp |
Non-pedal Lever |
 |
A variation of folk harp, most often nylon-strung, with 2 parallel rows of strings.
|
Coming soon. |
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