Talk:Harp

Percussion?

Could we get a better source for the harp being considered a percussion instrument than one harpist/instructor saying it is? It seems as logical as a guitar being a percussion instrument. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 14:20, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

The "percussion" reference seems to have been removed -  Done

--D Anthony Patriarche (talk) 02:36, 30 October 2018 (UTC)

• This classification is controversial; e.g. Piston places the harp with the percussion section, Forsyth with the strings. Generally accepted scoring practice is to place the harp and the celesta, guitar, piano, etc. in their own subsection between the percussion section and the strings, which gets around the problem nicely. --D Anthony Patriarche (talk) 02:36, 30 October 2018 (UTC)

New "Classification" section?

It might be useful to have a comprehensive "Classification" section to list all the types and subtypes of harps (and those that have "harp" in the name but aren't considered harps). "Terminology and etymology" has some of this, the lead has some, and some are in the various other sections. What does everyone think? Facts707 (talk) 17:10, 1 May 2017 (UTC)

• I agree, and as part of this it needs to be made clear what the a priori definition of "harp" being used is. The requirement that the strings be "perpendicular to the sounding board" is arbitrary, imprecise, and is not met by some harps described in the article (e.g. cross-strung); this shortcoming has been commented on earlier on this page (Perpendicular?). E.g., the Madagascar valiha is commonly referred to as a harp, but Wikipedia classes it as a Zither; I think most musicians would regard it as a harp as the strings are vertical and the playing position is harp-like, whereas the archetypical zither is flat and played horizontally. I am not saying the article is wrong, just that it needs to be very clear at the start what the criteria are that determine that an instrument is a harp, and where this systematic classification comes from. --D Anthony Patriarche (talk) 02:06, 30 October 2018 (UTC)

Mathematics of harps

Need a section identifying typical string weights & tensions and resulting lengths for needed notes, which results in harp's shape.71.230.16.111 (talk) 02:16, 23 October 2020 (UTC)

• Other than the implications for the harps shape this is covered in String instrument#Changing the pitch of a vibrating string and in Mersenne's laws. Verbcatcher (talk) 18:06, 19 November 2020 (UTC)

Adding the yazh in types of harp

In the Types of harp section,can i add the yazh as a type of harp,as it even says that it is a type of harp on this article? Simulator-master (talk) 08:22, 12 February 2021 (UTC)

Armenian section needs spun off into its own article

The Armenian section was getting too large within this article. It needs to be spun off into its own article; it also needs good refs for that to happen. I am pasting the content here to give it a chance. Jacqke (talk) 03:18, 4 March 2025 (UTC)

Armenians have had the instrument of harp since ancient times and used it in their everyday life, at weddings and burials. According to YSC professor, scholar of Middle Ages, doctor of Arts N. Tahmizyan, many musical instruments kept their pre-Christian form; among them is the harp, which was played not just at ceremonies. The instrument was performed by solo performers as well as with the accompaniment of other instruments.

The Armenian translation of the Bible gives a lot of information about early medieval Armenian musical instruments. The translators of the Bible use the name harp among other quite popular musical instruments. In Armenian a verb has been formed from the name of the instrument: տաւղել which means to play the harp. The word has two meanings the second of which is stringed musical instrument which has the form of a triangular frame and this corresponds to the description of the musical instrument in Genesis 4:21 where it states

«Եւ նորա եղբօր անունը Յոբալ էր, որ բոլոր տավղահարների եւ սրնգահարների հայրն եղաւ»։

Other uses of the word can be found in one of the songs of Grigor Narekatsi, a 10th century Armenian monk, medieval writer, and founder of Armenian Renaissance literature. The song is called Song of Vardavar:

Քրքում վակասիր պտուղն

սնանէր խուռն տերևով.

Տերևն տաւիղ տուողին

զոր երգէր Դաւիթ հրաշալին:

(Տաղ Վարդավառի)

Evidence for the instrument’s Armenian origin is the horn beaker with a feasting scene, kept at the Erebuni Museum: The beaker was found buried inside a large container, in the district of Nor Aresh next to Erebuni Fortress in 1968 during construction work. The calf horn beaker has pictures of people depicted on it, including a harpist: It depicts a man and three women participating at a feast; a third female is shown sitting on a chair holding a lyre in her hands. This find indicates that the instrument in Armenia had its Armenian name in 4th century BCE (the estimated date for the cup). Tahmizyan also writes about this horn beaker in his book. This find is evidence that Armenians knew and even enjoyed playing the harp in 4th century BCE.

On the famous Armenian Cilician silver beaker a man is painted surrounded with his wife and animals.

Formerly the harp was played in royal castles. Sometimes not only musicians but also kings played the instrument. Of course, in the past harps did not have the sound range they have today but it is a fact that Armenians had the harp.

Pictures of the harp can be found in People and Everyday Life (Yerevan (1978)) scientific work of Astghik Gevorgyan, a researcher at Matenadaran, the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, Candidate in Arts. In her work pictures of the instrument can be found. In the first picture the man is playing the harp which is on his knees.

In the second picture the harp is played by a man who has a crown on his head, from which we may conclude that the musician has royal status. His harp is bigger and leans on the floor.

Not only did Armenians play the instrument but also they created songs about it. Kh. Avetisyan and V. Harutyunyan wrote a song called My Sweet Harp which was quite popular.

This analysis and researches with the historical and archaeological evidence leads to the conclusion that the harp existed and was widely used in Armenians’ everyday lives, including royal families. The instrument’s popularity has grown during the years and the harp has become an instrument that represents the emotional inner world of the Armenians.

Jacqke (talk) 03:18, 4 March 2025 (UTC)