The New Student's Reference Work/Harp

Harp, a stringed musical instrument, much esteemed by the ancients. The Egyptian harp is shown in the most ancient sculpture, and stood seven feet high. The harp mentioned in the Bible was small, and could easily be carried in the hand. In Ireland the harp was a favorite instrument from the remotest times. The Italians of the middle ages believed their harp to be derived from Ireland. The most familiar forms of the harp are the Italian, the mediæval and the pedal harp. The first is now little used, being very imperfect. The second is in the form of a triangle, with a sound-board and gut-strings. It is always tuned in the key of the music, while the strings are altered to suit any variations from the key by pressure of the finger or by turning the tuning-pins of certain notes. The pedal harp has seven pedals, by which each note of the scale, in all the different octaves, can be made a semitone higher.