Sie sind auf Seite 1von 9

The pedal harp and its acoustics

Written by Natalia Lebedeva Contents: 1. The History and Development of the Harp 2. Structure and Parts of the Pedal Harp 3. Sound Production of the Harp 4. Acoustical Characteristics of the Pedal Harp 5. Essential Knowledge for Recording the Harp 6. References

The History and Development of the Harp


It is said that the idea for the harp, a plucked string instrument, originated with an archer who discovered that his bow made a melodic sound as he released its string. This revelation led to the invention of the musical instrument that would become one of the ancestors of the modern harp. The harp is one of the oldest musical instruments, its origins dating back to Mesopotamian times. Archeologists have also discovered early versions of the harp in Egypt and Greece. These cultures assigned ritual functions to the harp, using it for various ceremonies. The first type of a harp was the arched harp. The arched harp had very few strings because it lacked a column and therefore could not support much string tension. By the beginning of Common Era, arched harps were replaced by angular harps with horizontal or vertical sound boxes. The angular harp was used for both solo performances and as part of a music ensemble. The harp travelled from the Near East to China and eventually appeared in Europe. The frame harp, a harp that included a straight forepillar (or column), first appeared in Medieval Western Europe in the 8th to 10th centuries AD. Europeans, probably Celts, increased the sonority of eastern harps with the addition of a front column. In the 10th to 14th centuries, the harp had a range of 12 to 19 strings. This type of harp is called Early Medieval or Romanesque harp. Although little is known about these instruments, we can see them depicted in frescoes and sculptures of that time. In the 15th to 16th centuries, the Gothic or Medieval harp spread in Europe. It had a range of 19 to 26 strings. This type of harp was taller and more elongated than its predecessor. This instrument appeared in the paintings of Bosch (The Garden of Earthly Delights) and Memling (The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine). Another type of a harp emerged in Italy in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The so-called triplestrung harp had three rows of strings, the two outer rows tuned to the diatonic scale and the inner row tuned to the chromatic semitones between the diatonic notes. A unique variation of this harp developed in the same time period, featured two necks, two bodies, and two columns that crossed in the middle, each double-strung with 40 strings. This type a harp is called chromatic or cross-strung harp.

In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the harp was used primarily for accompaniment in both liturgical and secular music. Initially, the harp could only play one scale. The harpist had to press the strings with a finger at the neck of the harp to play sharpened notes. Harps were subsequently fitted with manually-turned hooks which fretted individual strings to raise their pitch by a half step. This led to the development of the pedal in the late 1960s to early 1700s. The first harp with a single action mechanism was made in 1720 by Jacob Hochbrucker in Bavaria. This mechanism linked the hooks at the neck to the pedals, allowing the strings to play sharpened notes. The Hochbruckers invention gave impetus to the further development of the harp. The best results were achieved when harp makers directly collaborated with musicians and composers to better understand their musical needs. For instance, Czech composer and harpist Jean-Baptist Krumpholz of 18th century, who had worked with harp makers Jean Henri Naderman, Christian Steckler, and Georges Cousineau, suggested the implementation of a swell pedal to the body of the harp, an eighth pedal that allowed for greater dynamic production (and therefore a higher degree of emotional expression.) His collaborator Naderman produced two harps with oval soundholes in a broader back stave, which could be opened by pressing the pedal. Shortly afterwards, a ninth pedal was added to control a dampening mechanism made possible with the application of cloth mute (sourdine) to the strings. When the sourdine comes into contact with the strings at the soundboard, the harp produces touffs (subdued or muffled sounds.) The eighth pedal existed until the end of the 19th century, while the ninth pedal became obsolete quite soon after its invention. In 1780s, Cousineau developed the double-action harp, doubling the number of pedals from 7 to 14. This allowed for the ability to play in every key on a single harp. Unfortunately, harpists of the time did not give much attention to this forward-looking invention. The many improvements to the design of the harp sparked a frenzy of activity surrounding the instrument. Many harpists were outstanding composers that expanded the repertoire of the instrument. They were mostly rooted in Paris, as the citys interest in the harp increased significantly by the end of the 17th century. Christian Hochbrucker, who was related to Jacob Hochbrucker, became a harp instructor and soloist. His student, Jean-Baptist Krumpholz, moved to Paris with his wife (who was also an exceptional harpist) and became a very successful and well-known performer. In the 17th century the harp began to attract the attention of major composers. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote six concertos for harpsichord and harp, an aria for voice and harp in the cantata Amore traditore, and numerous Partitas for harpsichord or harp. Another milestone in the formation of solo harp repertoire came with the compositions of G.F. Handel. Beethoven also expressed interest in the harp. However, he wrote only two pieces for it: Six Variations on a Swiss song for piano or harp and Romance for voice (tenor) and harp accompaniment. Beethoven was the first to use the pedal harp as a part of a symphony orchestra by including a harp part in The Creatures of Prometheus. The harp was used in both symphony orchestras and smaller chamber ensembles. When combined with other instruments, the colors produced by a harp can contribute greatly to the overall texture of any piece, especially to the lyrical adagio of a ballet. Although harp and piano, violin or flute duets were quite popular, the harp was often paired with unusual instrumental partners, such as the clarinet, trumpet, and French horn.

In the beginning of the 19th century, the design of the harp was further developed to prevent the instrument's obsolescence. Sbastien rard, a French instrument maker, advanced the efficiency of the harps mechanisms by doing away entirely with hooks, substituting rotating discs with two studs mounted thereon in their place. The discs, activated by the pedals by transmission devices set within the forepillar, gripped and shortened the strings, allowing for the effect of raising the pitch by a semitone. In June 1810, after eight years of working on it, Erard patented the double-action harp with seven pedals. To improve the mechanism of the pedal, a second row of discs with studs was installed along the neck to allow the pedal harp to raise the pitch of a string by either one or two half steps. This mechanism, still used by modern pedal harp makers, allows each string to produce its natural pitch and the accompanying sharp and flat. In the 19th century, a great deal of composers, including Giuseppe Verdi, Camille SaintSaens, and Giacomo Puccini (who was a particular master of its expressive and coloristic use) wrote music for the harp. Franz Liszt incorporated the harp in his orchestral music, and Mendelssohn and Schubert used it in theatrical music or oratorios. The French and Russian Romantic composers expanded the harps role in the symphony. Claude Debussy composed for multiple harps. Tchaikovsky also was of great influence to the harps repertoire. Elaborate cadenzas were composed for his ballets The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. Tchaikovsky was followed by Rimsky-Korsakov, Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner. Despite the fact that the harp was not originally associated with certain levels of society, it became commonplace among the nobility in the 19th century. The harp was also a favored instrument for domestic performance. By the 20th century, the harp was firmly established as a solo, ensemble and orchestral instrument. Nowadays, it is difficult to name a composer who did not use it his or her work. In 1946, British composer Benjamin Britten wrote a curious work titled The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra: Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell. This piece playfully demonstrates the specific tone colors produced by various orchestral instruments, and the emotional effects associated with each. The harp is featured in the ninth variation, which calls attention to the instrument's sound. The compositions accent is primarily on vivid harps chords and expressive passages. In the 20th century, the harp gained prominence in the world of popular music. Jazz musician Casper Reardon played the harp in the Broadway musical I Married an Angel in 1938. The Beatles used the harp effectively in Shes Leaving Home, a highlight of their massively successful album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Among of one of the most famous depictions of the harp in film is its appearance in the works of the Marx Brothers, played by the character Harpo.

Structure and Parts of the Pedal Harp


Since the harp is the oldest known string instrument, it was modified through the centuries. Nowadays, there are several varieties of harps; this work is focused on one of them, Erard pedal harp. The pedal harp is nearly 6 feet high, has 46 or 47 strings, and weights about 80 lbs. The main parts of the instrument are the large sound box or resonator with a flat soundboard and oval openings (soundholes), the column or pillar, the neck with the discs for shortening the strings, the pedal mechanism, and, of course, the strings. The strings are positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard and stretched between the tuning pins at the neck and the resonator. The bottom end of each string is fed through a small metal eyelet and tied in a knot on the inside of the soundboard. The lowest strings are made of steel-wound nylon or copper and the other strings are either nylon or gut strings. The C strings are colored red and the F strings are colored black or blue, while other strings are white. The minimal distance between two strings is 13 mm. At the base of a harp there are seven pedals and this pedal mechanism allows the harp to play chromatic sounds. Each pedal is attached to a rod or cable within the column of the instrument, which then connects with a mechanism within the neck. The pedal mechanism activates the rods when the pedals are downwardly pressed. The pedals are arranged in the following way: D C B on the left and E F G A on the right. Each pedal affects the tuning of all strings of one pitchclass. When a pedal is moved, small discs at the neck of a harp rotate. The discs are studded with two pegs that pinch the string as they turn, shortening the vibrating length of the string. The pedal has three positions. In the top position no pegs are in contact with the string and all notes are flat. Before any pedals are activated, the strings are tuned to all flat pitches (C-flat major). In the middle position the top wheel pinches the string resulting in a natural, giving the scale of C major if all pedals are set in the middle position. In the bottom position another wheel is turned, shortening the string again to create a sharp, giving the scale of C-sharp major if all pedals are set in such position.

Sound Production of the Harp


The pedal harp is a diatonic instrument and its playing range is normally six and a half octaves. String lengths increase towards the bass as allowed by the shape of the frame. The lowest string is usually about 1503 mm long and has a tuning frequency of 30.87 Hz (C1) while the highest string is 69 mm long and has a tuning frequency of 2960 Hz (G7). The string is set into vibration by plucking to provide the sound source to the instrument. When a string is plucked, it is pulled a small distance away from its rest position and released. A vibrating string on its own is extremely quiet because little energy is imparted to the surrounding air due to the small size of a string with respect to the air particle movement it can initiate. Several of the parts of a harp help to make its sound loud enough to be heard throughout a room or concert hall. The soundboard is caused to vibrate by the vibrating strings that are firmly fastened to it. Then, in turn, the strings transfer their vibrations to the sound box which is set in motion by the vibrations of the strings of the instrument, giving a large area from which vibration can be imparted to the surrounding air. The body of the instrument is the sound modifier. It imparts its own mechanical properties onto the acoustic input provided by the vibrating string. The harps timbre is smooth and gentle and the nature of its sound provided to the sound box depends in part on the position on the string at which it is plucked. For example, if the string is plucked at the center, the sound is not as sharp as if the string is plucked closer to the soundboard. The normal, rich tones of a harp are produced when the harpist plucks each string at or near its midpoint. Volume is determined entirely by the touch of the harpist. Soft plucking produces soft sounds, and strong plucking produces loud ones. The duration of the note played can vary: it can ring until it dies out naturally, or its sound can be stopped by touching the string with the palm of a hand. One of the possible techniques while performing on the harp is playing flageolet tones. Flageolets are played by stopping the string at its midpoint and plucking the string just above that point, producing a note an octave higher than normal, with a clear, bell-like tone. The number of overtones produced by harps strings is relatively small. The main reason for that is usage of gut strings and plucking the string with a pad of a finger that reduces high frequencies.

Acoustical Characteristics of the Pedal Harp


When plucked by a finger, harp strings produce dumped oscillations with moderate amplitude (power). In addition, the area of the soundboard and the volume of the resonator are relatively small and the gut strings cannot endure much tension. Therefore, the pedal harps dynamic range is 20 dB. The frequency or tonal range of the harp is 30.87 Hz 2960 Hz; 15 kHz if considering the overtones. Most of the oscillations energy occurs when the frequency ranges from 100 Hz to 1250 Hz. One of the acoustical characteristics of musical instruments is formant that refers to their resonance. It is measured as an amplitude peak in the frequency spectrum of the sound, using a spectrogram. Musical instruments can have several formants. The only harps formant is at the frequency of 250 Hz. The harp has relatively short attack time which is 10-30 ms and quite continuous damping time that is up to 200 ms. The pedal harp does not have distinct registers as violins or basses, the harps registers can be defined only approximately. The lowest register is hushed and muffled, the middle register is orotund and mellow, the higher register is sonorous and ringing, and the highest is sharp and faint.

Essential Knowledge for Recording the Harp


The pedal harp can be recorded as a solo instrument and as part of an orchestra. The harp is a very dynamic instrument which can be both very quiet and extremely loud during the same musical composition, and it is preferably to preserve the intricacies of the sound of the instrument. When recording the harp as a solo instrument, the microphone placement is a very important aspect. If it is too close, the nuances and overtones will be lost, and if it is placed too far, the unwanted room noise will be recorded along with the instrument. Positioning the microphone about 2 feet from the instrument might be the most advantageous option. The number of the microphones can vary depending on preferences and recording experience of the person who is willing to record the harp. A simple high quality condenser microphone can be used for recording. As the soundboard is the part of the harp where the most of the sound comes from, the microphone can be pointed directly at the soundboard. Another option is aiming the microphone at the hands of the musician. Two microphones also can be used as a stereo pair, placed about 6 inches apart, aimed at the bass and treble respectively. While working with a solo harp, quite environment which is crucial for recording might be a problem. Pedal pressing and lever changes, string buzz, and even musicians breath are the background sounds which are undesirable. If the musician tends to produce such background sounds, the microphone can be placed behind the harp, pointing downwards from the right essentially opposite the player's head, just a little higher. However, if the microphone is placed like that, the recorded timbre will be adequate but not exceptional. Another option is to use two microphones 5-6 feet apart and 6-7 feet from the instrument itself. Such option as placing the microphones 6-7 feet far from the harp is preferable if one wants to capture the sound travelling through the air with accompanying nuances. It is best to use an omnidirectional microphone for such purposes. A-B stereo setup, with or without a baffle disc between the microphones would work well. A stereo pair should be placed about 6-7 feet from the instrument and a spot microphone closer to the harp can be added to the main stereo pair to provide more direct sound and detail. Since the harp has a dynamic range of 20 dB only, the microphones should be angled away from loud instruments while recording the harp in orchestral or chamber settings. The spot (cardioid) microphone should be used for backing up as long as an ensemble or orchestra is already picked up by a main stereo pair. Although, the microphone should not be placed too close to the instrument. A workable starting point is the area around the top of the harp's pillar, with the microphone pointing down towards the soundboard. Using a contact microphone along with a condenser microphone pointed towards the treble can be a good choice. If other instruments are far too loud, a miniature omnidirectional microphone can be placed in the sound hole can be an option. However, a microphone inside the harp looses the attack of the strings and plucking attack as well as nuances of racy harp glissandos.

References
1. I. Aldoshina, R. Pritts. Musical acoustics, St.Petersburg, 2006. 2. David M. Howard. Acoustics and psychoacoustics, Elsevier, 2006. 3. A. Sevashko. Sound engineering and recording of phonograms. Career Guide, Moscow, 2004. 4. L. Kuznetsov. Acoustics of the musical instruments. Handbook, Moscow, 1989. 5. V. Porvenkov. Acoustics and tuning of the musical instruments, Moscow, 1990. 6. Neville H. Fletcher Thomas D. Rossing. The physics of musical instruments, Springer, 1998. 7. www.alisonvardy.com/harp-info/early-harp-history.htm 8. www.harpspectrum.org/historical/historical.shtml 9. http://www.dpamicrophones.com/en/microphoneuniversity/applicationguide/harp.aspx

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen