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These pages is for all composers; a brief introduciton to help with composition prior to working with harpists.
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Types of Harps
There are two main types of harp: pedal harps and lever harps. Pedal harps are usually known as concert or orchestral harps and lever harps are usually referred to as Clarsach or Celtic Harps. Not only do these harps all vary in size, shape and sound but also can be electric or electro accoustic. This gives a composer a wide range of posibilities and also difficulties when composing for the instrument.
Pedal Harps
How many strings does a pedal harp have?
Pedal Harps usually have 46 or 47 strings.
What do the pedals do?
The pedals on a harp connect to a mechanism throughout the harp. This allows the length of each string to be altered, creating acidentals. The harp in its most relaxed state is in Cb major. Each time the pedal is pressed towards the floor the string is tightened - flat to natural and finally to sharp. There are 7 pedals, one for each note and 3 slots for each pedal (Flat, Natural, Sharp). The pedals allow the harpist to change key and change acidentals in the music.
Which pedal moves which string?
There are three pedals on the left and four on the right. The note that the pedals control from left to right are:
D, C, B, E, F, G, A
Flat is in the top slot, natural in the middle and sharp at the bottom.
D, C, B, E, F, G, A
Flat is in the top slot, natural in the middle and sharp at the bottom.
What are pedal diagrams?
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Pedal diagrams are used in music to illustrate clearly what pedals are needed (right). These are most commonly used at the begining of sections or when pedals need to be completly reset. These are not to be used for every accidental. Single pedal changes are illustrated by writing the note out on the beat that a harpist must change the pedals. Harpists change the pedals if possible on a beat for several reasons, to minimise pedal noise itself, minimise the noise of the strings altering if damping is not possible (it can be muffled by the strings being plucked) and ease of learning (it is easier to move pedals in time with the music).
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What are pedal slides?
Does a harpist prefer to not have to move their pedals?
NO! Please do put chromatisim in your pieces! Harpists are more than capable of changing key and often enjoy a challenge. If you are concerned about a passage in your music please do contact us and we will be happy to help!
How to compose with pedals in mind.
A harpist can move the pedals of the harp without interupting the performance, as long as the pedals are written appropriatly for the instrument. General things to be aware of when writing acidentals in your music:
- Changing pedals in quick succession can be difficult. Try to avoid if possible the same pedal moving repeatidly, enharmonic equivilents are usually very useful.
- Remember there is likely to be pedal noise if there are mutliple pedal changes.
- Try not to write pedal changes during sustained notes. If you move the pedals during the note the note will change pitch. The harpist can break the sound but this can often be unwanted in sustained passages. Another option is to quickly change the note as the new strings are played but this is difficult to achieve without an unwanted and sometimes 'twangy' noises.
- Moving pedals can be done quickly, however remember that the more pedals and the faster these pedals have to move the harder the piece will be to play.
Damping
Each time a pedal is moved some form of damping is usually required to make sure that the altered strings do not impact the music. When composing make sure not to put two notes consequtivley (at speed) that need a pedal change between them. Enharmonics are useful for these cases but as a general rule this situation is tricky for harpists.
Pedal Diagrams
There are a wide variety of pedal diagrams and each harpist usually has their own way of writing them. However generally speaking harpists use an 'up' arrow head for flat, a 'down' arrow head for sharp and a horizontal line for a natural (see below). Pedal diagrams are usually used at the begining of sections if there have been accidentals or for a key change. In the majority of cases the harpist will add in their own diagrams.
Lever Harps
How many strings does a lever harp have?
The average number of strings for a lever harp is 34. Generally this usually means strings starts 2 octaves below middle C and stretches to 3 octaves above C. (C 2 octaves below middle C to A 2 octaves and a sixth above middle C).
What is a lever harp tuned in?
Lever harps are usually tuned in Eb major. This means that the harp can move into any key between 3 flats and 4 sharps. Lever harps usually transpose keys such as Db major (if possible) into D major.
What do the levers do?
The levers on a harp allow you to tighten and loosen the strings. They have two settings on or off, this causes limitations for the harp. The lever harp is tunes in Eb major (usually) in order to maximise the amount of keys it can be set into.
How does a harpist change key and can it be done during a piece?
A lever harpist must change levers with their left hand as the levers are on the left hand side of the harp. This can be done duirng a piece but obviously this means that their must be a break in the left hand part for the lever to be changed in.
Composing for lever harp:
- Only one lever can be moved at a time, therefore multiple levers, such as a key change, will need a longer break in the left hand part of the music for the performer to move the levers.
