Music is the universal language. Music is important; it doesn't set limits. You can share it with all types of people. How sad life would be without birds singing, the sound of the breeze, sea waves gurgling, water, music, virtuous musicians, and wonderful instruments. The beautiful melodies performed by virtuosos on the harp... heavenly music that delights the soul. Music that you can't get tired of listening to. The harp sounds lovely, and for thousands of years, people have been playing the harp.

The harp is part of many cultures and is even considered an instrument used by angels and gods in a few mythologies. The harp is blessed; it is a magical instrument, which produces very attractive music. Playing this magical instrument extracts a specific melody, and we can feel very soothing vibrations. Once an aristocratic instrument played for royalty, harpists were challenged with being able to evoke three distinct emotions from the audience: laughter, tears, and sleep.

The harp, with its ethereal sound and captivating beauty, has charmed listeners for centuries. The harp is considered to be one of the world's oldest musical instruments. Harps date back as far as 3500 BCE in the ancient Mediterranean, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Five hundred years ago, the Spaniards took the stringed instrument into America. In the New World, the harp was re-invented using tropical woods. It became the national instrument in Paraguay and Mexico and the soul of folk music and dance. Africa is home to some of the largest varieties of harp designs in the world.

Ancient harps developed in different civilizations include: the Egyptian Benet, the Persian Chang, the South Asian Yazh, and the ancient Veena. The earliest evidence of the harp is found in Ancient Egypt, circa 2500 BC, and it had very few strings (10 or 11). Several examples have been excavated from tombs at Thebes. The walls of many ancient Egyptian tombs have paintings of people playing harps. Ancient harps often had a shape like a hunter's bow and used materials such as animal intestines and hair for the strings. Such harps were used in the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East from at least 3000 BCE. Many types of ancient harps are still used today in various places around the world.

Renaissance harps typically had 25 or more strings, which were fixed to the soundboard with brays (wooden pegs). The word "harp" is derived from Old German, Old Norse, and Anglo-Saxon words that mean "to pluck." The harp is a musical instrument of the string family. The main parts of the harp include the neck, the sound box, the strings (some have a few, and some have 25, 34, 47, or 90 strings), and the pillar or column, which stabilizes the strings. The strings are colored to help the player identify their pitches. The A, B, D, E, and G strings are white; C strings are red, and F strings are black or blue.

Strings on the harp run from the neck, where they are secured by tuning pins, down to the body. The strings are all different lengths and tensions and vary in thickness. The pedals are used to alter pitches from natural to sharp or flat. Some harps have no levers, some have C and F levers, and it is better if the harp has all the levers. The practicability of design – some have handy detachable legs, and some have straps that go over the shoulder. Sound quality—simply put, it has to sound like "magic" to you.

In the modern era, harps evoke ties to historical European harps, and they are frequently referred to broadly as "Celtic harps" or folk harps due to their use in non-classical music. The modern Celtic harp began to appeal in the early 19th century in Ireland, where a new type of harp—the "Dublin pedal harp"—was" developed. It was small and curved. The harp has been used as a political symbol of Ireland for centuries and has been Ireland's national symbol since the 13th century. In the context of Christianity, heaven is sometimes symbolically depicted as populated by angels playing harps, giving the instrument associations of the sacred and heavenly.

Many depictions of King David in art have him holding or playing a harp, such as a sculpture outside King David's tomb in Jerusalem. The harp has a place in the traditions of nearly 150 African peoples. Many harp makers in the United States create folk or lever harps. The Historical Harp Society was founded and is based in North America. The harp is Paraguay's national instrument.

The harp can be heard in a variety of music styles including classical, rock, country, folk, jazz, orchestras, Celtic music, and many more. The harp is not a regular member of the orchestra but is often associated with classical and orchestral music. However, it has found a prominent place in contemporary music genres.

Important skills for playing the harp include maintaining correct posture, tuning the strings, correct positioning of the thumbs and index fingers, and closing fingers after plucking. Correct pedaling and planning when to pedal are also essential. Classical harpists play with elegance and grace, from tender emotions and delicate sounds to power and majesty with their brilliance and artistic sensibility. Harpists playing transport listeners to a world of beauty and emotion.

The Russian romantics placed the harp as an orchestral instrument. Tchaikovsky used the harp extensively in his orchestral music, particularly the ballets, and Debussy was also particularly effective in using the harp in his music. Contemporary harp players are pushing the boundaries of this ancient instrument, with their incredible talent and artistry showcasing their versatility and remarkable musicality. Some extraordinary harp players have virtuosic technique and an inventive approach, effortlessly blending elements of jazz, world music, and improvisation to create a unique style. Some have revolutionized the way the harp is perceived and played. In their dynamic performances, they showcase their mastery of both traditional and contemporary techniques.

Modern western music includes the modern concert harp, the hook harp, and the Celtic harp. The modern concert harp has 47 strings and 7 pedals. The function of the pedals is to sharpen or flatten the sound of the note. The rapid succession of musical notes played on a harp is called an "arpeggio," and the sweeping motion of the hands is termed "glissando." The concert harp is an expensive instrument, and its size and shape make it complicated to transport. While there are smaller Celtic and folk harps, they can still be clumsy to move around. There are many kinds of harps, including Celtic harp brands, Irish harps, pedal harps, button harps, chang harps, triple harps, and angular harps. The electric harp is a relatively new invention and can be either a hollow body or solid body.

Different kinds of harps were widely used in the ancient Middle East and Mediterranean, Egypt and Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome. Arched harps survived today in Africa, Myanmar (Burma), and Iran. Frame harps appeared in Europe by the 9th century, and in the late 14th century, the Gothic harp appeared on the continent. The European diatonic harp developed into the modern harp and survives in the folk harps of Latin America. A similar stringed musical instrument is the lyre. Most lyres are plucked, but a few are bowed. There are box lyres (an ancient Greek kithara) and bowl lyres (Greek lyres).

With its gentle plucking, evocative timbre, and dramatic glissandi, the harp has been a favorite of composers for centuries. Notable pieces include:

  • Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp.

  • Maurice Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro.

  • Handel’s Harp Concerto in B Flat Major.

  • Debussy's Dances for Harp and String Orchestra.

  • Fauré’s Impromptu (1904), beloved by harpists.

  • Hindemith's Sonata for Harp (1939).

  • Henriette Renie’s Legend.

  • Alberto Ginastera’s Harp Concerto, displaying folk rhythms from Argentina.

  • Benjamin Britten’s Interlude from Ceremony of Carols, for solo harp.

  • Caroline Lizotte’s Suite Galactique (2000).

Some fun facts about the harp:

  • The world's most expensive harp is an ornate harp from Lyon & Healy, made in the rococo style, and known as the Luis XV special harp. It is priced at around $190,000.

  • The world record for the largest harp, which measures an astonishing 28.03 m tall and 21.8 m long, was set on 18 October 2021 at Sichuan University of Culture and Arts in China.

  • On 25 October 2022, the world record for the longest marathon harp playing was set when harpist Katerina Oliinyk played the harp for over 3 hours in Dubai, UAE.

  • The world’s largest harp ensemble, consisting of 420 harpists, performed during The Festival Mundial del Arpa in Asunción, Paraguay.

The harp is a noble instrument with a sublime sound and magnificent music for good listeners.