One of the oldest and most symbolically rich musical instruments, the harp evolved from ancient bow-shaped frames into the sophisticated concert harps of today.

Its story spans millennia, cultures, and meanings. The earliest depictions of harps date back to around 3000 BC in Mesopotamia and Egypt, where bow harps with a few strings were played in temples and courts. The instrument spread to India, China, and Greece, where the trignon, a triangular harp, influenced later European designs. By the Middle Ages, harps were widespread across Europe, where they were particularly popular in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, where the wire-strung Celtic harp, known as the clàrsach, became a national symbol.

A harp consists of a soundboard, neck, and pillar, which together form its iconic triangular frame. Strings (gut, nylon, or metal) run perpendicular to the soundboard, each producing a single pitch. The modern concert harp (pedal harp) has forty-seven strings and seven pedals, each altering the pitch of all strings of a given note class (C, D, E, etc.) by a semitone. This allows full chromatic playing. Smaller lever harps use hand-operated levers on individual strings to raise the pitch of each string.

The word harp comes from the Old English hearpe, related to the Old Norse harpa and the Old High German harpfa, all meaning "to pluck." In Gaelic tradition, the cruit referred to early wire-strung instruments, later replaced by clàrsach in Scotland and Ireland. A harp player is called a harpist or harper, with harpist more common in classical contexts.

Modern European harps are typically pedal harps, developed in France in the 18th century by Sébastien Érard, who perfected the double-action pedal system, allowing each string to be raised by two semitones. American harps, while also using pedal systems, often emphasize industrial precision and durability, with companies like Lyon & Healy (Chicago) producing harps with slightly different tonal qualities, brighter and more projecting than the warmer, mellower European sound. Folk and Celtic harps remain popular in both regions, but lever harps are more common in North America due to their portability and accessibility for learners.

In Ireland, the harp is a national emblem, appearing on coins, state seals, and even Guinness beer labels. In Christian iconography, King David is often depicted with a harp, symbolizing divine inspiration. The harp has long been associated with heavenly music and the angels, who are often depicted as playing a harp on a cloud. In literature, "harping on" something reflects the instrument's repetitive resonance, showing how deeply it entered language and metaphor.

However, the harp has not become central to popular Western music, perhaps because of its size, expense, complexity, and cultural ties to classical and elevated traditions. Also, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the harp was marketed as a feminine instrument, often depicted with women in white gowns. This narrowed its cultural role and discouraged experimentation in rougher, more masculine-coded genres like rock or blues.

The harp is the largest orchestral instrument, standing about 6 feet tall and weighing nearly 90 pounds. Its musical range spans six and a half octaves, rivaling the piano.

Below, you will find several online resources for information and instructional material relating to the harp. Retail websites selling harps or products relating to the harp may be found in the Musical Instruments category within the Shopping & eCommerce area of our guide.

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