Harp

:Harp is also a slang term for the diatonic harmonica; see blues harp. See also Jew's harp.

Folk harps/lever harps

The folk harp is small to medium-sized and designed for traditional music, usually played solo or with small groups. It ranges in size from two octaves to six octaves, and use levers or blades to change pitch. The most common form has 34 strings: two octaves below middle C and two and a half above (ending on A). The strings are commonly made of nylon, gut, or wrapped metal, and are plucked with the fingers using a similar technique to that of the pedal harp. Harps with levers installed have a lever at the top of each string; when it is raised, it shortens the string so its pitch is raised a semitone, resulting in a sharp if the string was a natural, or a natural if the string was a flat. Lever harps are often tuned to the key of E-flat. Using this scheme, the major keys of E-flat, B-flat, F, C, G, D, A, and E can be reached by changing lever positions, rather than re-tuning any strings. Many smaller folk harps are tuned in C or F, and may have no levers, or levers on the F and C strings only, allowing a narrower range of keys. Blades and hooks perform the same function as levers, but use a different mechanism.

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Amplified (electro-acoustic) and solid body electric lever harps are produced by some harpmakers.

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