The brass strung clarsach replica was made by Tim Hobrough of Scotland. It has twenty gut strings, a range of almost three octaves ( f to d3), is thirty inches tall, and is ideally suited to accompany minstrel, troubadour and trouvere songs. One of Musica Antiqua's harps is based on a late twelfth century English Bible illumination. The Romanesque harp was developed in the eleventh through thirteenth centuries. It not only was the instrument assigned to King David, but also was credited with supernatural powers which could destroy the feynde's myght. Tools Arabic musical instruments can be broadly classified into three categories: string instruments ( chordophones ), wind instruments ( aerophones ), and percussion instruments. The harp had an important role in legend and folklore. Players relied on memory and improvisation. Since tuning was diatonic, only one mode could be used at a time.Īccording to the Laws of Wales (twelfth century), the three items indispensable to a gentleman were his harp, his cloak, and his chessboard, while the three proper things for any man to have in his house were a virtuous wife, his cushion on his chair, and his harp in tune.ĭue to the lack of a notation system, little is known about how the harp was used, how it accompanied troubadour melodies and what kind of preludial and interludial material might have been performed. Strings are tuned by adjusting these pegs or pins. In the Middle Ages strings were made from twisted animal gut (usually from sheep), although horse hair and even silk were used as well.Įach string of the harp is attached to a wooden peg or metal pin. Harps use open strings exclusively, thus the range of each is determined by the number of strings. It was important in pre-Christian cultures and still survives today in many forms all over the world. The harp is one of the most ancient types of stringed instruments. "Teach him to harpe with his nayles sharpe"
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