Electric harp
Encyclopedia
Like electric guitar
s, electric harps are based on their acoustic originals
. There are both solid-body and hollow body electro-acoustic models available. A hollow body instrument can be played either acoustically or electronically, while a solid-body electric harp cannot be played acoustically since it has no hollow soundbox
, and must be amplified when played.
writes in his book Telenn, la harpe bretonne of his first dreams of electric harps going back to the late 1950s. He designed and had made a solid body (after different electric-acoustic harps) electric harp at the turn of the 1970s–80s, about the same time as Rudiger Oppermann
. Alan Stivell later (early 80s) had a meeting with Joel Garnier who decided to create a model. Alan Stivell went on independently to design and have different single models been made with Leo Goas-Straajer (before the Camac
–Alan Stivell last experiment). The first such commercially manufactured instrument was made by Camac, also helped later by the request of jazz-pop harpist Deborah Henson-Conant
. The result looked like a light framed Celtic-style harp, but each string had a crystal (Piezo) pickup
at its base. They can be plugged into various amplification systems, and players are able to use effects pedals
similarly to electric guitar players. Another part of Henson-Conant's request was that she should be able to move around the stage with the harp, and thus the smaller electric harps usually include a system to strap the harp to one's body.
An electro-acoustic harp looks nearly identical to a regular acoustic harp, whether lever or pedal. It has piezo pickups at the base of each string, and some also contain a separate microphone inside the soundbox, enabling the harpist to mix the signals from both kinds of pickups to produce special effects. Often such harps include an onboard preamplifier
. One of the most famous electro-acoustic pedal harp models is Camac's "Big Blue", finished in a striking electric blue colour.
Not unlike the process of moving from the acoustic piano to the electric and eventually digital piano, the traditional harp being transformed by innovative amplification technologies, began in the 1950s with the late Casper Reardon
and later, in the 70s, by Lloyd Lindroth
. Lindroth integrated many electronic effects including distortion, digital delay, and reverb. At the time, it was new for guitars, let alone harps. Concurrently, Gail Laughton used electronic techniques in his classic recording of Harps of the Ancient Temples, foreshadowing the use of electronic effects to enhance live performance.
In the late 20th century instrument builder and musician Robert Grawi created an electric double harp-lute
based on the West Africa
n kora
but strung and tuned differently. The gravikord
is a light ergonomically designed instrument made of modern materials mostly stainless steel
tubing. It has two ranks of nylon strings arrayed in notches on a double "vee" shaped freestanding bridge that is made of synthetic material including an integral piezo-electric sensor. It was created to enable easier playing of complex African cross rhythms on the harp.
Susan Mazer, with audiophile sound engineer Ron Robinson, developed a custom pre-amp
for the Lyon and Healy electro-acoustic harp brought further clarity to the amplified harp sound. In addition, she developed a technique of playing the bass on the classical concert harp that had previously not been possible because of the excessive reverberation in the lower-end of the electroacoustic harp. This pre-amp has not been brought to market due to costs of development and concern for end-user pricing.
The amplification of the folk harp, Peruvian harp, or other pedal-free harps has been successful in expanding the instrument to audiences previously unapproachable. Carlos Reyeshttp://carlosreyesmusic.com is a pioneer in amplification of the Peruvian harp for performance of Latin jazz and rock. Roberto Perera
http://www.robertoperera.com performs original Latin rock and jazz, and smooth jazz also on the amplified Peruvian Harp.
The MIDI harp possesses a piezo transducer
that touches each string, allowing an electrical current to escape. The piezo pickup then outputs a current that corresponds to the vibration when the string is plucked. Once this occurs, the MIDI harp’s microprocessor
that converts the analog signal to digital instruction devises a MIDI message that is sent by means of the MIDI-out port. In turn, the MIDI message can process the musician’s “pluck” and can decipher its volume and duration. ” Once the harpist is satisfied with the music being created, the specific sounds are stored within the instrument’s memory, similar to a computer file
. The harpist may then proceed to transfer his or her composition by connecting the MIDI harp to a computer (preferably a PC). With sufficient software, the harpist can apply the use of the MIDI harp’s “sustain petal” in which it will successfully transfer the harpist’s composition measure
-by-measure, and in its entirety.
Harps featuring built in optic fibre and LED
lights are also produced.
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s, electric harps are based on their acoustic originals
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
. There are both solid-body and hollow body electro-acoustic models available. A hollow body instrument can be played either acoustically or electronically, while a solid-body electric harp cannot be played acoustically since it has no hollow soundbox
Resonator
A resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance or resonant behavior, that is, it naturally oscillates at some frequencies, called its resonant frequencies, with greater amplitude than at others. The oscillations in a resonator can be either electromagnetic or mechanical...
, and must be amplified when played.
Early models
Alan StivellAlan Stivell
Alan Stivell is a Breton musician and singer, recording artist and master of the celtic harp who from the early 1970s revived global interest in the Celtic harp and Celtic music as part of world music.- Background: learning Breton music and culture :Alan was born in the Auvergnat town of Riom...
writes in his book Telenn, la harpe bretonne of his first dreams of electric harps going back to the late 1950s. He designed and had made a solid body (after different electric-acoustic harps) electric harp at the turn of the 1970s–80s, about the same time as Rudiger Oppermann
Rüdiger Oppermann
Rüdiger Oppermann is a German harpist and experimental musician. He specializes in the Celtic harp, which he began playing in 1973. His instrument, a custom-made clàrsach, has 38 gold-plated bronze strings and a special mechanism that allows him to bend notes in a manner akin to blues musicians;...
. Alan Stivell later (early 80s) had a meeting with Joel Garnier who decided to create a model. Alan Stivell went on independently to design and have different single models been made with Leo Goas-Straajer (before the Camac
Camac Harps
Camac Harps is a French company that manufactures pedal harps, lever harps, and electric pedal and lever harps. Camac Harps was founded by Joël Garnier in 1972....
–Alan Stivell last experiment). The first such commercially manufactured instrument was made by Camac, also helped later by the request of jazz-pop harpist Deborah Henson-Conant
Deborah Henson-Conant
Deborah Henson-Conant is an American harpist known for her flamboyant stage presence and refusal to fit the stereotype of a harpist as an angelic blond woman in a long dress....
. The result looked like a light framed Celtic-style harp, but each string had a crystal (Piezo) pickup
Pickup (music technology)
A pickup device is a transducer that captures mechanical vibrations, usually from suitably equipped stringed instruments such as the electric guitar, electric bass guitar, Chapman Stick, or electric violin, and converts them to an electrical signal that is amplified, recorded, or broadcast.-...
at its base. They can be plugged into various amplification systems, and players are able to use effects pedals
Effects unit
Effects units are electronic devices that alter how a musical instrument or other audio source sounds. Some effects subtly "color" a sound, while others transform it dramatically. Effects are used during live performances or in the studio, typically with electric guitar, keyboard and bass...
similarly to electric guitar players. Another part of Henson-Conant's request was that she should be able to move around the stage with the harp, and thus the smaller electric harps usually include a system to strap the harp to one's body.
Function
Solid-body electric harps are usually lever harps, though solid body pedal harps have also been built. Since the cost of a pedal harp is so high, it is more economical for a harpist to purchase an electro-acoustic model of pedal harp, as it can also be played without amplification.An electro-acoustic harp looks nearly identical to a regular acoustic harp, whether lever or pedal. It has piezo pickups at the base of each string, and some also contain a separate microphone inside the soundbox, enabling the harpist to mix the signals from both kinds of pickups to produce special effects. Often such harps include an onboard preamplifier
Preamplifier
A preamplifier is an electronic amplifier that prepares a small electrical signal for further amplification or processing. A preamplifier is often placed close to the sensor to reduce the effects of noise and interference. It is used to boost the signal strength to drive the cable to the main...
. One of the most famous electro-acoustic pedal harp models is Camac's "Big Blue", finished in a striking electric blue colour.
Developments and variations
The Lyon and Healy electric and electro-acoustic harps are built first on the quality of the traditional Lyon and Healy harp. In the development of the initial electric harp, there was an effort to mimic the acoustic sound. While this sound may not be ideal (from a frequency standpoint), it is the sound that most characterizes what the classically trained harpist hears and expects. It was assumed that the sound would come from the individual transducers and the string, with minimal influence of the sounding board. Therefore, the board was thickened to provide less resonance and less interference of pedal noise. The sound was better than using traditional on-board microphones, but, again, not ideal for all settings. Following much input from performers, Lyon and Healy, with the assistance of Susan Mazer and several other harpists including Greg Buchanan and Harvi Griffin, developed the electro-acoustic harp, which retained the thin resonant sounding board, playable acoustically, with individual transducers that would necessarily integrate all vibrations from the board and the string. This combination provides the best sonority and, when amplified through a full-frequency sound system, is the warmest.Not unlike the process of moving from the acoustic piano to the electric and eventually digital piano, the traditional harp being transformed by innovative amplification technologies, began in the 1950s with the late Casper Reardon
Casper Reardon
Casper Reardon was a classical and later jazz harpist. He studied classical harp at the Curtis Institute of Music going on to play for the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra...
and later, in the 70s, by Lloyd Lindroth
Lloyd Lindroth
Lloyd Lindroth was an American harpist who was nicknamed "The Liberace of the Harp". He had played for millions of people at the time of his death. A Seattle native, Lindroth began playing at age 14. In 1983, he moved to Nashville, where he would stay until his death, after a bout with pneumonia...
. Lindroth integrated many electronic effects including distortion, digital delay, and reverb. At the time, it was new for guitars, let alone harps. Concurrently, Gail Laughton used electronic techniques in his classic recording of Harps of the Ancient Temples, foreshadowing the use of electronic effects to enhance live performance.
In the late 20th century instrument builder and musician Robert Grawi created an electric double harp-lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
based on the West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
n kora
Kora (instrument)
The kora is a 21-string bridge-harp used extensively in West Africa.-Description:A kora is built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge. It does not fit well into any one category of western instruments and would have to be...
but strung and tuned differently. The gravikord
Gravikord
The gravikord is an electric double bridge-harp invented by Robert Grawi in 1986.- Description :The gravikord is a new instrument developed on the basis of the West African kora. It is made of welded stainless steel tubing, with 24 nylon strings but no resonating gourd or skin. The bridge is made...
is a light ergonomically designed instrument made of modern materials mostly stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
tubing. It has two ranks of nylon strings arrayed in notches on a double "vee" shaped freestanding bridge that is made of synthetic material including an integral piezo-electric sensor. It was created to enable easier playing of complex African cross rhythms on the harp.
Susan Mazer, with audiophile sound engineer Ron Robinson, developed a custom pre-amp
Preamplifier
A preamplifier is an electronic amplifier that prepares a small electrical signal for further amplification or processing. A preamplifier is often placed close to the sensor to reduce the effects of noise and interference. It is used to boost the signal strength to drive the cable to the main...
for the Lyon and Healy electro-acoustic harp brought further clarity to the amplified harp sound. In addition, she developed a technique of playing the bass on the classical concert harp that had previously not been possible because of the excessive reverberation in the lower-end of the electroacoustic harp. This pre-amp has not been brought to market due to costs of development and concern for end-user pricing.
The amplification of the folk harp, Peruvian harp, or other pedal-free harps has been successful in expanding the instrument to audiences previously unapproachable. Carlos Reyeshttp://carlosreyesmusic.com is a pioneer in amplification of the Peruvian harp for performance of Latin jazz and rock. Roberto Perera
Roberto Perera
Roberto Perera is a Smooth Jazz/ Fusion /Smooth Jazz harp musician.-Discography:*1990 - Erótica - Epic*1991 - Passions, Illusions and Fantasies - Heads Up Records*1992 - Dreams & Desires - Heads Up Records...
http://www.robertoperera.com performs original Latin rock and jazz, and smooth jazz also on the amplified Peruvian Harp.
The MIDI harp possesses a piezo transducer
Transducer
A transducer is a device that converts one type of energy to another. Energy types include electrical, mechanical, electromagnetic , chemical, acoustic or thermal energy. While the term transducer commonly implies the use of a sensor/detector, any device which converts energy can be considered a...
that touches each string, allowing an electrical current to escape. The piezo pickup then outputs a current that corresponds to the vibration when the string is plucked. Once this occurs, the MIDI harp’s microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
that converts the analog signal to digital instruction devises a MIDI message that is sent by means of the MIDI-out port. In turn, the MIDI message can process the musician’s “pluck” and can decipher its volume and duration. ” Once the harpist is satisfied with the music being created, the specific sounds are stored within the instrument’s memory, similar to a computer file
Computer file
A computer file is a block of arbitrary information, or resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and is usually based on some kind of durable storage. A file is durable in the sense that it remains available for programs to use after the current program has finished...
. The harpist may then proceed to transfer his or her composition by connecting the MIDI harp to a computer (preferably a PC). With sufficient software, the harpist can apply the use of the MIDI harp’s “sustain petal” in which it will successfully transfer the harpist’s composition measure
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
-by-measure, and in its entirety.
Harps featuring built in optic fibre and LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
lights are also produced.
Manufacturers
- Camac HarpsCamac HarpsCamac Harps is a French company that manufactures pedal harps, lever harps, and electric pedal and lever harps. Camac Harps was founded by Joël Garnier in 1972....
- Lyon & Healy
- Mountain Glen Harps LLC Custom one-of-a-kind carved and sculpted wire, gut and nylon strung electric harps. Midi harps, multimedia Laser Beam harps.
- Laser Harps Kromalaser Laser Harps with embedded laser Projectors/Scanners and ILDA Controllers, to turn a normal Laser Projector in a MIDI Laser Harp Musical Instrument
- Prolight Laser Harp Controller Laser harp controller for ILDA compliant laser projector that tursn laser projector in to Powerful Frameless Laser MIDI harp.
- David Kortier
- ElectricHarp
- Bernhard Schmidt-Harfenbau MIDIharp with the advanced technology of frequency recognition MIDI controller.
- Telynau Teifi Harps
Performers
- Alan StivellAlan StivellAlan Stivell is a Breton musician and singer, recording artist and master of the celtic harp who from the early 1970s revived global interest in the Celtic harp and Celtic music as part of world music.- Background: learning Breton music and culture :Alan was born in the Auvergnat town of Riom...
performs on his own designed electric harps (since early 80s). - AthyAthyThe town developed from a 12th century Anglo-Norman settlement to an important British military outpost on the border of the Pale.The first town charter dates from the 16th century and the town hall was constructed in the early 18th century...
http://www.athy.com.ar, electric harpist from Argentina, performs on a Blue Light Camac electric harp, plays New AgeNew AgeThe New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
Celtic, romantic, flamenco, Arabian, barroque, jazz, blues and rock. - Camille and Kennerly Kitt http://www.HarpTwins.com, electric harp duo, The Harp Twins, perform rock/pop on Lyon and Healy Silhouette electric harps.
- Harvi Griffinhttp://www.harvigriffin.com (died 2005), a pioneer in electric harp, influenced many.
- Susan Mazerhttp://www.healinghealth.com/domains/mazerandsmith.com/mazer.html, jazz harpist, pioneer and, innovator in the electroacoustic harp, since 1973. Author of first manual for the Lyon and Healy Electric and ElectroAcoustic Harp. Only harpist to play at the Village VanguardVillage VanguardThe Village Vanguard is a jazz club located at in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. At first, it also featured other forms of music such as folk music and beat poetry, but it switched to an all-jazz format in 1957.-History:Over 100 jazz...
in NYC with jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal. - Rüdiger OppermannRüdiger OppermannRüdiger Oppermann is a German harpist and experimental musician. He specializes in the Celtic harp, which he began playing in 1973. His instrument, a custom-made clàrsach, has 38 gold-plated bronze strings and a special mechanism that allows him to bend notes in a manner akin to blues musicians;...
performs on his own made electric harps. - Deborah Henson-ConantDeborah Henson-ConantDeborah Henson-Conant is an American harpist known for her flamboyant stage presence and refusal to fit the stereotype of a harpist as an angelic blond woman in a long dress....
performs on a solid body Camac electric harp, as well as amplified and regular pedal harps. Her style is mostly jazz, blues, and pop. - Dee CarstensenDee CarstensenDee Carstensen is a New York City-based Pop/alternative harpist, singer and songwriter.-Early years:As the daughter of Professor Dr. Edwin L. Carstensen, a biomedical engineer in University of Rochester, NY, Dee was influenced by her father and his musical talent on piano and clarinet...
, a singer-songwriter, plays Lyon & Healy pedal electric harp as her primary instrument. - Andreas VollenweiderAndreas VollenweiderAndreas Vollenweider is a Swiss musician. His music has been categorized as World Music, Jazz, New Age and even Classical; two of his albums were number 1 on the Billboard charts simultaneously in the categories Classical, Jazz, Pop and Crossover for more than 11 weeks. His music could be...
plays New AgeNew AgeThe New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
and pop style music, sometimes compared to VangelisVangelisEvangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis... - Zeena ParkinsZeena ParkinsZeena Parkins is a harpist active in rock music, free improvisation and jazz. Parkins plays standard harps, as well as several custom-made one-of-a kind electric harps; she also plays piano and accordion...
plays and composes avant-garde and experimental music. Played on several BjörkBjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
albums and tours. - Electric AngelElectric AngelElectric Angel is the 4th album by Fiona Sit, and was released on August 11, 2006. A special edition was later released on December 22, 2006.The tracks on the album are:# 糖不甩 # 小峽谷之1234 # 爭 # 樹娃...
, an electric harp trio from California plays pop-fusion. - Lisa LynneLisa LynneLisa Lynne is a Celtic harpist and composer and New Age recording artist residing in Los Angeles, California.Lisa Lynne is a self-proclaimed multi-instrumentalist who has "spent the last eighteen years pursuing her passion for the Celtic harp."...
, electric and Celtic harpist from Germany - Hilary Stagg, died in 1999, an American harp builder and electrician, influenced by Andreas Vollenweider
- Patsy SeddonPatsy SeddonPatsy Seddon , BA is a Scottish harpist, violinist and traditional singer in Scots and Gaelic languages, who performs with bands such as The Poozies and the duo Sileas and solo. A Kodaly-trained music teacher, sheeaches harp and singing in Edinburgh schools.-External links:*...
and Mary MacmasterMary MacmasterMary Macmaster is a Scottish harpist, performing with The Poozies and the duo Sileas.-References:...
, Scottish harpers, playing in The PooziesThe PooziesThe Poozies are an all-women band that produce folk music from the English and Scottish traditions. The band perform traditional and self-composed material. Contemporary songs written by Sally Barker also feature heavily in the current live set...
and their own duo SileasSileasSíleas is a Scottish harp duo. Patsy Seddon plays electric harp and gut-strung harp, and Mary Macmaster plays electric harp and metal-strung harp. Together they make up part of the all-women folk band The Poozies....
. Their music is mostly traditional Scottish. - Joanna NewsomJoanna NewsomJoanna Newsom is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.- Early life :Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California...
, a Californian singer-songwriter-harpist - CocoRosieCocoRosieCocoRosie is a musical group formed in 2003 by sisters Bianca "Coco" and Sierra "Rosie" Casady. The sisters were born and raised in the United States, but formed the band in Paris after meeting for the first time in years...
American band whose music uses electric harp and synthetic beats as well as hip-hop and heavy french influence - Jack Nebergall, pioneer in 50'-60' in jazz harp and electric harp, (b.1924-d.1996).
- Dwayne Fulton, leader in original electric harp in Los Angeles; played at the Warehouse in Marina Del Ray. Died circa 1994.
- Carlos Reyes, pioneer in amplification of the Peruvian harp in use in pop and jazz, including Latin jazz.
- Roberto PereraRoberto PereraRoberto Perera is a Smooth Jazz/ Fusion /Smooth Jazz harp musician.-Discography:*1990 - Erótica - Epic*1991 - Passions, Illusions and Fantasies - Heads Up Records*1992 - Dreams & Desires - Heads Up Records...
http://www.robertoperera.com, original Latin jazz on the amplified Peruvian harp. - Roark Barronhttp://www.roarkbarron.com, builder of the world's largest wind harp in 1982 as confirmed by Guinness Book of World Records in 1984, Barron has custom built several electro-acoustic harps. He now plays a customized, Model 22, 1933 Lyon Healey harp.