Wind Harps
Wind harps are very common in some cultures. They offer a delightful sound of music as the wind blows through them. This concept is very similar to what most of us know as a wind chime. The technical name for a wind harp is an Aeolian harp. The name is in reference to the god of wind that is part of the Greek culture. These instruments are made by hand and very beautiful works of art.
The Aeolian wind harp is believed to be one of the oldest musical instruments in history. It is the first type of harp that was designed. It wasn’t until later on that those with strings to pluck were developed from the same basic type of concepts. Even so these early wind harps continued to be used for religious celebrations and in personal homes.
Some wind harps have been passed down from generation to generation. They are a symbol of the heritage of the family. They are also to promote happiness within the home. You can see the different styles of craftsmanship that have emerged through the ages from these various wind harps.
Different types of wood are used to create the sound box. Some of them have beautiful work carved into the outside of the wood as well for added appeal. Strings are stretched across the wood lengthwise. The thickness of the strings is what determines the sounds that are created as the wind blows through them.
Some wind harps have strings that are all the same thickness. This means you are going to get the same sound all of the time through it. Others have alternating thicknesses for the strings. This results in different sounds being created depending on the forcefulness of the wind that is blowing against it. You can hear complete cords from these types of wind harps is the wind is blowing just right.
Most wind harps are very small and they sit along windowsills in homes. They offer low by audible sounds from them. Others are extremely large and they are displayed at the top of a town square and even on Church steeples. There are some CD’s and audio tapes of wind harps that have been created. It is believed these sounds can help people to feel relaxed while driving or to fall asleep faster.
Mouth Harps
Many people love the sound of a harmonica but they don’t realize that it actually belongs to the harp family. The technical name for it is a mouth harp and it is used in all types of musical collaborations. This type of instrument doesn’t require a reed to play it. You can carry it around in your pocket and play it where you want to.
The musical sounds that are produced are the result of air being blown into the instrument at one end. One the other end the hands are moved to allow various amounts of air to be released or blocked from the different holes.
There are several different types of mouth harps that people can choose from. They vary in the sounds they produce as well as how you play them. While the basic concept is the same there are some important distinctions. A chromatic harmonica has a button in it that allows the air to be redirected instead of just using the hands. Many professional musicians use them.
A diatonic harmonica allows only one type of key to be played. There isn’t a great deal of variation that can be done with this type of mouth harp. Children like them though as they allow them to make plenty of noise. For many young children, a diatonic harmonica is one of the first musical instruments they are given. They don’t cost very much and they are very simple to use.
There are special orchestra mouth harps that are designed to be used in an ensemble. This type of harmonica blends extremely well with groups of musicians and gives a very distinct sound to the overall music they are creating. For some types of music the mouth harp is used in every song. It isn’t uncommon for groups to only use it for certain songs though.
There are hundreds of models of mouth harps on the market. Look for those that are very detailed and that are made for the types of sounds you want to get from them. It can be fun to learn how to play one of these instruments. You can even have mouth harps customized to fit your needs.
Used Harps
Harps are lovely sounding instruments but often expensive to purchase. Even the lap style ones can be more than what you want to pay for them. A good option for a new person to playing this type of instrument is to invest in a used harp. This way they can decide if it is really something they want to pursue. Of course you want to do your homework before you invest in a used harp. Otherwise it could end up being a bad investment.
Find out what the going price is for a new harp and that way you can figure out what is decent for a used one. You do have to remember though that some harps are collector’s items so that will actually increase the price. If you do your homework first though you will know all about this. Getting a great price on a used harp is one of the main reasons why you are looking in this category. With that being said, don’t let this be an area where you get taken advantage of.
It is best if you are able to play the harp before you buy it. This way you can look over every single detail of the instrument. You can also pluck the strings to determine how well they are tuned. When you buy a used harp online you need to be careful. The pictures you are seeing may not give you a true picture of what you will be purchasing.
You will find there are plenty of used harps out there though that are in great shape. People often take excellent care of these types of instruments. They are also built to be long lasting and durable.
There are plenty of places to look for used harps. You can contact your local music stores and see what they have to offer. Many will help others sell their old instruments on a consignment basis. This means the music store earns a portion of the money that changes hands for the sale. You can also go online to look for them. It doesn’t hurt to place your own ads either. Someone may stumble across it and remember a harp they have put away but no longer need.
Lap Harps
A lap harp is much smaller than one that you play upright. The shape of a lap hard is a trapezoid and there are fifteen strings featured on it. Children as young as four or five years of age are able to play lap harps due to the types of music cards that are used in many models. This is one type of instrument that doesn’t require a great deal of lessons in order to be successful.
They are often played by beginners so that a person doesn’t become so overwhelmed. Many older people like to play them as well as they are easier to control. A lap harp is a type of instrument that is often incorporated into various types of folk songs. Playing this type of lap harp today is easy too due to the addition of music cards that are placed underneath the strings.
Lap harps are made by hand out of quality pieces of wood. The strings are placed on the wood in order to allow it to be plucked. You will find three types of lap harps to choose from – the standard model, the deluxe model, and the custom model. The standard model is very basic but still made of the best quality of wood.
The deluxe model comes with detailed designs on the wood used to make the harp. There is no difference when it comes to the sound quality that it offers. The custom lap hard offers a different sound though. It features an additional note at the bottom of the harp. All types of lap harps come with provide two full octaves for musical sounds to be generated from.
There are many different types of music packs that you can choose to play on a lap harp. You can also convert your own music into something you can use on a lap harp. This is done by accessing blank cards and then inserting them. You can find lap harps at various music stores and even order them online.
A lap harp is a very easy instrument to use. It also offers a very nice sound to play by itself or to accompany various other types of instruments. Almost all of the lap harps available are made in the United States.
Harps
Harps are instruments that create a very lovely sound. Many people associate them with angels as it is considered to be the instrument that they play in heaven. Harps come in many sizes though and have a series of strings that are plucked in order to play them. The easiest type of harp to play is the lap harp.
It is very small and it can be played with only one hand. It is convenient to carry around and very young children are able to learn how to play it as well. There are sound cards that you insert behind the strings to help you create the sounds you want. You can even record what you want onto blank sound cards for a personal sound with the lap harp.
A type of harp that you are likely familiar with is the harmonica. It is called a mouth harp because you play it by blowing air into it and moving your hands to control the amount of air that comes out of it. There are several different types but it really depends on the overall sound you are trying to make. This is the only type of harp that doesn’t have strings for you to pluck in order to make the music.
There are some types of harps that use air that isn’t by man though. These are categorized as wind harps. They are designed to allow the wind to blow across the strings and make sounds. These are commonly placed by open windows to allow them to create noise when the wind comes through. Some people also place them on their front porch or outside their bedroom windows.
You will find harps vary in price dramatically. It really depends on what type purchase as well as the model and the manufacturer. You can get harps from music stores and online locations. You may be able to save a considerable amount of money if you decide to go with a used harp. This is a type of musical instrument that definitely offers beautiful sounds. Take your time to find out what type of harp really interests you before you buy one.