Harp – Sheet Music & Scores

“A harp can be as dangerous as a sword, in the right hands.” George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones

The harp is one of the oldest and most versatile instruments around. It is popular as a solo instrument, and it also plays an important role in both orchestral and chamber music, famous examples being Mozart’s Concerto for Harp & Flute and Ravel’s Introduction & Allegro. Browse our sheet music & scores, take a look at our Harp Sheet Music Downloads, and let Stretta Music prove that with you, the harp is most definitely in the right hands!

A Brief History of the Harp

Variations of the harp were found on almost all continents, dating back to at least 3000 BC. The first harps were played horizontally, and only had around six strings. The harp developed in many different ways throughout history, it slowly added more strings, and with the integration of a column, to support these strings, the harp became upright. In the Medieval period, a hollow resonance box was added for amplification.

The next step in the harp’s journey came in the Baroque period, where hooks were used to change the pitch of the strings, to play in different keys. Pedals soon followed, sharpening groups of strings at the same time, giving the harp more chromatic scope. This was the birth of the single-action harp, but it had its limitations, and in the Classical period, the first double-action harps were built. The sound box had seven integrated pedals, and they could be double-depressed, pressing down once raised a semitone, but from there, they could be depressed again, to raise another semitone. This gave the harp full chromatic flexibility, and our modern harps today are all double-action harps.

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