How It Works The harp is a unique instrument and many elements
of how it is constructed bring light to how to play or write for
the instrument. The modern harp has 47 strings and 7 pedals
which raise or lower each pitch-class of strings. What that
means is that the harp doesn't have any 'black notes' like the
piano but rather pedals which sharpen or flatten each string of
the same pitch. When the pedals are raised as in the pictures
below and to the right the strings are in their flat position
and the pitches of the strings are: Cb, Db, Eb, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb,
etc. When you depress each pedal to the middle position at the
top of the harp disc 1 turns, and the pins stretch the string
slightly, raising the pitch to a natural. Each pedal controls a
different pitch so by altering the C pedal only from the example
above you would have C, Db, Eb, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb etc. Depressing
the pedal further will turn disc 2, streching the string even
further and thus raising the pitch so we have C#, Db, Eb, Fb,
Gb, Ab, Bb etc. Each