Pedal Harps




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Pedal Harps

We sell pedal harps by the two most-respected pedal harp makers: Lyon & Healy Harps and Salvi Harps. For more information on these harps, click on a logo or maker name above. Pedal harps are the harps that you see in an orchestra. They are also called concert harps, orchestral harps, or grand harps. They are made out of maple wood, with beautiful veneers or wood finishes added. Some of the harps also have gold leaf applied. The large Concert Grand harps are a little over 6 feet tall, and weigh about 85 to 90 pounds. They have 47 strings, covering over 6 octaves. The Semi Grand harps are a bit shorter, and have 46 or 47 strings.
	The strings of a pedal harp are laid out the same way as the lever harp: like the white notes on a piano, or a do re mi scale. The "C" strings are colored red, and the "F" strings are blue or black.
There are seven pedals which are moved by the harpist's feet; one pedal for each of the seven notes in the scale. Three of the pedals are controlled by the left foot, and four by the right. (These four pedals are shown in the photo below.) The pedals move discs on the neck of the harp which shorten or lengthen the sounding length of the strings, providing sharps, naturals, and flats.
	Each pedal has three positions which are held in place by notches in the base of the harp and by springs. For example, the pedal on the far right of the harp is the "A" pedal. When this pedal is in the highest of its three notches, all the "A" strings on the harp will sound as "A-flat."
When the harpist moves this pedal into its middle notch, the discs on each of the "A" strings engage, shortening the sounding length of all of the "A" strings, giving them the pitch of "A-natural." When this pedal is in the lowest notch, the string lengths are again shortened by the discs, and all of the "A" strings will be "A-sharp." By using the pedals, the accomplished harpist can play very chromatic music.
	Click (or double-click) the arrow to hear Sylvia Woods explaining how harp pedals work.
Parts of a Pedal Harp To see a diagram naming the parts of a pedal harp click here.

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