Page 45 - Fall 2005

Whatʼs new in string instruments?
els and mahogany, spruce, redwood, or cypress on more expen- sive models. Arched and tapered soundboards, if properly done, give more strength and stability than flat soundboards, but all hammered dulcimers bend eventually. Hardwood brac- ing runs parallel to the end rails. These can be tapered to give the most strength per weight. Relatively small perpendicular hardwood rods are used to support the bridges on the braces. The placement of these braces is important for uniform sound but there is no consensus as to size and location. The trend in hammered dulcimer construction is to make lighter instru- ments with less sustain. Extremely lightweight 15/14 instru- ments are now advertised at 12 lb or less, although most are about 20 lb. To some extent this has been accomplished by using fewer strings per course with smaller course separation (both of which make the instrument more difficult for the ama- teur to play accurately).
Harp Design and Construction: Chris Waltham, University of British Columbia
The harp is triangular in shape. The easiest part of the tri- angle to make is the post as it plays little part in the sound pro- duction and can therefore be over-engineered; the compres- sional force is in any case mostly axial. The neck has to with- stand the total tension of all the strings, and also a large torque, as all the strings are mounted on one side. The curvature does not help, and as much of the characteristic grace and elegance of a harp derives from the neck shape; it cannot be overbuilt. Very strong many-layered plywood seems to be the best mate-
rial, covered with veneer for beauty's sake. The soundboard has to be both thin and also be able to withstand all the string ten- sion (12 K in the case of a concert harp). Sitka spruce is the material of choice for its acoustical properties and anisotropic strength. The grain runs horizontally, and thin veneer with ver- tical grain is applied to prevent cracking (although it degrades the sound slightly). The sound box is a light, hollow shell, with holes at the back for improved sound radiation and access to the strings. The whole structure bends under the string tension, so the veneer has to be very well bonded. In the following panel I have placed my own Celtic and lever harps in the con- text of harp evolution. The harp has been basically triangular- shaped for about 1000 years. The gothic harps had small, thick sound boxes and soundboards carved out of two solid pieces of wood, and needed “brays” to buzz against the strings and increase the sound output. Larger, more efficient soundboards came with the Celtic harps. In the Renaissance, soundboards were made ever thinner, especially in Spain. Chromatic tuning was achieved by having two or three rows of strings, making the harps very difficult to play, and multiplying the total force on the soundboard. Sharpening levers to raise the pitch of the strings by a semitone went some way to solving this problem. The ultimate “modern” concert harp was developed by Erard in Paris and London around 1800; these had pedals attached to a complex mechanism which could raise the pitch of the strings by one or two semitones.
Strings—The string material is determined by harmonicity (the overtones should sound pleasant) and “feel.” Harmonicity
Evolution of Harps
Small soundbox, thick soundboard
Larger soundbox
2,3 string rows: chromatic
Levers for semitone sharpening,
thin soundboard
Double-action, pedals
Gothic Harp (C15), Hofburg Museum, Vienna
Homemade Celtic harp (18 strings)
Arpa a tre file (1625), Museo Civico, Bologna
Handmade lever harp (36 strings),
copy of George Morley model (London, 1820)
Erard Harp c. 1800 (modern concert harp), Hofburg Museum, Vienna
Echoes 43