The harp guitar is a

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

-based

stringed instrument String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the st ...

generally defined as a "

, in any of its accepted forms, with any number of additional unstopped strings that can accommodate individual plucking." The word "harp" is used in reference to its

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...

-like unstopped open strings. A harp guitar must have at least one unfretted string lying off the main fretboard, typically played as an open string. This family consists of many varieties of instrument configurations. Most readily identified are American harp guitars with either hollow arms, double necks or harp-like frames for supporting extra bass strings, and European bass guitars (or

contraguitar The contraguitar or Schrammel guitar is a type of guitar developed in Vienna in the mid-nineteenth century. In addition to the usual guitar neck with six strings and a fretboard, it has a second, fretless neck with up to nine bass strings. Customari ...

s). Other harp guitars feature treble or mid-range floating strings, or various combinations of multiple floating string banks along with a standard guitar neck.

Electric harp guitars

While most players of harp guitars play on acoustic instruments, a few of them also work with electric instruments. Notable artists who played electric harp guitars are Tim Donahue (who uses a fretless guitar section) and

Michael Hedges Michael Alden Hedges (December 31, 1953 – December 2, 1997) was an American acoustic guitarist and songwriter. Early years The son of Thayne Alden Hedges and Ruth Evelyn Hedges Ipsen, Michael Hedges was born in Sacramento, California. His l ...

. American musician

William Eaton William Eaton or Bill Eaton may refer to: * William Eaton (soldier) (1764–1811), United States Army soldier during the Barbary Wars * William Eaton (athlete) (1909–1938), British long-distance runner * William Eaton (guitarist), American luth ...

both designs and plays electric harp guitars. The Japanese

noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...

band

Solmania is a Japanese noise music project, founded in 1984 by . He was later joined by (ex Outo), who first appears on ''Trembling Tongues'' (1995). Ohno is known for making his own experimental electric guitars out of spare parts and using them in ...

built their own harp guitars.

Yuri Landman Yuri Landman (born 1 February 1973) is a Dutch inventor of musical instruments and musician who has made several experimental electric string instruments for a number of artists including Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Liars, Jad Fair of Half Japan ...

has built a 17 string electric harp guitar for

Finn Andrews Finn Andrews (born 24 August 1983) is a British/New Zealand musician. He is a solo artist and lead singer and songwriter of London-based rock band The Veils. His father Barry Andrews is a current member of Shriekback, was a member of XTC, and ...

The Veils The Veils are an English/New Zealand indie rock band fronted by singer and songwriter Finn Andrews. History Early years, ''The Runaway Found'' (2001–2004) Finn Andrews was born in London but spent his teenage years at high school in A ...

. The instrument has an additional movable bridge on the harp section allowing players to pitch the harp section higher or lower.

Players

Historical harp guitar players include the German composers and guitarists

Adam Darr Adam Darr (29 September 1811 – 2 October 1866) was a German classical guitarist, singer, zither player and composer. Biography Adam Darr was born in Schweinfurt, Germany, and started playing the guitar as a youth. Sometime after the age of 23 ...

(1811–1866) and

Eduard Bayer Johann Gottfried Eduard Bayer (20 March 1822 – 23 March 1908), usually known as Eduard Bayer, was a German composer for the classical guitar and a virtuoso performer on the guitar, harp guitar, mandolin and zither. Biography Bayer was born in ...

(1822–1908) and the Italian virtuosi Pasquale Taraffo (1887–1937),

Mario Maccaferri Mario Maccaferri (1900–1993) was an Italian luthier, classical guitarist, businessman, and inventor. He is noted for designing the guitar favored by jazz musician Django Reinhardt, and for designing plastic clothespins, plastic bath and kitche ...

Italo Meschi Italo Meschi (; 9 December 1887 – 15 October 1957) was a harp guitarist from Lucca, Italy. Forty years after his death his long-forgotten trove of writings, compositions, and mementos began to resurface thanks to his closest relatives. Thei ...

(1887-1957) and Luigi Mozzani. Viennese and French virtuosos who often played instruments with extra, floating bass strings include Carulli, Coste,

Giuliani Giuliani is an Italian family name, which can refer to: * Carlo Giuliani, who died during the demonstrations against 2001 G8 * Carlo Giuliani (bishop), died 1663, bishop of Ston * François Giuliani, (1938–2009) Algerian journalist and publicis ...

Mertz Mertz is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Albert Mertz (1920–1990), Danish painter * Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim, (1905–1944), German officer and resistance fighter involved in the 20 July Plot against Adolf Hitler * B ...

, Padovec and

Sor Sor may refer to: * Fernando Sor (1778–1839), Spanish guitarist and composer * Sor, Ariège, a French commune * SOR Libchavy, a Czech bus manufacturer * Sor, Azerbaijan, a village * Sor, Senegal, an offshore island * Sor River, a river in the ...

. English guitarist

John McLaughlin John or Jon McLaughlin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John McLaughlin (musician) (born 1942), English jazz fusion guitarist, member of Mahavishnu Orchestra * Jon McLaughlin (musician) (born 1982), American singer-songwriter * John McLaug ...

notably played a harp guitar, particularly with the group

Shakti In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and rep ...

, often using the harp strings for

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

-inspired drones and open chords.

was known for occasionally using a 1920s-era harp guitar, such as in his song "Because It's There".

Andy McKee Andy McKee (born April 4, 1979, in Topeka, Kansas) is an American fingerstyle guitar player who has released six studio albums, two extended plays, and one live album to date. A number of YouTube videos featuring McKee's highly-technical guitar ...

also plays a harp guitar in a few of his songs, such as "Into The Ocean" and "The Friend I Never Met," the latter being a tribute to Hedges' "Because It's There."

Robbie Robertson Jaime Royal "Robbie" Robertson, OC (born July 5, 1943), is a Canadian musician. He is best known for his work as lead guitarist and songwriter for the Band, and for his career as a solo recording artist. With the deaths of Richard Manuel in ...

of The Band used a harp guitar on the main title theme for their concert film ''

The Last Waltz ''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as The Band's "farewell concert a ...

'' and is seen playing the song on the instrument in the film's final scene. Don Alder uses the Harp guitar in songs such as "Sayonara.calm" and "Man from Ladylane" a song dedicated to Stephen Bennett, founder of the Harp Guitar Gathering and one of the top current day harp guitar players.

Antoine Dufour Antoine Dufour (born 1979, in L'Épiphanie, Quebec) is a French-Canadian acoustic guitarist currently signed to CandyRat Records. Dufour started playing guitar at the age of fifteen. He went on to study at the CEGEP in Joliette, where he list ...

also uses the instrument occasionally, such as in his song "Paroxysm".

Oleg Timofeyev Oleg Vitalyevich Timofeyev (russian: Оле́г Вита́льевич Тимофе́ев, ''Oleg Vital'evič Timofeev''; born January 12, 1963, in Moscow), is an American Musicology, musicologist, specializing in lute and Russian guitar. He is be ...

primarily uses a traditional Russian seven-string guitar with floating sub-bass strings. American harp-guitarist Gregg Miner owns the world's largest collection of harp guitars ("The Miner Museum") and runs harpguitars.net, a website dedicated to education and promotion of harp guitars. Alongside Stephen Bennett, he has organized, attended and documented every Harp Guitar Gathering since its inception.

Alfred Karnes Alfred Grant Karnes (February 2, 1891 – May 18, 1958) was an old time musician and Southern Gospel singer best known for his recordings at the Bristol Sessions in 1927. Biography Born in Bedford County, Virginia, – Gravesite memorial later ...

(1891–1958) was an Old-time Country and

Southern Gospel Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music. Its name comes from its origins in the southeastern United States. Its lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as ...

singer and guitarist who recorded at the famous Bristol Sessions in 1927. He was known for songs such as "I'm Bound for the Promised Land" and "To the Work". His records are the only known use of the harp-guitar in Old Time Music. (in alphabetical order) * Alex Anderson * Don Alder *

Muriel Anderson Muriel Anderson (born June 17, 1960) is an American fingerstyle guitarist and harp guitarist who plays in many genres. She is the first woman to win the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship. Career Muriel Anderson was born in Downers Grove ...

* Steve Bennett * Jason Carter *

John Doan John Doan (born May 16, 1951) is an American guitarist and composer. Background Doan grew up in Venice, California, and at the age of eleven began playing the guitar, first a 12-string, and later a double-neck electric in a rock band. Later, w ...

* Tim Donahue *

* Jamie Dupuis *

* Ali Deniz Kardelen *

Kaki King Kaki King (born Katherine Elizabeth King, August 24, 1979) is an American guitarist and composer. King is known for her percussive and jazz-tinged melodies, energetic live shows, use of multiple tunings on acoustic and lap steel guitar, and he ...

* David Lindley *

* Gregg Miner *

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...

* David PowellHarp guitarists
on Tone Devil Guitars
Tom Shinness
* Matt Thomas * Iwan Hasan *

Andy Wahlberg Andy may refer to: People * Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds * Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pi ...

Gallery

File:Harp Guitars, early 20th century, Museum of Making Music.jpg, Early 20th. Century harp guitars with a Gibson at left. File:Harp Guitars, Museum of Making Music.jpg, Harp guitars at the

Museum of Making Music The Museum of Making Music, is a division of the NAMM Foundation of the National Association of Music Merchants, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Carlsbad, California. The museum opened to the public on March 5, 2000. Its mission ...

. File:Harp Guitars 2, Museum of Making Music.jpg, Several models exhibited. File:Dyer Harp Guitar.jpg, A Dyer Style 8, circa 1915. File:Antique guitar MIM Berlin.jpg, Harp guitar exhibited at Berlin. File:CHITARRA-ARPA (A DODICI CORDE); Severino Riva, Milano 1911, Castello Sforzesco.jpg, Model by Severino Riva (1911). File:Burner Guitar.jpg,

' electric.

References

External links

Harp Guitars.net
* {{Authority control Composite chordophones Acoustic guitars Harps

Electric harp guitars

Players

Gallery

See also

References

External links