Welsh triple harp

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Welsh triple harp built by Tim Hampson from an 18th century template (Chester St. Fagans Museum of Welsh Life, Cardiff)

The Welsh triple harp is a traditional triple harp used in Wales with strings arranged in three levels. The instrument , which is almost two meters in size, is tuned chromatically , which means that there is a separate string for each whole and semitone, arranged in three levels. The two outer levels are each tuned diatonic , corresponding to the white keys on the piano , the level in between corresponds to the black keys and supplements the two outer - equally tuned - levels with the missing semitones for chromatics. As a result, the triple harp does not need any pedals. In contrast to other harps, it is traditionally played on the left, i.e. leaning against the left shoulder. The softer sound of the triple harp also results from the comparatively lower string tension than the other harps. The triple harp is strung with up to 99 strings. The range is about five octaves or 37 strings in the main row, which is on the side of the right hand (also called the bass row). The middle row, which contains the semitones in a different key, consists of 34 strings; and the treble row (left hand) has 27 strings. The outer rows are tuned the same and always in the diatonic scale (CDEFGAHC). To play a piece in a different key, for example in G major / E minor, all F-sides in the two outer rows are retuned to F sharp by raising them by half a tone. To go from C to F, every H side in the outer rows is made B by decreasing it by a semitone. For a tone other than the ladder, simply put your finger between two outer strings in the middle row. Since there is no semitone between E and F in C major, all three strings are tuned to F, so that when retuning to G major, F (= E #) remains in the middle row (applies analogously to B / C). Until the invention of the pedal harp, all attempts to avoid this need to retune the instrument when a piece was to be played in a different key failed. Georg Friedrich Handel wrote his Concerto for Harp and Orchestra for the Welsh triple harp (B flat major op. 4/6 HWV 294). Various collections of harp pieces have also survived in Wales. Today Welsh folklore is played almost exclusively on the instrument , the most famous representative being Robin Huw Bowen . The harp is also used by the Welsh band Ar Log , among others .

Audio sample

The folk tune "Dafydd y Garreg Wen" played by Robin Huw Bowen.

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