A Dyer Style 8 harp guitar, circa 1915.[2]

The harp guitar (or "harp-guitar") is a stringed instrument with a history of well over two centuries. While there are several unrelated historical stringed instruments that have appropriated the name “harp-guitar” over the centuries, the term today is understood as the accepted vernacular to refer to a particular family of instruments defined as "A guitar, in any of its accepted forms, with any number of additional unstopped strings that can accommodate individual plucking."^[1] Additionally, in reference to these instruments, the word "harp" is now a specific reference to the unstopped open strings, and is not specifically a reference to the tone, pitch range, volume, silhouette similarity, construction, floor-standing ability, nor any other alleged "harp-like" properties. To qualify in this category, an instrument must have at least one unfretted string lying off the main fretboard. Further, the unfretted strings can be, and typically are, played as an open string.

This family consists of a virtually limitless variety of different 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 kontragitarres). Other harp guitars feature treble or mid-range floating strings, or various combinations of multiple floating string banks along with a standard guitar neck.

[edit] Electric Harp Guitars

Finn Andrews' Burner Harp Guitar

While most players of harp guitars play on acoustic instruments, also a few of them work with electric instruments. Notable artists playing electric are Tim Donahue, Michael Hedges. Yuri Landman has built a 17 string electric harp guitar for Finn Andrews of The Veils.^[2] The instrument has an additional movable bridge on the harp section allowing to pitch the harp section higher or lower.

[edit] Harp guitar players

Historical harp guitar players include the great Italian virtuosi Pasquale Taraffo (1887-1937),^[3] Mario Maccaferri, Luigi Mozzani, and Gian Battista Noceti.^[4] Viennese and French virtuosos who often played instruments with extra, floating bass strings include Carulli, Coste, Giuliani, Mertz, Padovec and Sor.^[5]

[edit] Notable harp guitarists

• Tom Shinness^[6]
• Muriel Anderson
• Stephen Bennett
• John Doan
• William Eaton
• Beppe Gambetta
• Michael Hedges
• Dan LaVoie
• Andy McKee
• Robbie Robertson (during The Last Waltz)
• Jimmy Page
• Pat Metheny
• Jeff Martin
• Michael Lardie
• Conor McMullan
• Carter Lancaster
• Matt Thomas
• Andy Wahlberg

[edit] See also

• Archlute
• Multi-string classical guitar
• Theorbo
• Harp ukulele
• Harp mandolin
• Chris Knutsen, early harp guitar luthier
• Similar Ukrainian instrument. Bandura
• Similar Ukrainian instrument. Kobza

[edit] References

1. ^ "What is a Harp Guitar?". www.harpguitars.net. July 2007. http://www.harpguitars.net/history/org/hgorg.htm. 
2. ^ Belgium article about Finn Andrews' electric harp guitar
3. ^ See http://harpguitars.net/players/taraffo/taraffo.htm and http://guidodeiro.com/taraffo.html.
4. ^ G. Noceti is mentioned in the March 22, 1903 Sunday New York Times in an article titled "DOINGS OF SOCIETY IN FRANCE; Spring Arrives in Paris, but the Riviera Season Is Still On -- The Misses Newhouse Give a "Pink Tea" -- Soiree at Mme. Von Olendorff's." See http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9C05E7DD1F3DEE32A25751C2A9659C946297D6CF&oref=slogin.
5. ^ [1]
6. ^ http://www.tomshinness.com

[edit] External links

• HarpGuitars.net

Guitar portal