Common Parts of a Lyre Harp [2022]
You might be planning to buy a Lyre Harp or maybe you just have one or more already. But do you know its parts? Most of its parts are available in most types of lyre around the world. Let us be your friend to show the common parts of a Lyre Harp.
Strings
Strings are the most important part of the Lyre Harp, you can’t even play without this. Usually, they are made of metals but there are also type of harps that use nylons string like the one you can see on the guitars. This is literally the part that would make the sounds.
Arms
Arms usually where we hold on to the Lyre Harp. Most of the modern ones have an arc shape and its above the body, although its shape also differs in its design. Tuning pins are located on its arms and the string pass-through from the arms to the body.
Tuning Pins
These pins are the one that holds the strings the same on these guitars or bass. As the word tuning was mentioned, it was basically dictated the tune of each string. You can rotate it clockwise and counterclockwise to adjust each string’s tune.
Body
This is the largest part of the Lyre Harp. Some of the bodies have holes in the middle which are like a hollow-type kalimba or a guitar with holes and some are flat bodies with no hole in the middle. Strings pass through the body and it’s where the bridge and gasket are located.
Bridge
A lot of string instruments have bridges that transmit the vibrations of the strings to the body. The string passes over the bridge which can consider a pressure bridge.
Sound Hole
This hole may or may not exist in a Lyre Harp. This hole can make the sound resonate louder and fuller opposite to the one without a hole which let the sound softer but the tune is clearer.
String Gasket
These are the tiny metal punched into the whole on the base of the Lyre Harp. The end of the string with beholding by the gasket and stops it from going out of the hole. The number of holes is the same number of tuning pins obviously as the pins hold the string on the upper part and the gaskets in the lower part.
These are the common parts of a Lyre Harp which can be seen normally. We might miss some more but would be updating it if there are other parts that are not included here.
Unrefined substances
A harp is fundamentally a huge wooden triangle, generally made basically of maple. The front, vertical side of the triangle is known as the segment or the fore pillar. The upper, bent side of the triangle is known as the neck. The third side of the triangle is known as the body. White maple is the best wood for these three sides since it is sufficiently able to endure the pressure of the strings. The soundboard, which is held inside the body and which enhances the strings, is typically made of tidy. Tidy is utilized on the grounds that it is light, solid, malleable, and equitably grained, empowering it to react consistently to the vibrations of the strings to deliver a rich, clear sound. The center of the soundboard, known as the center stripe, is appended to the foundation of the strings and is typically made of beech. Beech is utilized on the grounds that it is sufficiently intense to bear the strain of the strings.
The bent plate on the neck of the harp, to which the strings are appended, is made of metal. The plates which control the length of the strings are likewise metal, similar to the pedals which control the circles. These outer metal parts are frequently plated with gold for appearance and to oppose discoloring. The complex interior instrument which interfaces the pedals to the plates, known as the activity, is made of metal and tempered steel, for certain parts, for example, washers made of hard plastic like nylon.
The strings of a harp are made of an assortment of materials, including steel, stomach (got from the digestive organs of sheep), and nylon. Every material has various properties which make it appropriate for a specific length of the string.
The outer layer of a harp might be treated with clear enamels or wood colors of different shadings like midnight or mahogany. It might likewise be trimmed with beautifying woods like pecan or avoiding (a light yellow West African wood). A few harps are plated with 23 karat gold leaf. The soundboard might be improved with paint or gold decals.
Design
Each harp is an extraordinary show-stopper. The plan of the harp relies upon the necessities of the entertainer. Customary harpers require little, light instruments with strings constrained by switches. Old-style harpists require a lot bigger instruments with strings constrained by pedals. The outside plan of harps changes from basic bends with normal completions to many-sided carvings with a wide assortment of enhancements going from theoretical mathematical plans to heartfelt flower shows.
The Manufacturing Process
Making the wooden parts
1- Boards of tidy, maple, beech and different woods are gotten by the harp maker and assessed. To impeccably coordinate the grain of harp with a characteristic completion, sheets of wood all from a similar tree might be gotten together. The sheets are then put away for around a half year to become acclimated to the nearby environment to keep away from any future issues with parting or breaking.
2- Power woodcutting machines cut the sheets into harsh approximations of the pieces required. More definite molding of these pieces is finished with handheld woodcutting devices. Harpmakers become familiar with their art in a progression of apprenticeships. New specialists fabricate the foundation of the harp, then, at that point, proceed to gain proficiency with the abilities expected to assemble the body and the soundboard. Just the most experienced harp makers work on the segment and the neck. Many flimsy layers of wood are stuck together constrained to form wooden parts which are more grounded than strong wood. The different wooden parts are then put away to anticipate gathering.
Making the metal parts
3- Metalworkers utilize a wide assortment of force and handheld devices to shape metal and steel into the almost 1,500 pieces expected to make up the activity of the harp. A few straightforward parts might be bought from outside makers. The metal parts are then put away to anticipate getting together.
Finishing the wooden parts
4- Before getting together the wooden parts are adorned as desired. which requires half a month to finish. All wooden parts are sanded smooth in anticipation of wrapping up. They are then splashed with a clear veneer or hued wood finish. After one layer of enamel or stain is applied, it is permitted to dry and afterward sanded smooth once more. This cycle is rehashed multiple times over up to about fourteen days. The soundboard may then be painted with intricate plans.
5- Some harps have overlaid sections and bases. The gilder starts by sanding incomplete wooden parts to eliminate all flaws. Layers of gesso (a unique combination of pastes) are applied to the smooth wood. After the gesso sets, layers of earth are applied and sanded smooth. Stick is applied to a little region of the smooth dirt. Gold leaf 0.000004 inches thick (0.1 microns) is applied with a brush. (The gold is really slim that it can’t be taken care of straight by human hands.) The interaction is rehashed on other little regions until a whole part is overlaid. Overabundance gold is cleaned away and one more layer of gold leaf is applied. A few parts of the gold are shined to a splendid sheen by scouring them with an apparatus made of cleaned agate. Clear polish is applied to safeguard the gold.
Collecting the harp
6- Master harp makers start the sluggish, meticulous course of bringing the wood and metal parts together to frame the harp. The pieces of the neck, body, soundboard, base, and section are united to shape the casing. The complicated instrument of the activity is fitted inside the segment and associated with the circles on the metal plate beneath the neck and the pedals on the base. Strings are connected to metal stakes on the neck, taken care of through the circles, and joined to the center strip of the soundboard. At first, the strings are exceptionally free. They are gradually fixed to the right degree of pressure and turned to the right pitch.
7- After the last review, the harp is stuffed in snug froth inside a cardboard box to be transported to the buyer. The harp maker additionally causes unique defensive wooden cases with wheels that permit the harp to be moved without breaking a sweat.
Quality Control
Each progression in the harp-making system requires outrageous thoughtfulness regarding quality. Amble is investigated for defects. Specifically, the tidy utilized for the soundboard is tried for its acoustic properties to guarantee the nature of the sound it will create. Each wooden part is exclusively reviewed by an expert harp maker, on the other hand after it has been sanded smooth for wrapping up. Metal parts are additionally separately reviewed. Those bought from outside organizations are assessed to guarantee that they match the outlines provided by the harp maker.
The strings are painstakingly tuned during the get-together cycle by a specialist tuner. The activity is tried to guarantee that it is quiet to try not to disrupt the music. The around 400 openings in the metal plate which holds the circles might be bored by PC-controlled gear to guarantee precise arrangement. The harp maker may decide to have an expert performer test each finished harp to guarantee the nature of its sound.
