Irish harp

▪ musical instrument

Irish  clairseach,  Scottish Gaelic  clarsach 

      traditional harp of medieval Ireland and Scotland, characterized by a huge soundbox carved from a solid block of wood; a heavy, curved neck; and a deeply outcurved forepillar—a form shared by the medieval Scottish harp. It was designed to bear great tension from the heavy brass strings (normally 30 to 50), which were plucked by the fingernails to produce a ringing, bell-like sound. It is strung diatonically (seven notes per octave).

      Known in the above form since the 11th century, the Irish harp belonged to the world of strongly coloured medieval instruments and survived almost unchanged in Ireland until the end of the 17th century. The disappearance of aristocratic patrons, coupled with changes in musical styles, contributed to the disappearance of the instrument, its musical style, and playing technique by the end of the 18th century.

      The modern, lighter, gut-strung Irish harp stems from the efforts of John Egan of Dublin (c. 1820) to revive the older harp. To produce a full chromatic (12-note) octave, it is provided with turnable hooks on the neck near each string, raising the string's pitch by a semitone when necessary.

* * *