| Harps, all different, but still a part of the harp | | | | on wine and whiskey bottles, money and even |
| family. | | | | Coat of Arms. |
| Asia has very few types of harps, there are still | | | | Like South American harps modern American |
| some native harps, however, only in limited | | | | harps are also derived from European harps |
| production. | | | | imported in the early 1600's. The kind of wood |
| Egyptian, Persian, and Greek harps are some of | | | | used to make harps varies by region. Harp wood |
| the oldest dating back some 6000 years. | | | | must be a strong wood, like Ebony or Mahogany, |
| South American harps are derived from harps | | | | as a harp needs to hold a great amount of string |
| brought from Spain in the early 1600's. The most | | | | tension. |
| popular of South American harps is the | | | | The strings of harps are made of nylon, steel or |
| Paraguayan harp, the national Instrument of | | | | copper. Old harp strings from around the world |
| Paraguay. | | | | where made of catgut "sheepgut," hide or in Asia |
| There are many different kinds of harp in Africa. | | | | they used silk and in Africa antelope hide. |
| They do not have forepillars and so are either | | | | Catgut is the name applied to cord of great |
| bow harps or angle harps. As well as true harps | | | | toughness, prepared from the intestines of the |
| such as Mauritania's ardin, there are a number of | | | | sheep or goat, and occasionally from those of |
| instruments that are difficult to classify, often | | | | hog, horse, mule, pig, and donkey. Those of the |
| being labeled harp-lutes, another term for them is | | | | cat are not employed, however it is supposed |
| spike harps. The West African Kora is the best | | | | that the word is properly kitgut ("violin string"), kit |
| known of African harps, the strings run from a | | | | being derived from the ancient word "citara" or |
| string arm to a 'spike' and the resonating chamber | | | | "kitara" from which comes the modern word |
| is attached to the base of the spike. | | | | "guitar." The present form may have arisen |
| Europe has many harps if not the most from | | | | through confusion that kit = cat. Another |
| Greece to Ireland dating back 3000-5000 years: | | | | explanation of the origin of the cat in catgut is |
| the Cross Strung Harp, Irish Harp and Double Harp | | | | that it is an abbreviation for cattle which originally |
| are just a few. There are only a few surviving | | | | denoted not only cows, but all types of livestock. |
| harps from medivel times like the Waterburg Harp | | | | Harps produce calm music. It is said: If if one can |
| and Queen Mary Harp. Harps are still a big part of | | | | play a Piano one can also play a harp. |
| European culture. Pictures of harps can be found | | | | |