Is the harp considered a percussion instrument or a string instrument?
The harp sound originates in a percussed string; thus it is considered both a string and a percussion instrument. Q: Do harpists use all ten fingers when playing, and does the instrument rest on the shoulder or the knee? A: We use eight fingersno pinky because its too short and will change the correct playing position of the hand and, not to mention, its just not strong enough. The instrument rests on my right shoulder. Q: How is the harp most often used, and most often not, in music? A: Harp is often used to color the sound of other instruments in the orchestra, or as a keyboard replacement by ten-fingered composers too lazy to learn its true eight-fingered nature. It is not an upright naked piano! Q: Where do you see the harp in five years? Will the instrument evolve from its present state into something new? Will the way music is written for the harp and its current uses change? A: I can imagine greater use of the melodic potential of the harp as well as composers daring to use ampl
