How do the pedals on a harp work? [ep 18]

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Why there are 7 pedals on a harp (and so many more strings)? How do they work? Is there anything they have in common with levers on lever harps, and is it difficult to coordinate both hands and feet while playing a pedal harp?

As you may likely already know, pedal harps are one of the most expensive harps out there. They are not cheap to rent, and definitely not the most affordable to buy.

This means that if you don’t live close to a harp shop or a harpist who owns a pedal harp, it may be tricky to try one out. And so this episode is for anyone who would like to know more about how harp pedals work.

You will learn:

  • what happens when a harpist moves a pedal
  • why there are only a few pedals (and a lot more strings)?
  • how does a pedal harp compare to a piano?
  • how hard is it to manage moving both feet and hands at the same time?

In this video you will also hear me tackling some common pedal harp myths, like for example the one that says you need to play a pedal harp in order to be a “proper” harpist. (Spoiler alert – this is NOT true!).

And if you were ever wondering how hard is it to manage both hands and feet at the same time when playing a pedal harp – you’ll learn all about that too!

Watch the video
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Coffee Break Harp: series of free tutorials for beginner and intermediate harpists