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The claviharp, also known as the harp piano, xenorphica, or Keyboard Harp, is a 19th-century musical instrument that combined a
The claviharp used metal strings covered with an insulating material to better stay in tune. Its keyboard was the same as that of other keyboard instruments, so permitting the playing of
Early Pianos Online
A searchable, interactive database of over 9000 pianos built before 1860. {{Musical keyboards Keyboard instruments Composite chordophones Harps Harpsichord 1813 introductions
The claviharp, also known as the harp piano, xenorphica, or Keyboard Harp, is a 19th-century musical instrument that combined a harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...
with a keyboard. Despite mentions of this instrument in previous centuries (''see'' Juan Hidalgo), Johann Christian Dietz has been recognized as the inventor of the instrument in 1813. His grandfather was one of the first upright piano manufacturers. Struck by what he saw as difficulties and defects of the harp, in 1810, he built an ''instrument à cordes pincées à clavier'', which connected a keyboard to the harp strings.
He made the instrument to address limitations of the harp—susceptibility of catgut
Catgut (also known as gut) is a type of cord that is prepared from the natural fiber found in the walls of animal intestines. Catgut makers usually use sheep or goat intestines, but occasionally use the intestines of cattle, hogs, horses, mules, ...
strings to atmospheric change, inconsistency of sound as finger motion varies, limited diatonic scale
In music theory a diatonic scale is a heptatonic scale, heptatonic (seven-note) scale that includes five whole steps (whole tones) and two half steps (semitones) in each octave, in which the two half steps are separated from each other by eith ...
(without pedals), and lack of dampers. The claviharp's keyboard plucked the strings (as a harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...
) rather than strike them (as a piano). It was essentially a 6 Octave Tenor Upright Harpsichord that uses Special Strings to emulate the sound of a Harp.
Features
The claviharp used metal strings covered with an insulating material to better stay in tune. Its keyboard was the same as that of other keyboard instruments, so permitting the playing of chromatic scale
The chromatic scale (or twelve-tone scale) is a set of twelve pitches (more completely, pitch classes) used in tonal music, with notes separated by the interval of a semitone. Chromatic instruments, such as the piano, are made to produce the ...
s. The instrument had two pedals. One sustained or dampened the strings, and the second divided certain strings into two equal parts to provide harmonic octaves. The instrument was much lighter and transportable than a piano.
See also
*Giraffe piano
The giraffe piano is a type of an upright piano that has a "long-necked" appearance due to a narrow, but tall, upright case, essentially a grand piano set up vertically. The design had been invented in Austria around 1805 and was manufactured thro ...
, a piano with a similar appearance
* Clavicytherium, a similar older instrument
Notes
External Links
Early Pianos Online
A searchable, interactive database of over 9000 pianos built before 1860. {{Musical keyboards Keyboard instruments Composite chordophones Harps Harpsichord 1813 introductions