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1. History: The harp holds a unique place in the history of music. It is the oldest known musical instrument, dating from the Neolithic Age. The earliest evidence was found in ancient Egypt around 2500 BC. They are shaped like bows or angular and have very few strings (because they don't have pillars, they can't support much string tension)
The primitive harp was often used as a sacrificial tool for divination, funerals, and praying for rain among primitive tribes. It is the origin of all classical harp harps. Records of the harp in early documents are not uniform. The first Arched Harp to be excavated came from Mesopotamia in 2500 BC. It is similar to the Burmese harp, with 13 or 14 strings. The oldest existing Irish Harp was made in the 14th century. There are generally 30 to 36 strings, and the most distinctive feature is the use of fingernails to play. In the 16th century, Juan Bermudo invented the double-strung harp based on the keyboard instrument. After the double-string harp, the triple harp and the hook harp appeared in the early 17th century. In the 18th century, cross-strung chromatic harp and chromatic harp appeared. A cross-string harp has 76 strings, 44 on the left and 32 on the right. Later, the pedal harp appeared, with the pedal controlled by the foot to raise the sound by a semitone. In the 19th century, the double-action pedal harp was invented. Because of an extra groove, the pedal can act twice, so each string can play three semitones. By this time, the harp had developed into an instrument that could play in all keys. In the first half of the 20th century, nylon strings were invented. Because nylon strings have better ductility and stability, the instrument's timbre, volume and other expressive capabilities have relatively significantly improved.。（01， 02，03）
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2. Structure: Structural components: piano body: piano post, tailpiece, resonance box and base. String system: strings, pegs, pitch transmission mechanism and pedals
Materials used: Body: wooden structure. Strings: usually nylon strings for treble, casing strings for midrange, and metal strings for bass
Pitch-changing transmission parts: Use curved copper plates.
Pedal: There are seven pedals under the harp body, and each pedal can control all the notes of the same note in the string. All pedals are designed with three levels, which can be stepped on to raise or lower the pitch, with the middle position indicating restoration.
Strings: The strings pass through the resonance box and are fixed to the iron bolts on the neck. The total tension of all tuned strings is about 730kg. Due to different needs, the number of strings and the size of the piano are also different. The most common one is 47 strings, weighing about 36kg. Steel strings are used for the bottom one and a half octaves, gut strings are used for the middle range, and one or one and a half octaves are used for the highest. Octave uses nylon strings. To distinguish the strings, all C strings are red and all F strings are blue.
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3. Features: The most famous effect on the harp is the glissando. The harpist slides his fingers from one end of the harp to the other, and all the notes sound like a very fast scale (usually from bottom to top). There is a dramatic beauty to harp portamento, and for this reason it is often overused, especially in film music. Due to its rich connotation and beautiful sound quality, the harp has become a special colorful instrument in symphony orchestras and musicals. It is mainly used for harmonic accompaniment and glissando decorative phrases. It often plays the finishing touch and is unforgettable for the audience. . In chamber music, the harp is also an important solo instrument. When playing solo, he can play soft and beautiful lyrical passages or cadenzas, which are very infectious.（01）
Sound example  (See here）
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4. Example of Morricone's music
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