A stringed instrument consisting of an upright, open triangular wooden frame, with suspended strings of graded lengths that are played by plucking with the fingers.

Harps are among the oldest instruments. Bow harps (harps with only one side) date back to at least 3000 BC. Angle harps (bow harps with a bend in the middle) came around 2000 BC. Frame harps (complete triangles with the strings inside) came about in Europe during the Middle Ages and were widely used by minstrels up until the 15th century.

The modern concert or pedal harp (shown) has 46 or 47 strings and 7 pedals that can be set to play all diatonic scales and was invented in 1810. Since then the harp has undergone few changes and is now a regular member of symphony and opera orchestras.

Strung with sinew, silk or wire, harps vary in size, structure and decoration according to the physical and technological environments of their origins. African harps have been made from a wide variety of materials including wood and gourd covered with cow or other animal hide. Some have a bow shaped or arched soundbox (that is, the body and resonator of the instrument) and string arm (the neck of the instrument which has tuning pegs attached to it), such as the horizontally held Burmese sang-auk. The body of the Turkish ceng is also curved or 'c-shaped'.

Since the medieval era, European harps have had a triangular frame - a column or pillar was added to the soundbox and string arm. There is one feature that all harps share: the strings run vertical (rather than parallel) to the sound box.

Harps are played throughout much of the world and are central to the musical cultures of many communities, from Indonesia to Central America. In Africa alone, there are more than 150 distinct harp traditions. In Mexico, the harp was significant in the development of mariachi music which originally featured only string instruments. In this and other Latin American countries (especially Guatemala and Ecuador), it has been suggested that harps were introduced during the 16th and 17th centuries by African slaves brought by Spanish explorers and colonists to central and North America.

In Britain, harps have also played a deeply symbolic role. Stone sculptures of small, portable Celtic harps date back to about 800 AD in Scotland. Since at least the 12th century, the harp has also been a powerful emblem for Irish nationalists. Prior to the 1700s, Irish harpists held a role of honour and considerable prestige in political circles and were often consulted before battles. In fact, they had such important political power that, during the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I issued a proclamation to arrest Irish harpists and destroy their instruments to prevent insurrection.