Stringing

Historical string materials used for Gaelic harps

These string materials are described by reliable commentators as being used on Gaelic harps from medieval times onwards. See History.

Brass or bronze is an alloy of copper. Called in Latin aes or auricalco, Irish/Gaelic umha or phráis, these words and indeed the English brass and Bronze could refer to any copper-based alloy. Modern technical practice is to use bronze to refer to copper-tin alloys and brass to refer to copper-zinc alloys. All of the copper-alloy historical music wire that has been analysed has proved to be either yellow brass, also known as cartridge brass (copper with 22-30% zinc) or less common red brass (copper with 7-14% zinc). These are mostly samples of wire preserved within historical harpsichords. There is much speculation about the use of bronze alloys in medieval times; experiments are currently underway testing possible compositions. Historical bronze alloys do not include phosphorous, and so differ significantly from modern phosphor-bronze wire.

Iron Soft iron wire used to be called "steel", and is harder and stronger than brass. It has very low carbon and high phosphorus content, and so differs greatly from high-carbon steel used for modern steel piano wire.

Foreign, unusual, mythical and poetic string materials for Gaelic harps

These string materials are mentioned less securely as string materials, not necessarily in connection with Gaelic harps, or in medieval poetry and myth. Some people believe that this reflects actual stringing practice and experiments with these materials is ongoing. See History.

Silver Called in Latin argentum, Irish and Gaelic airgeod. Can be used in many different alloys and purities. Most common today is "sterling silver", 92.5% pure, legally defined since medieval times. Pure silver is much softer than alloys.

Gold Called in Latin aurum, Irish and Gaelic or. The purity of gold is described in "carats", or 24ths. So 18 carat gold is 18/24 pure, or 75%. The remainder of the alloy can be any one of a number of metals such as silver, tin, copper, etc. all of which affect the physical properties of the ally as well as its colour (hence "yellow gold", "green gold", "red gold" etc.) There is no common formula for gold to compare with sterling silver. Pure gold is much softer than alloys.

Electrum is an alloy of silver and gold. It is rarely used today for any purpose. Called in Latin electrum. It has been suggested that the Irish term Findruine, used to describe music wire in myth, refers to this metal, but this is disputed. Where the dividing line between gold with a high silver content and electrum with a high gold content lies, is unclear.

Historical string materials for other instruments

Gut is made from the intestines of sheep, sliced into long strips, cured and twisted. It was the normal string material for European instruments (including most harps) from medieval times onward.

Silk is made from the cocoons of moths, streched out and twisted or braided together. The glue that holds the cocoons together is used in the manufacture to produce a smooth homogeneous string. It was always rare in Europe but seems to have occasionally been used as a luxury gut substitute.

Horsehair is taken from the tails of horses. Although it is no longer used for strings, it is of course widely used for violin bows. Apparently the dark horsehair favoured for double-bass bows is superior for strings. It was used in Wales and the far north-east of Europe.

Strings of various metals, mostly brass and silver, were used from medieval times on psalteries, and later brass and iron were used their descendents including harpsichords and pianos. Metal strings were also fitted to instruments that had previously used gut or nylon strings: for example brass on guitars in the 18th Century and industrial steel on violins in the 20th Century.

Catlines can be made of any material; they are made from two strands roped together to give a characteristically spiral string. Usually of gut, they were apparently invented in the 16th century for lutes and similar instruments.

String materials used on modern Celtic harps

When the "Celtic harp" was re-invented in the 19th Century it followed pedal harp practice by being strung with gut. Nowadays, synthetic substitutes are common:

Nylon is a plastic extrusion. Folk instruments around the world use cheap fishing line, but higher grades are also manufactured especially for musical instruments.

CF Some expensive lever harps copy pedal harp practice by replacing the shortest gut strings with Carbon-Fibre.

Wound or wrapped strings sometimes confusingly called wire strings, used for the basses of modern harps, have a nylon or gut core with a tight spiral of metal wire wound around it. The surface of the finished string is characteristically bumpy from the windings. They were invented in the 17th century for use on the bass courses of gut-strung fretted instruments such as violins.

Since early in the 20th Century a vague awareness that the historical Gaelic harp was wire-strung not gut-strung led a minority of makers and harpists to experiment with wire strings. However lacking good historical information they often simply put modern wires onto a modern lever harp:

Steel is iron with a small amount of carbon added. It is an extremely strong and springy wire, used on violins, guitars and pianos.

Phosphor-Bronze: Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. The inclusion of phosphorous in the manufacture makes it stronger so it can be used as music wire. It is used on guitars and American folk harps.

Wound strings, with metal wire windings onto a metal core. These are used on pianos as well as bass guitars. Modern wire-strung "folk harps" tend to use commercial guitar strings for their bass courses.

Catlines or twisted strings of red brass were used in the 1980s and 1990s by Robert Evans and his followers, as a more historical alternative to wound guitar strings. However they are not historically attested for early Gaelic harp and do not sound good, and seem to have fallen from favour.

References

Simon Chadwick