Therapeutic Harp Music
with Marie Nivel
Why the Harp?
Often when I travel with my harp, people ask me about my instrument. Most people are used to seeing violin cases and guitars, but the harp is still a rare instrument, even though it is one of the oldest instruments in human history. The harp is believed to be close to 15.000 years old. The name comes from Anglo-Saxon, Old German, and Old Norse words meaning ”to pluck”.
There are many types of harps. Frame harps (the ”ancestors” of todays folk harps and concerts harps ) are almost exclusively European, and appeared by the 9th century.
The harp has a legacy of being used for healing purposes. In ancient Greece and Egypt a patient would receive healing by listening to the modal scales played on a lyre. During the Medieval period, the harp was used during transition.
People who have received therapeutic harp music, describe the sound of the harp as soothing, calm, peaceful, relaxing.
What is it that makes the sound quality of the harp so unique and suited for healing purposes?
In comparison to other instruments, the harp is the only instrument that can be tuned in a mathematically ”pure” fashion. What makes the sound so special is that the partials closest to the fundamental note in the harmonic series are emphasized. When a harp string is plucked one hears not only the fundamental note, but the notes that are simultaneously produced by the string in halves, thirds, fourths, fifths etc. These tones are so called overtones, and their relative presence is stronger in the harp as compared to other instruments. The richness in harmonics give the harp its unique timbre. The mathematical ratios found in the harmonic series, are to be found everywhere in nature. Therefore the harp has such a soothing and healing effect on most people. Through the phenomenon of entrainment, you yourself would naturally become in tune with yourself.
What makes a celtic or folk harp especially suited for healing purposes is that this type of harp has no pedals to complicate, interfere and bog down the sound. Some of the ancient uses of the Celtic harp where laughing, crying, sleeping and balladry
What is therapeutic harp music?
Generally speaking everybody can benefit from therapeutic harp music. Most of us live busy lives that don’t allow for much relaxation time. Therapeutic Harp practitioners create enchanting sounds that relieve anxiety and promote relaxation.
Harp Practitioners, by making note of the client’s musical preferences, mood, breathing, and other indicators, use the inherent qualities of sound itself to create music that promotes relaxation and comfort, fosters an atmosphere of peacefulness, and enhances quality of life.
I received my professional education as a Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioners from the International Harp Therapy Program. As such, I am trained in inclusive attention, resonant tone, the application of musical modes, and empathetic communication techniques. I use this training, as well as ongoing monitoring of the recipient’s physical and verbal responses, to play healing harp music that not only pleases the recipient but is the most appropriate for his or her needs in any given moment. Therapeutic harp music supports the individual with a cradle of sound, so maximum healing may unfold. The music usually supports not only the patient, but the family members and professionals involved in his or her care.
According to current research, live therapeutic music can:
- Reduce stress as the body relaxes and breathing settles and deepens.
- Reduce blood pressure.
- Enhance quality of life to all patients regardless of physical abilities or limitations.
- Augment pain medication and assist in pain management.
- Assist with transition at end of life.
- Relieve anxiety.
- Accelerate physical healing of post-surgery & injured clients.
- Ease the delivery process of the birthing mother.
- Relieve body & mental tension.
- Cultivate a quiet space where sleep and deep rest can occur.
- Provide distraction and motivation.
- Help mental clarity, stimulate memory, uplift, energize and provide joy.
- Enhance quality and experience of a patients hospital stay.
- Provide a welcoming and calm space within all hospital areas.
The live experience
of healing music creates a much greater benefit to patients than recorded music, not least because of the full spectrum of acoustic sound vibrations provided.
The music is simple and the more unwell someone is the less complicated the music offered. Practitioners actively observe the patient’s breathing; body movements, facial expressions and comments to tailor the music to the patient’s immediate needs.
I love my Crescendo FH34 by Dusty Strings because of its rich, warm timbre, the beautiful sound of the bass strings and the crystalline ringing sound on the high strings. The sound is harmonious and well balanced and the sound reverberates a long time after the string is plucked, which adds to the overall healing qualities of this harp.
My other harp is the “Nightingale” by Jeff Lewis. She has only 27 strings and is very portable. Her uniqueness lies in the low tension of the strings, which help to create a mellow sound in addition to the overall sweetness of the sound color. The small size doesn’t affect the quality of sound at all.