Harp–lute by Edward Light

ByBradford Werner
2014

Harp–lute, ca. 1815
Edward Light (English, active 1780–1820)
London
Wood, lacquered and gilded; H. 32 3/4 in. (83.2 cm); W. 13 3/4 in. (34.9 cm)

The harplike pillar supports diatonically tuned bass strings to extend the range of the fretted strings. The pitch of the bass strings could be raised a semitone by finger-operated ring stops that work very much like pedals on a harp.

Quote and Photo via the Met: metmuseum.org

Bradford Werner

Bradford Werner is a classical guitarist and music publisher from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He originally created this site for his students at the Victoria Conservatory of Music but now shares content worldwide. Curating guitar content helps students absorb the culture, musical ideas, and technique of the classical guitar. Bradford also has a YouTube channel with over 94,000 subscribers and 13 million views. He taught classical guitar at the Victoria Conservatory of Music for 16 years and freelanced in Greater Victoria for 20 years and now dedicates much of his time curating content online and helping connect the classical guitar community. See more at his personal website.