The Earth Harp Collective

Earth Harp Performers: Laura Vall & Scott Passaglia
Drum Cloud Performer and Percussionist: Angel Roche Jr.

The Earth Harp is the longest stringed instrument in the world, with strings that extend up to 1,000 feet in length. The first Earth Harp was invented in 1999 by artist/musician, William Close. The Earth Harp uses architecture and landscape as part of the instrument. The architecture becomes the instrument. The Earth Harp’s first installation featured the resonating chamber mounted on one side of a valley with the strings stretched out nearly 1,000 ft to the other side. It turned the valley into a giant harp!

How does the Earth Harp work? The Earth Harp is played using violin resin on cotton gloves and musical bows. The performer’s hands are run along the strings to create beautiful cello-like tones. The act of rubbing the strings creates a longitudinal compression wave. This vibration is similar to the vibration patterns that produce tones when you run your finger around the edge of a wine glass. 

As William Close experimented with some of his early design concepts, he created a method of tuning the giant long strings; using a specially designed tuning block that he discovered could tune the strings to any scale. The instrument is typically tuned in an A-minor scale Flats and sharps can also be included for certain installations; this is easily done by shifting the tuning block.

Since the first installation in 1999, William and The Earth Harp Collective have created hundreds of Earth Harp installations all over the world…..from the Grand Theater of Shanghai to the Space Needle in Seattle, each installation is unique to its own environment. An Earth Harp installation celebrates the architecture and landscape of its surroundings. The environment and architecture are transformed by the strings, forever changing the perception of those lucky enough to see the installation.