To construct a harp, first select the wood. Sketch the outlines of the parts onto the wood in preparation for cutting.

To shape the soundboard, cut out a deep rectangular box and hollow it out, leaving the ends and one side. After that has been finished twelve holes are bored through the side that remains. Next to each of these holes another hole will be bored, but not all the way through the wood. Notches are cut at one end on the top and at the other side of the soundboard prepare to fit the other two pieces onto the sound box.

The pegs are small pieces of wood, each carved into a cylinder with a hole bored in one end. They are glued into the hole that was bored into, but not through the wood.

The neck is carved next, a straight piece, except for a curve to fit into the notch that was cut at the end of the soundboard. At the end of this curve a little peg is cut to fit into the notch carved into the sound box. A notch is also cut at the straight end for the body to fit into. Twelve holes are bored into the neck to match the holes on the soundboard. These holes are bored through the side of the neck and pegs are fit into them. The pegs are similar to those on the soundboard, small cylinders with a flat part on one end, and a hole bored through the other end.

Next the body is carved, a curved piece of wood with pegs at both ends to fit into the soundboard and the neck. The body will be longer than the neck, with both the neck and the soundboard fitting in at an angle. The body stabilizes the end where the neck and the soundboard are farthest from each other.

After the three pieces are glued together, it is time to make the strings. Take runnerbeast hair and twist it counterclockwise, adding hair at the end if more length is needed. Tie the hair through the hole on the peg through the neck. Then put the string through the corresponding hole and tie it to the peg next to that hole, making sure that the string is tied tightly.


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