Playing Technique
When one plays the Kafir harp they have to balance the sound box on the left arm, leaving the strings to face up, rather than away from the musician. It is played with a plectrum in the right hand while using the left hand to mute certain strings. While the reasons for this may be cultural there are functional reasons why it would be helpful to have the left hand near the strings that it is responsible for muting. Stylistically, a piece of music featuring the kafir harp may begin with an ostinato figure on the harp, underneath a soloist (who may or may not be the kafir player himself) and/or by syncopated hand-clapping.
Read more about this topic: Kafir Harp
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