Alys Howe plays two different kinds of harp. The pedal harp (sometimes called the concert harp or the classical harp) is the large type found in orchestras. It is called the pedal harp because it has seven pedals operated by the player's feet, which will change the pitch of the strings they are associated with.

The lever harp (often called the Celtic harp and sometimes the folk harp), can range in size from a very small instrument with only a few strings, to nearly the size of a pedal harp. (This kind of harp varies a lot depending on who has made it). The pitch of the strings on the lever harp are changed by the operation of the levers on the neck of the instrument.

The type of harp that is most accurately called the Celtic harp was played in Scotland (where it was called clarsach) and in Ireland (where it was called cruit) and was strung with wire or metal strings. Today this kind of harp is usually described as the metal-strung (or wire-strung) harp.
       Although this kind of harp still exists in a modern form today, the lever harp is now more common in Europe and North America.