Lyre harps are wonderful instruments used for personal enjoyment or for therapy. They also have a rich history as one of the oldest string-based instruments in the world. In this post, we review some of the best lyre harps for beginners that are available online.
Often characterized by their soothing and warm sounds, the lyre harp is a great instrument for beginners because it is easy to play. Let’s take a closer look at this unique instrument.
What is a Lyre Harp?
Before we review some of the best lyre harps available, let’s take a step back. What exactly is a lyre harp?
The lyre harp is often classified as a type of zither, a family of stringed instruments which includes lutes, guitars, kantele, and psalteries. It is considered by many to be one of the oldest stringed instruments in the world, dating back to at least 1400 BC in Greece.
You often see pictures of lyre harps on many relics. These include ancient pottery, vases, and even the occasional sarcophagus, which is a stone coffin typically associated with the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome, and Egypt. In Greece, poetry was often recited while a lyre harp was played.
Musicians play the traditional lyre by strumming like a zither or guitar, instead of plucking with the fingers as with a traditional harp. In fact, the lyre harp bears little resemblance to the traditional harp (also known as a “level” or “pedal” harp).
How Do You Play the Lyre Harp?
Similar to the dulcimer, the lyre harp is known for its “sweet and warm” sounds. Traditionally, the lyre harp is held by the musician in his or her lap. A pick (sometimes called a “plectrum”) is used by one hand while the fingers of the other hand silence the strings that are not needed.
Lyre Harp Construction
Similar to an acoustic guitar, a traditional lyre harp has a hollow body (or “resonator box”). In ancient Greek times, this body was sometimes made out of turtle shells!
Two raised arms, which may or may not be hollow, extend from the main body of the instrument and curve outward. These arms are connected together with a crossbar (or “yoke”). Another crossbar attaches to the hollow body and the strings connect between these two crossbars.
How to Choose a Lyre Harp
The number of strings on classical lyres differed greatly, ranging from 3 up to 10. Today, modern lyres run the gamut although 16 strings are common. All lyres are typically constructed of wood and can be purchased with 7, 8, 10, 16, 21, or even 24 strings.
Lucky for us, we are enjoying a revitalization of this ancient instrument and there are many excellent options available.
Similar to other types of zithers, the lyre harp is tuned by turning tuning pegs which provide tension or slack to the strings. Oftentimes, tuning wrenches come with the instrument. If not, they can be purchased separately.
There are many specialty manufacturers of lyre harps today, and many of these high quality examples are available online. Lyre harps are also very reasonable priced – a high quality, starter option with a case and accessories can be found for less than $150.
Below we reviewed some of the best lyre harps available online today.
Donner 16-String Lyre Harp DLH-003 w/ Gig Bag and Accessories
The Donner 16-String Lyre Harp is a premium quality instrument. The resonator box is constructed of mahogany, while carbon steel keys and strings ensure the sound is clean. The curved “saddle” connected to the resonator box (and which holds the strings in place) is made of copper which transmits vibrations effectively. It is also significantly more durable then wood saddles which are used in less expensive models.
The overall aesthetics of this instrument are exquisite. The prominent feature of this lyre harp is a unique sun pattern on the sound hole which symbolizes Apollo, the god of light and music. This lyre is suitable for both beginners and experienced musicians, and is one of the best lyre harps we’ve come across. It also makes a great gift.
This lyre weighs a bit over 3 pounds and comes complete with a free gig bag as well as multiple accessories, including tuning wrench, strings, polishing cloth, 2 picks, and instruction manual.
Donner makes well-crafted, best-selling harps that get numerous positive reviews. They also offer great customer support. If you’re looking for a warm, easy to learn lyre harp, the Donner DLH-003 is a great choice.
Comments from Buyers
- “I really cannot stop putting it down, and play it multiple times a day. It’s fun and quite relaxing.”
- “I bought this harp so that I can do the same finger picking like I do with my guitar, but get a completely different, sweet sound“
- “Worth every penny I paid for it!“
Donner 7-String Lyre Harp DLH-001 w/ Gig Bag and Accessories
Another excellent model from Donner, the DLH-001 7-String Lyre Harp comes with 7 strings and is also crafted from mahogany. The 7-string design is based on a classic folk pentatonic scale and is tuned in the following sequence: 1 (D4), 2 (E4), 3 (G4), 4 (A4), 5 (B4), 6 (D5), 7 (E5). The sounds are beautiful, warm, and clean.
Like the DLH-003 model, the overall aesthetics of the DLH-001 are exquisite although in a slightly smaller frame. The prominent feature of this lyre harp is a unique sun pattern on the sound hole which symbolizes Apollo, the god of light and music.
This lyre is suitable for both beginners and experienced musicians, and like the DLH-003, makes a great gift.
This lyre harp weighs a bit over 1.5 pounds. It also comes complete with a free gig bag as well as multiple accessories, including tuning wrench, strings, polishing cloth, 2 picks, and instruction manual.
Donner makes well-crafted, best-selling harps that get numerous positive reviews. They also offer great customer support. If you’re looking for a warm, easy to learn lyre harp in a smaller size, the 7-string Donner DLH-001 is a great choice.
Comments from Buyers
- “This lyre harp by Donner is truly a great value for the price. High recommend.”
- “The look and feel is wonderful – very well crafted. I’m very pleased with the sound too.”
- “Sounds wonderful! Literally any string you pluck sounds like the start of a beautiful song.”
Aklot 16-String Lyre Harp w/ Gig Bag and Accessories
The Aklot 16-String Lyre Harp is another highly rated, beautiful harp made from solid mahogany. Available in either a 7-string or 16-string version, this harp produces lovely, warm sounds.
Targeted as an entry-level option, this 16-string harp provides great dynamics and tonal range. The steel strings are tuned to the following sequence: G3 A3 B3 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 B4 C5 D5 E5 F5 G5 A5.
This lyre harp is well-crafted and weighs a bit over 2.5 pounds. And like the other harps reviewed here, this lyre harp comes complete with a free gig bag as well as multiple accessories, including tuning wrench, and replacement set of strings.
It’s a great all-around starter instrument.
Comments from Buyers
- “Makes a superb gift. Aklot made a great quality instrument for a reasonable price.“
- “Let this be your starter harp, and you won’t be disappointed! Perfect for therapy playing.”
- “This lyre has a light feel, looks well made, and has a nice smooth look. Very happy I got it.“
Instructional Lyre Harp Books
Are you a new lyre harp player or thinking about becoming one? If so, instructional books can be important resources. Here we review a handful of instructional books that get excellent reviews. These include step-by-step information on how to play the lyre harp. They also include sample songs, information about how to build a lyre harp, as well as history of this ancient instrument.
Making, Playing and Composing on the Lyre Harp
Comments from Buyers
- “Well written and useful, as I’ve moved from full sized harp to lyre.“
- “Simple to follow information, which made learning to play my 10 string lyre fun.”
- “Lots of pictures which I found helpful. Great for new lyre players!“
The Celtic Lyre: A Collection of Gaelic Songs
Comments from Buyers
- “Nice collection of traditional songs. I enjoy playing them on my Kalimba and 16 string Lyre Harp.“
- “A lovely book with an unexpectant historical focus!”
- “Not my favorite book on the lyre, but a great reference.“
Final Thoughts
Lyre harps are wonderful instruments used for either personal enjoyment or for therapy. The sounds they produce are often characterized as soothing and warm. They also have a rich history. Evidence suggests that as one of the oldest string-based instruments in the world, dating back to at least 1400 BC in Greece.
There are many lyre harps for sale, but there is a wide difference in quality. The lyre harps reviewed above are three of the best ranked lyre harps on Amazon, and serve as perfect starter instruments. They are also reasonably inexpensive and come with all the accessories you need. They make great gifts as well.
Interested in other unique, but popular stringed instruments? A distant cousin of the harp, the autoharp is popular with many – even kids! It’s easy and fun to play, as it automatically allows desired strings to play while muting those that are not in a chord. Check out our post on autoharps to learn more.
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