Are you are searching for the best lyre harp for beginners?
The lyre is a fantastic instrument. The lyre sound is straight out of antiquity, and it’s quite easy to learn to play. You will be having living room concerts and entertaining friends in no time.
Since modern lyres are different from ancient, custom built and professional level lyres, I have put together a list of just modern day beginner lyres here.
Here are the 10 of the best beginner lyre harps, with FAQs and buying guide following that.
List of the 10 Best Beginner Lyre Harps Reviewed
AKLOT 7 String Lyre Harp
Scale: Pentatonic tuning (D E G A B D E)
The Aklot 7 String Lyre is perfect for beginners because its easier to learn with an instrument that only has 7 strings.
This popular lyre features a pentatonic (5 note) scale where all the notes harmonize, meaning whatever notes you play they sound good together.
This is a high quality lyre from a brand with a good reputation for making quality beginner lyres. The craftsmanship is impeccable and the sound and tone of the instrument is pleasant.
Aklot 16 String Deer Lyre
Scale: C Major: With notes G3 A3 B3 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 B4 C5 D5 E5 F5 G5 A5
The Aklot 16 string lyre is lightweight and travels well. It has a quality look and feels well made.
If you want to play modern music you will appreciate the range that its 16 strings gives you, although the learning curve will be deeper than it would be with a 7 or 10 string lyre.
Aklot is a trusted and reputable brand, and this particular deer lyre has a charming shape that evokes the look of ancient greek lyres.
Humming Bird 7 String Pentatonic Lyre
Scale: F sharp minor scale with pentatonic A, B, C#, E, F#, A, B where the first A is the note of the bottom string
The hummingbird is one of the best lyres for adult beginners. For starters it is made by high end lyre maker Music Maker out of Belarus.
Second, this lyre is 17 inches long and is a good fit for adults. The strings are well spaced making it easy to pluck, and the 7 strings are set to a pentatonic scale so the sound is pleasing no matter what order the notes are played.
This fine instrument is finished with Italian lacquer and uses high quality music wire for the strings. The attention to detail make this an excellent lyre.
Mini Kinnor 10 String King David’s Harp Lyre
Scale: B Minor B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D
This classically styled modern lyre is a smaller replica of a kinnor harp.
What is a kinnor harp?
A Kinnor harp is the ancient Hebrew lyre of king David. This one is a bit smaller than King David´s lyre, but the sound, shape and number of strings are all in the fashion on ancient kinnor harps.
It is strung with 10 Dupont nylon strings and includes a replacement set. The timbre is warm and familiar and distinctly middle eastern, and I personally like the size of this lyre at 16 inches long its one of the best lyres for adult beginners.
Lotkey 16 String Lyre
Scale: C Major Scale: F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G
As far as looks go, this is one of my favorite lyre harps for sale.
The sound is also heavenly, not twangy or tinny like some others. ( I highly recommend you listen to the sound samples to get a feel for each model).
This lyre has a steel rim on the bridge that prevents the strings from digging into the bridge and transmits sound beautifully.
It is built from full mahogany and has a rich, warm modern sound for sure.
Another feature I love is the gig bag. Its hefty and protective and I appreciate that.
Donner 10 String Modern Day Lyre
Scale: C Major : F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A
The Donner 10 string lyre is a well made lyre for the price. It has solid mahogany construction and steel strings which give it a sound reminiscent of a guitar in some ways.
The handsome shape is easy to hold, and at just over 15 inches tall it is comfortable to play.
The tuning will take some time which is common with lyres and other stringed instruments. Give the tuning a few days to settle in and eventually the strings will stay true to the note.
Mr.Power Ancient Greece Style 7 Strings Lyre
Scale: D4, E4, G4, A4, B4, D5, E5 Pentatonic
The Mr. Power 7 String lyre is a great choice for beginners. This lyre is high quality, with the sound board and resonator box carved from one piece of Okoume wood which produces a rich warm sound with satisfying bass.
The notes are marked on the soundboard which makes tuning a bit easier, but it will need daily tuning for a week or two to stay tuned.
This lyre features the 5 note pentatonic tuning so each note plays nicely with the others, making this a perfect instrument to improvise, relax, or even play during meditation.
Aogbra 19 string lyre harp
Scale: C6, B3, A5, G5, F5, E5, D5, C5, B4, A4, G4, F4, E4, D4, C4, B3, A3, G3, F3
My favorite aspect of the Aogbra lyre the beautiful color that sets it apart from the rest. In my opinion its one of the most beautiful lyre harps for sale in the beginner range. I also love that I this lyre has 19 strings and can play a huge range of modern music.
As with all lyres and stringed instruments, it will need frequent tuning at first, but after the strings settle, it will stay tuned longer.
This lyre has great resonance thanks to the hollow sound box and the volume is good. At this price its a top pick for best lyre harp for beginners.
Hymnoun 21 String Lyre
Scale: E,D, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A, G, F
The three standout features of this Hymnoun 21 string lyre are its looks, its sound and the number of strings it has.
It sounds beautiful and has an impressive resonance as you will discern from the sample video.
Although having 21 strings will make it a challenge to learn, this modern day lyre has the most strings of any lyre in this lineup of the best beginner lyre harps. That means it can play virtually any modern music, with practice of course. If you are up to a challenge, go for it.
I also like that the strings are labeled with the note which is helpful for learning to play and they make it easier to tune.
The craftsmanship of this instrument is great, but the gig bag and accessories are not as nice as some others. Still, If you are in the market for a 21 string beginner lyre, this is it!
Ladyaccess 10 string Lyre Harp
Scale: A3, B3, C4, D4, E4, F4, G4, A4, B4, C5
The lady access 10 string bean lyre is a great choice as a starter lyre. It has an easy to handle shape, and since it has only 10 strings, it is easier to learn.
This model has taken ease a step further by etching the notes above the keys so its even easier to identify notes and tune the instrument.
The craftsmanship is fantastic and you will appreciate the sturdy gig bag and extra strings provided.
I also like the fact that this harp is playable with two hands and it has a full vibrant resonance you can hear from the sound sample.
A note on tuning modern day lyres:
I am going to be real with you about tuning modern lyre harps.
They take some time to get the tuning down right.
You receive one, you tune it, and the next day its not in tune. So you tune it again. This will be the case for 3 or 4 days until the strings settle. This is the modern lyre break in period.
If after a few weeks you are still having trouble, here is an article on lyre harp tuning peg fixes you can try to keep your lyre in tune.
Modern Lyre Harp FAQs
What is the best lyre for adult beginners?
For an adult beginner lyre player I recommend something that is tall enough for you to sit and play comfortably. As far as how many strings this lyre should have, check out the section below.
A few lyres that are tall enough and comfortable for adult beginner lyre players are the Humming Bird 7 String Pentatonic Lyre and which is 17 inches tall and comes from a professional lyre maker.
I also really like the Aklot 16 string lyre which is 15 inches tall, but its a little wider and I trust the brand.What is the difference between a Lyre and a Harp?
The biggest difference between a lyre and a harp, in my mind, is that a lyre has a bridge, a harp does not.
Harps strings go directly into the sound board or hollow of the instrument, while lyre strings travel over the bridge before being attached to the instrument.
Also, lyre strings are generally played or plucked one at a time, whereas with a harp many strings are played in succession, sounding together.What are the best online lyre tuners?
When you first get your modern lyre it will take 2 to 4 tunings for the strings to settle and the lyre to stay in tune. This is temporary and is the case with all stringed instruments that have new strings.
You can use online, android or iPhone apps to tune your lyre. Any chromatic tuner app should do the trick, even a piano tuner.
Here is an online tuner some like.
https://theonlinemetronome.com/instrument-tuner
If you are using your iPhone or android phone to tune your lyre try these:
Android gStrings tuner App
iPhone InsTuner App
Pano tuner for iPhone
These smartphone apps will tune any number of strings on a lyre and work as a 10 string lyre harp tuner online.Where to buy a lyre harp online?
If you are looking for a modern lyre harp or a lyre of an inexpensive lyre for beginners, there is a huge selection of these lyres for sale on Amazon.
If you are looking for a high end or professional level harp, here is a directory of lyre harp sellers.How much does a lyre cost?
$45 to $120 Range:
You can easily find affordably priced beginner lyres for sale on Amazon in a price range between $45 and $120 dollars.
$120 to $600 range Lyres:
A quality lyre for professional use may cost anywhere between $120 and $600 dollars. An example of this type of lyre can be found at Musicmaker Lyres.
$1000 to $6000 price range Lyres:
Premium custom lyres like those made by Michael J. King are custom made, original lyres with the best craftsmanship. They may cost anywhere from $1000 dollars to $6000 dollars.How many strings should a beginner lyre have?
7 string lyres are, IMO, the easiest to learn, but read up on the benefits of each before you decide, because you can learn to play the lyre on any number of available string sets.
7 to 9 lyre string benefits
* Restricted note range makes learning much easier.
* Fewer strings makes the instrument less intimidating.
* Historically accurate and ancient Anglo-Saxon and germanic lyres generally have this number of * strings.
* Can be tuned to a pentatonic scale where each note harmonizes with all other notes.
* 7 note lyres are ideal for playing ancient germanic, Anglo-Saxon and traditional viking melodies.
10 to 15 lyre strings benefits
* Ancient Greek, middle eastern and Davidic lyres tend to have around 8 to 11 notes, and often had 10 strings.
* 10 strings are a common style in the marketplace.
* Good for folk music.
16 lyre strings and above, benefits
* Enough strings for modern music, pop music, video game covers etc.
* Variety of songs is huge because the range of notes is wider.
* More bass strings are available on a lyre that has 16+ strings.What is a pentatonic scale and why is it good for starter lyres?
With a pentatonic scale, as opposed to a diatonic scale, all the notes harmonize, so you can not play a “wrong” note.
Pentatonic scales repeat 5 notes instead of 7 and the pentatonic scale was though to be used on ancient greek lyres, so using a modern day lyre with pentatonic tuning is more in line with the traditional style. Although, to be fair, a lyre with diatonic tuning can play a wider range of modern style music.
You can play the notes forward, backwards or in any order, and they sound great together, you do not necessarily need to follow a song or sheet music. This means you can use a pentatonic tuned lyre harp for meditation and simple relaxation without the fuss of playing a specific tune.
This wraps up my list of the the best beginner lyre harps. I hope you find one that suits you.
If you are interested, I will share with you that I am a Reiki Energy Healer and practice sound healing as well. I have written many articles on sound healing instruments including singing bowls, gongs and shamanic drums. Check them out!
Until next time!
Much love and all the best to you!
Katie Lyn
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