This is such a simple adjustment to make and yet we see people agonize over this. If your harp seems too tall, find a higher chair or stool. If the harp seems too short, set it up on a small box or find a lower chair. No matter what size harp you end up with I promise you that you will be able to find a stool or chair that will allow you to play your harp comfortably. Asking a young student to try and hold a lap harp on their lap while they try to learn to play will make for a frustrated student!įloor harps come in all shapes and sizes. And just because lap harps are smaller does not mean that they are more suitable for children. Lap harps are for people that need something extremely portable. The majority of harpists play a floor harp as their main harp. A floor harp sits on the floor while you play it and a lap harp sits on, yep, you guessed it, your lap. When it comes down to it, there are really two sizes of folk harps - floor harps and lap harps. Folk harps weigh between 12 to 40 pounds and cost between $1500 and $6000 What Size of Harp Should I Choose? Sharping levers are a much simpler system and much less heavy. These types of harps use sharping levers to change keys. Jolie Hybrid Harpįolk Harps, Celtic Harps, and Lever Harps all refer to non-pedal harps, and are, for all practical purposes, the same thing. These types of harps use a complicated pedal mechanism to change keys, weigh between 60 to 100 pounds, and cost upwards of $20,000. Pedal harps are the great big harps you see in the orchestra.
There are essentially two types of harps - Pedal Harps and Non-Pedal Harps. What is the difference between a folk harp, a celtic harp, a lever harp, and a concert harp? If you really want to learn to play harp, you will learn to play harp regardless of the harp you start out playing. I’m going to offer some heavy qualifications to the following recommendations because I believe very strongly that the number of strings or levers or the size of the harp is not going to determine your success in learning the harp. They usually have the experience to point you in the right direction. Pick your teacher’s brain about harps and see where that leads. Rent a harp if possible and get some lessons from a local harp teacher. You really can’t go wrong if you purchase a harp from one of these folks. Give them a call or send an email if you have a question. Check out their websites and find a couple that fit your budget and appeal to you. It has ads from all the reputable harp makers. If you can’t do that, pick up a copy of the Folk Harp Journal. Find the one that speaks to you and go for it. All of the major harp builders are making good, durable, quality harps these days so don’t stress out too much about making a choice.
You’ll find harps from most of the major harp builders all in one place and you can look at, listen to, and try several different harps. Probably the best thing you could do would be to attend one of the harp conferences like Somerset Harp Festival or visit a harp center. I will follow up with some specifics suggestions regarding strings, levers, etc. Here are some general suggestions to get you started. This is a great question and one we hear quite often. What do I need to know so I can make a wise purchase and continue learning to play? What you need to know about purchasing a harp Sonnet Lap Harp In this article we'll go over a number of things to look for when purchasing a harp: type of harp, size of harp, number of strings on the harp, sharping levers, spring spacing, type of wood, and harp tone.
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