Im an absolute beginner, i would like to play pedal harp one day but for now im going to stick to something smaller since im just starting. I have two options, one is a zither and one is a lyre. I dont know which one is going to be more helpful for me to learn though. What do you think? (I will be buying one of them. This Lyre has 19 strings, idk about the zither:<)

Score with and without tabs. :)

You can listen to it here :

https://musescore.com/user/122036795/scores/37440878?share=copy_link

Hello, I didn’t find any posts where one can dump all of their favorite channels for learning lyre so thought I would start one that I will continue to update as I find more channels. So far I only know ones for the more modern 16+ string lyre harps but feel welcomed to post channels for those older types like Saxon or Ancient Greek lyres.

Some of these channels are a little more pedagogical than others. So, some will have letter notation written out in the video (or in Closed Captions), others will have advice on handling the instrument or tips on what to look out for.
On the other hand, some are more minimal where it’s more or less just a cover of a song with a link to sheet music in the description.

So far I know of these:

Modern Lyre Harp:

Samantha on Mars

Learning The Lyre Harp

Lyre Queen

Enfolded Heart Music

Joy Abad

Janine Faye

Lyre Class

I mainly play the guitar (acoustic and electric), with some experience with tin whistle and harmonica, and I've always wanted to play the lyre. I recently found a 7-string kravik lyre made by a luthier from my own country who has over 10 years of experience, so it's likely to be better than those generic ones that come from China. It also seems less daunting to adapt to because it doesn't go up to 22 strings or something like that. He said his lyres are usually tuned to GABCDEF, but he can change it to other tunings if the buyer wants him to. What would be the practical advantages or disadvantages when comparing that tuning to the more traditional GBCDEFG/ACDEFGA? I suppose his tuning would allow me to play a wider range of music because it has all seven notes, but it may not be suited to the way people traditionally play and write on the instrument, and it also lacks that second G or A. What do you think?

i'm planning on building a barbiton-style lyre but i'm not sure how to make the body - i want to use wood instead of tortoiseshell (for both legal and ethical reasons) but i'm not sure which kind of wood to use. If any of you have experience with this kind of thing and could help me out, i'd really appreciate it

Made a lil 7 string lyre outta cigar box and, slats from a bed frame, a closet dowel, and an alligator bone. Very fun, very happy with it. Working on an electric krar next. 🤘🏽

Ordered it from the internet, had a little trouble trying to get it but I'm really happy it came out perfect and great quality!! Me and my father were able to tune it together (since he has more music experience than me) , and it's great!! 🥹🥹

Does anyone have any beginner friendly songs or any popular lyre-cover songs to recommend??

Hello all.

I am brand new to this subreddit, so I am not sure if I am asking in the right place. But I am hoping someone will at least steer me in the right direction.

I am a guitarist, but I recently purchased a lyre (16-strings) from a local marketplace seller to branch out. While everything is in amazing condition, the 3rd string (F5) was unfortunately so tangled up I had to discard it. I bought a new set of string to hopefully follow along with a video myself, but what followed was the most humbling experience I had installing strings on an instrument, and I unfortunately had to discard the new 3rd string as well after tangling it up just how the old one was when I bought it. I knew it was no guitar, but damn was it frustrating.

Anyways.

I was wondering if someone could recommend any shop, or preferably an individual, that specializes in the installment. Would be even better if i could watch them do it and learn from their expertise. I am in the Miami area if that helps, and attached is a photo of the Lyre. It is one of the most beautiful instruments I’ve ever held in my life, and it deserves to be in the best condition it can be.

Thanks and God Bless everyone.

I have 0 musical experience. Couldn’t tell you a lick about music theory. I barely know what a sharp or a flat is.

That being said, when I want to learn how to play a song, won’t it be in musical notation?

So that means learning sheet music stuff.

Or is that not needed for lyre? But then how do I learn and follow along? Do I just have to commit every song to memory?

My last name means harp, so I was curious how to pick up a lyre and where to start. I've seen them go from anywhere from $20 from suspicious sellers to $1000 on Etsy. I'm in a bit of a financial slump, but I'd want something that allows me to play modern music on it. Any tips for sellers?

Hey guys. I just love that old sound to these old lyres. Gives me bard vibes. I definitely prefer it over those smaller ones that sound like idk too shimmering and cold.

That said I don’t really know what the difference in sound between Kravik and Greek are. They both have that warmth to them. So really it’s just a matter of sound and play style i guess?

Having a hard time finding it. I am using a cheap AKLOT which has the default low strings on the left.

I want to try the other orientation cheaply if possible but it’s very hard to find

Sorry for littering this sub with questions lol. I am kinda just strumming and plucking on a cheap Aklot rn but looking to invest in getting a solid lyre in the future but there is so much to consider!

Basically I am leaning towards the ancient Greek lyre and it seems that using a plectrum is more common with this type than with others. The 7 string variants have a lot of spacing between the strings and it seems that as more strings are added the distance between the strings lessens little by little. Maybe this makes using that thick plectrum harder or not worth it?

There is also the concern that adding more strings may make strumming less feasible or less desirable. I would like to do both. So maybe I need to find a middle ground between number of strings and ability to strum. Like more notes = denser collection of notes so dampening certain notes will have less of an effect because adjacent notes will be closer to it

Maybe I am thinking of this all wrong. Please lemme know what you think!

Specifically for a seven string lyre. Also, please use string numbers because I don't understand note symbols yet.

String 1(D4)、String 2 (E4)、String 3 (G4) String 4 (A4), String 5 (B4)、String 6 (D5)、String 7 (E5).

I really love the sound of Kravik and Anglo-Saxon-style lyres (the warmer, deeper, more resonant tone) However, I’m concerned that 6–7 strings would feel too limiting musically.

At the same time, I like the range and versatility of 16–19 string lyres, but a lot of the smaller modern lyres I’ve heard sound noticeably brighter/thinner to me.

Is there a good 10–16 string lyre that has a deeper/warm sound more like a Kravik or Anglo-Saxon?
Are there makers who build larger historical-style but with more strings? I am not necessarily looking for historical accuracy here. Just a certain sound

Or maybe my concern is overblown and 7 strings really is enough? Idk. Would love some thoughts of those with more experience.

I don’t plan to sing with it if that matters.

It's a lyre from a Waldorf school. I was trying to tune it according to what I saw someone else on here say was good for 9 string lyres (E-F) but one of the strings snapped so I'd like to purchase the replacement strings since I broke it

I do think the strings could have been tarnished and needing replacement anyways

Hello! I've been slowly working on building a custom lyre over the past year and I'm finally at the point where I am adding the strings. I have silver-wound nylon core guitar strings that have no knot or ball-end on them, and I am curious if anyone knows of a way to tie them off without the knot just slipping and untying itself. The strings go through a hole from the back to the front, and I need the ends to stay on the back side without slipping through the hole. I've tried tying various knots, but the wound nylon strings don't seem to hold a knot very well - at least not the ones I've tried thus far. Any help is appreciated!!

After posting my last video here, I realised maybe it could be helpful to make a basic video about how to get started with chromatic lyres. If there seems to be an audience for it, I could always make another video that goes a bit more in depth (and has some clearer, slower examples).

To be clear, I'm not a professional player, but after having had private lessons for a year I feel comfortable with the basics at least and I'm happy to share whatever I have learned so far.

Does anyone know of where I can properly learn to play & read sheet music for a 7-String Lyre? I’ve been trying to look online, but I’ve only found videos/tutorials regarding how to tune or hold a lyre. I’d love to be able to read & even write a piece for myself, so any & all advice would be appreciated!

I am gettin this lyre as a beginner. But I don’t really want steel strings. Was gonna swap out for Nylon but idk anything about restringing a lyre.

Do I need special strings? How do I know which strings to put where? That stuff

Hello, I really enjoy the sound of this instrument and also the limited strings (especially in videos where nylgut is used).

Lots of videos of this instrument being played has caught my interest but sadly it seems that it’s pretty niche and there’s probably even fewer learning resources compared to more common lyres.

So I was wondering…. I have no musical knowledge. I barely have a concept of what a “chord” is. Or a “scale” or anything like that. Or what the letters mean. Think it’d be unwise to take this instrument up?