Student
String · Instrument Hub Specification and market analysis
Harp
The harp is a plucked string instrument with strings running roughly perpendicular to its soundboard, each string tuned to a single fixed pitch (unlike a violin or guitar, where one string produces multiple pitches by stopping it at different points). Two genuinely different instruments share the name: the orchestral PEDAL harp, which uses seven foot pedals to re-tune whole rows of strings mid-performance, and the simpler LEVER harp, where each string has its own hand-operated lever that raises that single string by one semitone and must be set before playing, not during. This site's harp products are lever harps — see the difficulty notes below for why.
Role in the orchestra and band
The pedal harp is the harp used in a symphony orchestra — typically one player, occasionally two for works that call for it — providing arpeggiated figures, glissandi, and coloristic accents rather than a continuous melodic or harmonic line throughout. The lever harp this site's products are drawn from is not an orchestral-section instrument; it is used in folk, Celtic, therapeutic, and educational settings, and as a common (though not universal) entry point before a serious student moves to pedal harp.
Sound and range
Varies by model and string count. This site's 19-string entry-level product spans roughly two and a half octaves (F3-C6); its 22-string product spans roughly three octaves (C3-C6). Larger lever harps and full pedal harps span considerably more.
Common types
Lever harp — each string has an individual hand lever raising it a semitone, set before playing rather than during. Simpler, lighter, and far less expensive than a pedal harp.
Pedal harp — seven foot pedals, each controlling every string of one pitch class across all octaves simultaneously, allowing mid-performance key changes. The instrument used in a symphony orchestra; priced and sized as an institutional/professional instrument, not covered by this site's current product lineup.
String count varies by lever-harp model — commonly 19 to 38+ strings on the products this site covers, with more strings meaning greater range and typically greater size, weight, and price, not necessarily greater difficulty for a true beginner.
Who should choose the harp
A lever harp is a realistic first string instrument for a genuine beginner, including children, in a way a pedal harp is not: no continuous bowing technique to learn (strings are plucked with the fingers), a forgiving fixed-pitch-per-string layout, and — critically — real, confirmed sub-$600 new instruments exist, unlike the orchestral pedal harp, which starts in four figures even used and is realistically an institutional or serious-student purchase. The genuine skill hurdle is independent finger technique in both hands simultaneously, which takes real practice time regardless of the specific model. A lever harp cannot do everything a pedal harp can (levers must be set by hand before a piece, not changed mid-performance), so a student aiming specifically at orchestral pedal-harp repertoire will eventually need to transition instruments — this site is upfront about that rather than presenting a lever harp as a smaller pedal harp.
Buying guidance for beginners and level progression
The single most important thing to know before buying: “harp” covers two genuinely different instruments. If what you pictured is the harp in a symphony orchestra, that’s a pedal harp — seven foot pedals, five to six figures new, and realistically an institutional or serious-student purchase, not covered in this site’s current product lineup. What this page and its linked guide actually sell is the lever harp: no pedals, one hand-set lever per string, genuinely real and confirmed under $600 for a first instrument.
String count is the main real choice among lever harps: more strings means more range and generally more size/weight/price, not necessarily more difficulty for an absolute beginner. A 19- or 22-string model is a realistic true first harp; larger 26- and 38-string models suit a student who already knows they want more range to grow into, per our Best Guide below.
Common problems
- A lever set to the wrong position (flat vs. sharp) is one of the most common reasons a piece sounds “off” on a lever harp — always double-check every lever before assuming a tuning or instrument problem.
- Nylon strings (standard on entry-level lever harps) stretch during break-in and need re-tuning far more often in the first weeks than an established instrument does — this is normal, not a defect.
Recommended starting points
Intermediate
Beginner
Major brands
Roosebeck
Frequently asked questions
This FAQ reflects our own desk research. We'll add an "expert reviewed" label once a named, credentialed reviewer has been engaged for this subject.
A lever harp has one hand-operated lever per string, raising that string a semitone, set before playing rather than during. A pedal harp uses seven foot pedals to re-tune whole pitch classes across every octave simultaneously, including mid-performance. Pedal harps are the instrument used in a symphony orchestra and are priced as institutional/professional instruments; lever harps are the realistic entry point and are what this site’s products actually are.
A 19- or 22-string lever harp is a realistic true first instrument. Larger string counts (26, 38+) add real range but also size, weight, and price — better suited to a student who already knows they’ll want to grow into more range than to an absolute first-timer.