What’s the best lever harp for a beginner who may want to move up to pedal?

[Jennifer Browning]

Hi all,

I just started taking harp lessons this May and am having a great time so far.

[harp guy]

First of all, understand that the current Troubadour model [Troubadour VI] is MUCH better than the original Troubadours [in my opinion]. The levers have particularly improved.

If you want to stay with Lyon and Healy, you have the option of the current Troubadour model, the Prelude 40 [looks and sounds like a small pedal harp], and the Ogden [has a more celtic shape].

[Tacye]

There are quite a few lever harps with pedal tension gut strings available.

[Jennifer Browning]

I’m in N. Texas.

[brook-boddie]

Jennifer,

The newer Troubadours are much improved over the earlier models.

[Jennifer Browning]

Thank you for all the great input.

[Gillian Bradford]

A couple of things….

If you don’t like the LH levers you could always have them changed to another brand that you do like. A harp repairer/maker would be able to do this for you. You are not stuck with what comes standard.

If you don’t like the LH sound why stick with it? There’s more choice in the harp world and it’s better to have a harp you love the sound of than one you merely tolerate.

I don’t really agree that if you want to go to pedal harp someday that you necessarily need a small harp that has the same spacing and tension as a pedal harp. Making the adjustment wouldn’t take very long at all, your fingers would learn amazingly fast so why limit yourself? Many harpists play pedals and lower tensioned celtic harps. They manage just fine, you would too. Technique is not significantly different.

Get the harp you love because they’re not cheap and you won’t be satisfied with anything less.

[Rachel]

The Lyon and Healy Ogden is a more affordable lever harp.

[Janna B.]

I would suggest looking at any lever harps made by a company that also makes pedal harps.

[Author]

Posts