The lyre harp’s range in notes and hertz
The range is the string count. Every size is tuned to the same C-major run, so a bigger lyre adds notes at the ends rather than moving.
Written and sounding pitch
Lyre harp music is usually read from tab, letters or numbers rather than a staff, so there is no conventional written range to give. The notes above are the pitches you hear.
Range by size
| Size | Sounding | Span |
|---|---|---|
| 7-string | C4–B4 | 0.9 octaves |
| 10-string | A3–C5 | 1.3 octaves |
| 16-string | G3–A5 | 2.2 octaves |
Instruments with a similar range
The instruments whose normal range shares the most notes with the lyre harp’s:
- Violin · G3–E7 27 notes shared
- Viola · C3–D7 27 notes shared
- Cello · C2–A6 27 notes shared
- Guitar · E2–B5 27 notes shared
- 7-string guitar · B1–C♯6 27 notes shared
- 8-string guitar · F♯1–C♯6 27 notes shared
Tune it, play it
- Lyre tuner — tune by microphone, with the lyre harp’s own target notes.
- Play a lyre harp online — the same range, playable in your browser.
Songs that fit the lyre harp
34 songs from our public-domain library fit inside the lyre harp’s range, each written out in the notation lyre harp players read:
- Hot Cross Buns
- Lightly Row
- Going Home (New World Largo)
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Happy Birthday
- Ode to Joy
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Jingle Bells
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Yankee Doodle
- Silent Night
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of a lyre harp?
The lyre harp’s normal range runs from G3 to A5 — 196.00 to 880.00 Hz, about 2.2 octaves.
What is the lowest note on a lyre harp?
G3 (196.00 Hz).
What is the highest note on a lyre harp?
A5 (880.00 Hz).
Sources
- The chart behind our playable lyre harp, itself checked note by note against published charts.