I want this post to be a one-stop reference for anyone who wants to teach themselves the modern lyre, which has more strings compared to its ancient counterpart. The modern lyre is suitable for playing a larger variety of music.
For resources on the ancient lyre or historic lyre, check out this post.
Here, I will list out the tutorial sites and online communities I personally find useful.
1. YouTube Tutorials
Samantha on Mars
This is a YouTube channel created by none other than, ahem, yours truly! 😅
I have hundreds of song tutorials across many genres, including folk, movies, pop, video games, anime, classical, sea shanties, and nursery rhymes. The notes are all written out in each video, making it easy to follow along and play. My goal is to make playing the lyre harp easy for you all.
Learning the Lyre Harp
Sharon Brownell, the creator of this channel, has a background in harp and piano, and she is generous in sharing what she knows. This is the go-to resource for lyre technique and music theory. She has song demos but I think you’ll have to join her Patreon to get the sheet music.
Harp Musica
She has tutorials of beautiful traditional folk music, Celtic, Irish, and Scottish tunes. She also talks about improvising, adding accompaniment, and playing by ear. She has this calming air that is so relaxing to listen to! Check out her “Lyre tutorials” YouTube playlist.
Lyre Queen 敬亭
Jingting’s focus is on video game music. She has a lot of Genshin Impact tutorials and they’re pretty good! Go check them out on her YouTube channel. She’s on a hiatus right now but let’s hope she comes back soon!
CHERRY
Cherry Mae has some great video tutorials for the 7-string lyre. Some good ones are “Amazing Grace”, “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, “Jingle Bells”, “Ode to Joy”, and “New World Symphony”. And she’s got a beautiful smile that will light up your day!
Tap The Forward Assist
He is the creator of the “Lyres” Reddit group that has thousands of members. He uses a 7-string lyre and he’s got a few tutorials for 7 strings on his YouTube channel. Go check them out.
For more resources for the 7-string lyre, check out this other post where I listed out many more!
2. Online Communities
Joining online communities is a great way to connect with other lyre harp players, ask questions, and share your progress. I’ve joined two communities that I found to be helpful.
Learning The Lyre Harp (Facebook group)
Sharon Brownell runs this Facebook group (she has a YouTube channel of the same name). I’m a member and I can tell you it’s a supportive community of lyre harp enthusiasts! It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for a welcoming group.
Lyres Forum (Reddit)
With thousands of members and a wealth of FAQs and resources, this forum is perfect for those who prefer text-based resources over video. You can also ask questions and get advice from other players.
That’s all the online resources I have! If you know any more, let me know so I can put them here!
