If you’re looking for songs to play on the 7-string lyre harp, you’ve come to the right place! 😁 I’ve been on a journey to find the best online resources for learning songs on the 7-string, including YouTube tutorials, books, and more. These resources will help you with playing your 7-string!
1. Free Video Tutorials for 7-String Lyres
I compiled this list of songs. Most of them have notes/tabs in the video or the descriptions.
- Game of Thrones theme – by Jo the Bard
- Hells Bells by AC/DC – by Jo the Bard
- The Dying Californian – by Tap the Forward Assist
- Taps (military tune) – by Tap the Forward Assist
- Amazing Grace – by Cherry Mae
- Mary Had a Little Lamb – by Cherry Mae
- Rain, Rain Go Away – by Cherry Mae
- Jingle Bells – by Cherry Mae
- Ode to Joy – by Cherry Mae
- New World Symphony – by Cherry Mae
- Skyrim: Secunda – by Joshua Ennis (notes not written out; you’ll have to look at the fingering to find out the notes)
- Skyrim: Secunda – by Samantha on Mars
- Song of Storms (Zelda) – by Wild Sparrow Strings
- Dragonborn Comes – by Wild Sparrow Springs
- You Are My Sunshine – by Wild Sparrow Strings
- Misty Mountains – by Wild Sparrow Strings
- When Johnny Comes Marching Home – by Wild Sparrow Strings
- A Drop of Nelson’s Blood – by Wild Sparrow Strings
- Wellermen – by Wild Sparrow Strings
- Weeping Dawn (Baldur’s Gate 3) – by Wild Sparrow Strings
There isn’t a lot. But don’t despair! Did you know you can use tutorials for 16-string lyres and adapt them to 7 strings? Check out the method here.
2. Paid Courses for 7-String Lyres
The Lyre Academy offers two paid courses for intermediate to advanced lyre players.
“Master Modern Songs on the 7-String Lyre” – This course teaches how to play contemporary music on the 7-string lyre. The songs include:
- Nothing Else Matters (Metallica), Dust In The Wind (Kansas), What a Wonderful World, The Godfather theme, My Heart Will Go On, Stand By Me, Game of Thrones theme, Star Wars theme
“Master Ancient Melodies on the 7-String Lyre” – This course is all about playing ancient melodies. The program covers these tunes:
- Hurrian Hymn, Schema Musica Antique, Parte di Canto Greco del Modo Hippolidio, Delphic Hymn
3. Song Books for 7-String Lyres
For those of us who prefer to learn by reading, I’ve collected book recommendations from online communities and my own research on the 7-string lyre.
Norþhærpe – How To Play Anglo-Saxon, Viking & Germanic Lyres + 80 Tunes by Paul Wilding
This is a method book with 80 songs for the Anglo-Saxon, Viking, and Germanic 6-string or 7-string lyres. The collection has many medieval tunes as well as newer and original compositions by the author. The customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive! Check out the author’s YouTube channel, where he played some of the songs in the book.
Selection of Tablatures for a 7 Strings Lyre 1 & 2 by Lyre Academy
Lyre Academy has two tablature books for 7-string lyres (Gallic, Kravik, Greek, etc.) that use an original tablature system instead of standard sheet music. Each book has over 30 songs so there are a lot! While many song titles are in a different language (possibly French? I’m not sure), there are also a few in English.
I Love to Be Me: Songs in the Mood of the Fifth by Channa Seidenberg & Kingsley Little
This book features 32 children’s songs designed for 7-string pentatonic lyre and colorful illustrations. It may be helpful for parents and teachers who want to introduce young children to playing a musical instrument.
Ancient Melodies – A Collection of 8 Songs of Antiquity by Luthieros
This is a free e-Book that is kind of tricky to get! Go to Luthieros’ website and keep an eye out for a pop-up box on some pages (it doesn’t always appear), where you enter your email address to get the e-book. The collection features 8 ancient tunes written in standard music notation.
9 Easy Melodies for Beginners – Lyre Sheet Music by Luthieros
This is a collection of sheet music for lyres with 7 or more strings. The nine melodies are: Tetrasimon, Exasimon, Dodekasimon, Melody in 6/8 rhythm, Happy Birthday to You, The River, Kolon Exasimon, Old Times, and Embrace.
9 Ancient Melodies that Survive to This Day – Lyre Sheet Music by Luthieros
This book contains sheet music for melodies from ancient Greece to ancient Syria, also for lyres with 7 or more strings. The tunes are: Oktasimos – Dekasimos, Callimachus’ Hymn to Zeus, Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Hurrian Hymn to Goddess Nikkal, Seikilos Epitaph, 1st Delphic Hymn, 2nd Delphic Hymn, Hymn to Muse Calliope, and Hymn to Nemesis.
That’s all for now. I hope this post helps you in your quest to learn the 7-string lyre!
