What are the differences between the lever harp and the pedal harp?

For many teachers, the lever harp is a stepping stone to the pedal harp as students grow tall enough and strong enough to support the larger instrument. But that’s not the only way a lever harp should be looked at. Any folk harp, with or without levers, has a rich history in Celtic music, not to mention Paraguayan, Argentinian, and other cultural connections.

There are several mechanical differences between the two harps. A lever harp can only raise the pitch of each individual string with its levers, so is more limited in the keys it can play in, often requiring re-tuning to adapt. A pedal harp has pedals that can raise or lower the pitch of several strings at once, giving it more options. Lever harps have fewer strings (the most is usually 36-38, but can be as low as 20), pedal harps have 40-47 depending on the size, and will have a bigger sound. Lever harps have a more relaxed standard-middle C isn’t always in the same place on each harp, and there is a larger variety in brands, sizes, and uses. Lever harps can be anything from nylon strung, double strung (two sets of strings), triple (three sets of strings), lap harp (small, less than 26 strings), wire harp (wire strung), and the list goes on. Pedal harps, on the other hand, are mainly used for concert playing, orchestras, solo professional work, and advanced solos.

What harp is right for you depends a lot more on your goals than on traditional harp expectations. It may be standard in many studios to always switch to pedal harp at a certain age and level. Professional harpists, interpreted as orchestra or opera pit harpists, soloists, college professors, most freelancers- will mainly use the pedal harp. Folk harpists, harpists who learn primarily by ear, beginner-intermediate harpists, and Celtic harpists will all find more use with a lever harp.

Why is this important to know? Out in the harp world, there are a lot of lever harpists who have a chip on their shoulders because either they couldn’t make it as pedal harpists or because they see pedal harpists as snooty. And there are a lot of pedal harpists who look down on lever harpists as amateurs, beginners, and one-dimensional. In reality, they aren't always separated by level as much as by style and interests. It doesn’t mean you’re not as good a harpist if you play the lever harp and it doesn't mean you’re a snob if you play pedal.

 It’s an amazing thing that we have all of these choices available to us!