Lyre Harps & Specialty Harps

Built to a different brief than a standard lever harp. A specialty harp is not a step up or down from a Pixie or a Minstrel. It is a different instrument designed for a different repertoire and a different player.

The Caitlin is fully chromatic. Thirty-eight strings in two crossed rows give you every note at every position without lifting a lever. For players moving into contemporary, jazz, or Latin American harp music, the Caitlin opens repertoire that a lever harp cannot reach.

The lute harp follows a different lineage. Fretted, lap-played, voiced closer to a small lute than a Celtic harp. Built for players exploring early music or wanting a portable harp-adjacent instrument.

The Kinnor is the oldest tradition in the collection. A small, hand-held lyre-style harp rooted in ancient Hebrew and Mediterranean traditions. Different tuning, different technique, different repertoire entirely.

Lyre harps are small, light and simple to tune, which makes them a gentle place to start. The other harps here are a deliberate choice by a player who has already decided what kind of music they want to play.

Choose a lyre harp if you want something portable for melodies and simple accompaniment. Choose the Caitlin if you need a fully chromatic harp. Choose the lute harp if you want a harp you play on your lap. Choose the Kinnor if you are drawn to the older Mediterranean and Near Eastern traditions. If you are not sure which one you want, the standard lever harps in our All Celtic Harps collection are almost certainly the right starting point.

Each instrument in this collection has its own technique. The Caitlin uses a two-row hand position that feels foreign for the first few sessions and natural soon after. The lute harp rewards a player with unique experience. The Kinnor is held in the lap or on the knee and played with both hands across a small string set.

Every Roosebeck harp ships with a tuning wrench, spare strings, and an owner's guide.