The lap harp is a small concert-pitch stringed instrument popular with young children. It can be a wonderful first instrument to learn to play. It is also considered a favorite among professional musicians and experienced music students. However, regular use and even a lack of it (which usually leads to dust accumulation) can cause the tuners to gradually unwind and the entire instrument to go out of tune. Fortunately, with a little musical knowledge and a lot of patience, the lap harp can be a fairly easy instrument to tune.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Set Up the Tuner
Step 1. Buy a tuning key, an electronic tuner, and a guitar pick
Most lap harp kits and electronic tuners include a tuning key (a small silver “L” -shaped instrument with a hole that fits over the tuning pegs on the sides of the instrument). The tuners are either hooked to the frame of the harp or placed close to it to pick up its sound. After you fit the key onto a peg, you must turn the handle to change the pitch of each string.
Using a guitar pick is also recommended to make the strumming and note quality clearer and better
Step 2. Set the tuner to 440Hz if it isn't already
Electronic tuners are usually set to this frequency by default. Sometimes this detail appears on the tuner as "A = 440". By setting this detail, each of the notes will have the same frequency as other instruments in the concert pitch, representing the common standard for tuning musical instruments.
Step 3. Lay the harp on your lap with the narrow, pointed end pointing forward
You should position it so that there are 15 silver pegs on the right of the instrument and 15 red pegs on the left. You can also place it on a flat surface and tune it from there.
Sit in a position that is comfortable enough for you to hold for about 15-20 minutes
Step 4. Attach the electronic tuner to the wooden frame
Most electronic tuners clip to the frame. Plug it in close to the notes you are going to tune and move it accordingly. After plugging in, turn it on and pluck a couple of strings to make sure it picks up sound signals.
If you are starting with the G string at the lower right of the harp, you should connect the tuner towards the lower right to start and move it along the edge as you continue tuning
Method 2 of 2: Tuning the Strings
Step 1. Strum each string and observe the note on the tuner
Make sure the display shows the note you are playing on the string and the needle moves to the left or right of the tuner display. The display is also generally yellow when the note is too low and red when it is too high. This color combination will help guide the tuning until the needle stabilizes in the center of the screen with the desired note on top.
- To tune in G, the notes, from bottom right when narrow end is up, must be as follows: G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Alternate tunings are different, but stick to the standard G tuning until you have more experience.
- Many lap harps come with a sheet with all the notes marked, as well as instructions for tuning. Make sure you have an item of this type (or write down the previous notes on a piece of paper) so that you have a reference to the notes to which you should tune each string.
Step 2. Observe how many semitones or full tones the string is away from the desired note
For example, G♯ (G sharp) is one semitone up from G, and G ♭ (G flat) is one semitone down. Most lap harps are tuned in the key of C or G and only play “natural” notes (no flats or sharps).
If you are an experienced musician, don't be afraid to hit a few of the strings to turn 1 or 2 notes into flat or sharp
Step 3. Tighten each string flat by slowly turning the tuning key to the right
For example, if the note is too low, then the first string is A instead of G, so you need to pull the string a full tone. Hook the tuning key onto the silver knob, strum the note clearly until it appears in the tuner, and then slowly tighten the string with the tuning key by turning it counterclockwise.
- As the note fades, you will notice that the pitch begins to change. Use this detail as a guide to how much the sound has changed, and whether it rises or falls.
- Keep an eye on the tuner display and stop adjusting the string as soon as the needle is centered.
Step 4. Loosen each treble string by turning the tuning key to the left
For example, if a note has become sharp (the lower right string is A instead of G), you should hook the tuning key onto the string peg, strum the note clearly, and gently turn it to the left. Stop loosening the string once the tuner registers G.
- Watch the display carefully and stop turning the key once the tuner shows the correct note.
- Keep an eye on the tuner display and stop adjusting the string as soon as the needle is centered.
Step 5. Continue this process with all the strings until they are in tune
Tuning can be slow and tedious work, so take plenty of breaks. If you spot a particularly difficult string, go back to it later.
Check your progress periodically by playing all the strings you have tuned up and down and make any necessary adjustments as you go
Advice
- Most instrument repair shops offer to tune a lap harp. If you have problems, consider getting a professional readjustment.
- Keep in mind that some of the changes you make will be so small that you may not even have to feel the movement of the key (in fact, if you do, you may have adjusted too much). Some settings are too tiny. Be careful not to turn the key too far and end up turning it out of tune.
- You can also tune using your ear, a piano, or a note-playing function on the tuner. However, especially if you are using a piano, you will have to make sure that it is perfectly in tune, or the harp will also end up out of tune. Generally, using a tuner needle is more accurate and easier to work with.
Warnings
- Don't let young children try this procedure unsupervised. It is very likely that they will end up tightening a rope too much and breaking it, which can be dangerous and pose a choking hazard.
- Avoid over tightening the strings! Lap harp strings are very easy to break, and it can be a real headache to buy replacement strings.