Customer Reviews

First Note FN600 Firstnote Melody Harp

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

PLEASE NOTE - THERE WAS AN ERROR WITH THE AMAZON WEBSITE WHICH WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO CLICK ON THE STAR RATINGS. I HAD INTENDED TO GIVE THIS ITEM A FULL 5-STAR REVIEW BUT WAS UNABLE TO. READ ON! I bought this for my daughter last Christmas and have not had a single regret. I had hoped to get her interested in eventually learning to play a celtic harp and this seemed like a simple first step. I purchased extra music sheets to add to what it came with and, even at 5 years old, she has really gotten the hang of making pretty music with it. It is one of the few toys she doesn't forget about- it is out on a regular basis and is simple enough for her to use. I've had to tune it at least a couple of times but I would think that it is to be expected especially when less than gentle hands play with it often! It is a beautiful piece, well-crafted and simple. I can't think of a single reason to hesitate if you are considering this instrument.

My daughter is four and recieved this as a gift from her grandparents. It is sturdy and a perfect starter instrument. She was playing in one afternoon. We plan on putting her in piano in a year and I think this is a chance for her to ease into the process. She gets to look at the "sheet of music" and begins to understands that the circles coorispond with notes to be played. She enjoys the feeling of accomplishment and we enjoy listening.

What a glorious instrument! This is so beautifully crafted and the sheet music is wonderful.. We bought it as a gift for our 9 year old and, truth be told, the teenagers and the adults love it too!!! I've since ordered additional music packs and they're great too. Skip the cheap ones that are on the market and buy this one.

If I could tune this easily, I would give it a great review. It is simple, easy to play, and pleasing to the ear. Unfortunately, the harp arrived painfully out of tune and the tuning key does not fit properly. It does not turn several of the pegs. Some of the pegs will not turn even with a gentle twist of pliers.I don't mind tuning a harp, but the original equipment should work.

This harp arrived with a small crack in the wood. It did not come with a pick, which surprised me. The Amazon product description says "handcrafted in Europe" but the box says "Made in China." I would like to order a replacement but I am concerned about the quality of workmanship. What a disappointment!

The price is reasonable however this is VERY difficult to keep in tune. Unless there is an experienced (and patient) musician in the family (who happens to own a chromatic tuner) I would not be able to recommend it. I say this having played (and tuned) my guitar for many years with no issue. Even with my chromatic tuner I could not really get it close and ended up taking it to my local Guitar Center- it was that much of a pain. But the tone is nice and the kid I gave it to as a gift does enjoy it. He especially likes the music sheets that slide in and make it easy to play right away (though he has reportedly uttered the phrase, '...but it never stays in tune'. A good toy if you have the patience...

This product is fun and easy to use, and is the best way I can think of to start teaching a child to play an instrument. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold a tune and has to be completely re-tuned every week, since sometimes the higher notes will get so bad they either match a lower note, or have a lower pitch than a string further down the harp! Honestly I have no idea how it can get so dramatically out of tune so quickly. And since I'm not particularly musical myself, it takes me 30-45 minutes each time (I'm sure a professional string player could do it in 30 seconds, but I'm not a professional string player!), so by the time it's ready my daughter has long-since moved onto something else. We've used this maybe 4 times in the 6 months we've had it. Update: at 2 years post-purchase, we've used this a handful of additional times, but two strings have now broken, and the "free lifetime string replacement guarantee" advertised on the box requires a special replacement coupon which was never sent... instead, we have a card that lets us *purchase* new strings for $[...] each (shipping included).

I was excited when this finally came in the mail, I also ordered a pack of 48 songs sheets to go with it and happily they arrived the same day so I could start right away. If you are buying this, you should also buy other songs to go with it for sure. I myself plan to buy a case for this to keep everything together so also consider ordering one with a case to begin with.

When I pulled it out of the box it looked very well crafted, only 2 strings seemed out of tune and I was easily able to tune them by ear with the tool that came with the harp. It also came with an extra string, it's own pick, and a lifetime string replacement certificate, as well as a few sheets of music (so now I'm up to 60+ songs).

This lap harp has a very smooth, sweet sound to it, you can easily play this pizzicato, but I prefer to use my metal pick I already had to make a sharper sound. Keeping this on a table where it can be interacted with by guests is for sure a fun idea because it is so easy to play!

I got this harp for my daughter's seventh birthday, and within minutes of opening the package, she was playing tunes. For a family not noted for musical aptitude, that was impressive. It must be the easiest instrument in the world to play. For the price, I think this is a well built piece. My only complaint is that tuning is quite difficult. The tiniest turn of the wrench sharps or flats the note rather drastically. That's not necessarily a defect; just be aware that it's an easy instrument to play, but challenging to tune correctly. Overall, a great way to get kids enthused about playing an instrument.

We gave this to our daughter because she has many happy memories of hearing the lap harp being played for her when she was a young child. She said it was very relaxing and interesting for her as a child. She loves having this lap harp and plays it for her own child now! He is a toddler and enjoys hearing the lap harp songs that she plays for him and "helps" his Mommy play the songs. They are creating a family tradition and more happy memories!

Definitely buy this for older rather than younger child because it is a challenge. It is a beautiful instrument that the adults can't keep their hands off of-fun for the whole family. Excellent quality. Buy the extra music sheets-too.