Music Maker Lap Harp

by Music Maker

Product Features

• World of Harmony Music Books Sold Only Here for these Lap Harps!
• Kids Can Play Beautiful Music from their Very First Try!
• Builds Eye / Hand Coordination
• Stimulates and Develops Higher Brain Function
• What a Fun Way to Learn to Play Music!

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 15.5 x 8 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B00000J50W
• Item model number: RB1527
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,096 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #2 in Musical Instruments > Folk & World Instruments > Stringed Instruments > Banjos

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

A high quality introduction to the joy of music. Anyone can play - just slide a songsheet under the strings and pluck the string around each printed note. It's that easy. Made of quality hardwoods. "Oppenheim Toy Portfolio" Platinum Winner

Product Description

This unique string instrument is hand finished from solid hardwood. Beautiful in tone and appearance, the Music Maker is playable even by young children. Simply pluck the strings indicated on the twelve individual song sheets which are included and you have instant music.

A tuning key and pick are included with this lightweight and portable instrument.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't lose the tuning key!, September 30, 2008

By 

The Busy Bee (Florida) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Music Maker Lap Harp

I received this harp many years ago as a gift for Christmas. I loved it then, and had many happy hours learning how to play the different songs that are provided,
It is very easy to learn for children and once you have the basics of "tune" a child naturally starts to play music by memory and adapt other songs to the melodious harp on their own. You can also buy extra songs of different categories (Christmas, Christian, Folk, etc.)

The only caveat I see with this lap harp - is unfortunately a very problematic one. The strings on the harp are looped, and so two notes share one string (see picture) - Making it very difficult to keep the harp in tune for long
EX: Tightening one side can change the other, and thereby changing both notes. Only a few years into having it as a child, I lost the "tuning key" and was completely unable to tune it thereafter. [A wrench, pliars, etc strip the small studs]

I found my harp again in pristine condition from whence it was packed all these years, and it is still horribly out of tune. I will have to buy a tuning key from a music store - after a second try with pliers stripped the pegs yet again. Different tuning keys for different harps - so here's hoping!

I recommend the harp if you can KEEP your tuning key, or are adept at keeping it in tune easily. It is a wonderful learning tool, and fun musical instrument that is different than most.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This is not an autoharp, it's a zither, September 9, 2009

By 

Bruce Baskin (Chehalis, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music Maker Lap Harp

An autoharp is something with keys you press to create chords while you strum a number of strings, like early country music star Maybelle Carter of the Carter Family used for years. This is not one of those. This item is a zither, on which you pluck one string at a time to produce one note. There IS a difference.

Having said that, I bought one of these a few years ago and found it very easy to use, thanks to the music sheets you can slide beneath the strings so you can see which strings to pluck. It's important to keep it in tune (it can get out of tune over use and/or time), but it's pleasant enough to listen to.

If you're just starting out to play music on a string instrument and find the guitar a little daunting, this isn't a bad way to begin learning. Just make sure you're getting one at the right price, and DON'T expect to play chords on it...it's not built for that.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good music fun!, January 22, 2009

By 

good times (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Music Maker Lap Harp

My 7-year old son got this for Christmas, but it's fun for everyone in the family. He played with it quite a bit right away, but then he tightened a string a little too much and it broke. There is extra string (actually wire) included, so I was able to fix it without too much difficulty. But there's probably only enough string to do that one more time. Maybe it is simple to find at the hardware store, I don't know. That is the only problem we've had. I would still buy it again, we've really liked it.