Online Harp
English

Play the harp online

Pluck 22 recorded strings, or sweep across them for a glissando.

Key
Labels

Pluck a string or press any letter to start

How to play the harp with your keyboard

Each letter row of your keyboard plays one octave of strings: the bottom row the lowest, from C3, and the top row the highest, up to C6.

  1. Click or tap a string to pluck it. Drag across the strings for a glissando, the sweep a harp is known for.
  2. Z to M play C to B in the low octave, A to J the octave from middle C, and Q to I the top octave up to C6.
  3. Pick a key above the harp. Like the levers on a real harp, it raises the strings the key needs, such as F to F♯ in G major.
  4. Choose a sound. You can switch sounds while you play.
QCWDEERFTGYAUBIC
ACSDDEFFGGHAJB
ZCXDCEVFBGNAMB

As on a real harp, every C string is red and every F string is blue, so you can find your place at a glance.

Easy harp songs

These songs are all in C, so set the key to C major. Each note shows the string and the key that plays it. A dot under a note means the low octave, a dot above it the high one.

  • Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

    CACAGGGGAHAHGG

    FFFFEDEDDSDSCA

    GGGGFFFFEDEDDS

    GGGGFFFFEDEDDS

    CACAGGGGAHAHGG

    FFFFEDEDDSDSCA

  • Ode to Joy

    EDEDFFGGGGFFEDDS

    CACADSEDEDDSDS

    EDEDFFGGGGFFEDDS

    CACADSEDDSCACA

  • Amazing Grace

    GBCAEDCAEDDSCAANGB

    GBCAEDCAEDDSGG

    EDGGEDGGEDCAGBANCAANGB

    GBCAEDCAEDDSCA

  • Scarborough Fair

    DSDSAHAHEDFFEDDS

    AHCQDWCQAHBJGGAH

    DWDWDWCQAHAHGGFFEDCA

    DSAHGGFFEDDSCADS

Four plucked-string sounds

Every note is a recording of a real instrument, tuned to standard pitch. Pick one here or above the harp.

  • Concert harp

    The large pedal harp of the orchestra: round and rich, with bass strings that ring for a long time.

  • Celtic harp

    A smaller lever harp of the kind played in Irish and Scottish music, lighter and brighter, with a sweet, quick ring.

  • Đàn tranh

    The Vietnamese zither, its steel strings plucked with fingerpicks: bright and shimmering. A cousin of the guzheng and the koto.

  • Harpsichord

    A French harpsichord, whose strings are plucked by quills. Here every note rings on like a harp string, without the damper a harpsichord key has.

A lever harp with 22 strings

This online harp is laid out like a small lever harp: 22 strings from C3 to C6, the long bass strings on the left and the short treble strings on the right. There is nothing to install and no account to make: open the page and play.

A harp has one string for each note of the scale, like the white keys of a piano. For a sharp, the harpist raises a small lever at the top of the string, which shortens it by a semitone. This harp is tuned in E♭, as many lever harps are, and the key buttons raise the levers each key needs; a mark at the top of a string shows its lever is up.

Use it to try harp music before you rent a harp, to work out a melody by ear, or to let children sweep across the strings. On a phone the harp lies on its side, and the arrows slide the rest of the strings into view.

Questions about the online harp

  • Is this online harp free?

    Yes. It is free to use, with no sign-up and no download. It runs in any modern browser.

  • How do I play a glissando?

    Press on a string and drag across the others without letting go. Every string you pass rings, as when a harpist sweeps a finger across the strings. It works with a mouse, a finger or several fingers at once.

  • How do I play the harp with my computer keyboard?

    Each letter row is one octave. Z to M play C3 to B3, A to J play middle C to B4, and Q to I play C5 to C6.

  • How do I play sharps and flats?

    Choose a key above the harp. A lever harp plays sharps by raising a lever on the string, and the key buttons do the same: in G major the F strings sound F♯, and in F major the B strings sound B♭. A mark at the top of a string shows that its lever is up.

  • Why are some strings red and blue?

    Harps colour every C string red and every F string blue or black, so a harpist can find the notes among many plain strings. This harp does the same.

  • Can I play on a phone or tablet?

    Yes. Tap the strings or drag across them, with several fingers if you like. On a phone the harp lies on its side and shows 15 strings at a time; the arrows bring the others into view. On an iPhone, turn off silent mode if you hear nothing.

  • Can I connect a MIDI keyboard?

    Yes, in Chrome, Edge and Opera. Press MIDI and allow access. Every key plays its own pitch, and the matching string lights up when the harp has it.

  • Can I change the sound while I play?

    Yes. Pick another sound at any time. Notes that are still ringing finish on the old sound, and new notes use the new one as soon as it has loaded.