• 🎶 Virtual Lyre Harp

    Pluck 16 strings, explore beautiful tunings, practice melodies, and record your music online.

    1. Lyre Sound Settings

    2. Interactive 16-String Lyre

    Last String Played — Pluck a string to begin

    Tap or click a string to pluck it. Drag across the strings to strum. The notes shown at the bottom of each string update when you change tuning.

    Computer keyboard: A S D F G H J K L ; Q W E R T Y plays the 16 strings from left to right.

    3. Lyre Scale Practice

    The player uses only notes available in your current string tuning. Some scales cannot be played completely without retuning the lyre.

    4. Lyre Melody Recorder

    No lyre performance recorded yet.

    Record string plucks and their timing, then listen to your performance or copy the note sequence. Recordings stay in the current browser session. Audio and MIDI export are not included.

  • A Virtual Lyre lets musicians, singers, songwriters, producers, and beginners explore the gentle, plucked-string sound of the lyre harp directly in their browser without needing a physical instrument.

    Whether you're practicing melodies, experimenting with string tunings, or creating musical ideas, this free online lyre provides an interactive way to make music.

    How to Use the Virtual Lyre

    Click or tap the strings to pluck individual notes, or drag across several strings to create a strumming effect.

    Choose between classical lyre, warm harp, and bright plucked-string sounds. Adjust the plucking strength, sustain, resonance, and volume to experiment with different tones.

    Learn About the Lyre

    The lyre is an ancient stringed instrument with a history extending back thousands of years. It was particularly important in ancient Greek music and also appeared in several other historical cultures.

    Modern lyre harps come in different sizes and configurations, including popular 7-string, 10-string, and 16-string models.

    Unlike a guitar, a lyre generally has individual strings tuned to specific notes, making it useful for playing melodies, arpeggios, and simple harmonies.

    Explore Lyre Tunings

    The virtual lyre includes several tuning options, including C major, G major, D major, A minor, pentatonic, and chromatic.

    Changing the tuning alters the pitches assigned to the strings.

    Diatonic tunings are especially useful for beginners because many neighboring strings produce notes within the same musical scale.

    Practice Lyre Scales

    Use the built-in scale practice feature to explore major, minor, pentatonic, and chromatic scales.

    Highlight the available notes in your chosen scale and adjust the tempo to practice melodic patterns at a comfortable speed.

    Experiment With Plucking and Resonance

    Plucking strength affects the attack and brightness of the synthesized sound, while sustain determines how long the strings continue ringing.

    Experiment with resonance to add depth and create a fuller, more atmospheric sound.

    Virtual Lyre for Singers and Songwriters

    Singers can use the virtual lyre for pitch matching, ear training, interval recognition, and practicing melodies.

    Songwriters and producers can experiment with lyre-inspired sounds for folk, ambient, classical, cinematic, fantasy, and acoustic music.

    Record Your Lyre Melodies

    The built-in recorder captures the strings you pluck and their timing so you can listen back to musical ideas.

    You can also copy a text-based note sequence for reference when practicing, composing, or arranging.

    Tip: Start with the C major tuning and experiment with plucking alternating strings to create simple arpeggios. Then try the A minor tuning to hear how changing the available notes can create a different musical mood.

    Related Pages:

    What Instrument Should You Play? Several Choices That May Fit Your Style

    Instruments That Can Use The Vibrato Technique