Has anybody ever played on of those Russian-made “music maker” lap harps?
They’re supposed to be really easy to play and usually cost about $30-40 new, so I was thinking about asking for one at Christmas since I don’t have any instruments anymore besides a cane whistle from India, but I want to know if they actually play/work, or if any C&Fer’s played them before?
Thoughts/experiences?
I’ve never even heard of them. Are they actually harps? Or are they a kind of zither?
Redwolf
You only have one whistle? You are a stronger person than I.
I’ve always thought it would be nifty to take up something like a lap harp, though. Good luck with that!
They’re zithers, but they’re often marketed as “lap harps.”
I saw some the other day at a music store I went to, and I’ve seen them on eBay too. They usually have Russian (Cryllic) writing around the tone hole…
edit–Like this:
Haha, I had to sell or give away all my instruments (including but not limited to my clarinet, whistles, flutes, dulcimer, harmonicas…) before I came here because I needed the money to move, and because the larger things like the dulcimer and clarinet were hard to carry around when moving anyway. It’s not like I gave them all up for the sake of doing so, I kinda had to do it. 
Thanks. 
Hmm. Phonetically (that’s as far as I got in Russian) it says something like “perepelochka”. Wonder what it means…
This type of instrument (like the Music Maker) are made not only in the old Soviet Bloc, but also in the USA, Mexico, and elsewhere, by a number of makers.
You can get a cheaper version at Wal-Mart. The patent (long expired) on these things dates back to the late 19th Century, when someone came up with the idea of diagramming which string to hit, in what order, onto pages that can slide under the strings of a simple psaltery. It was one of a myriad of different psaltery and zither type instruments produced by both German and American makers in the late 19th and early 20th Century.
There’s a site full of information on the various patent instruments, from Autoharps to bowed psaltery variants, at http://www.fretlesszithers.com
Also note, there’s little, if any, real difference between these and the trapezoidal or “pig-snout” psalteries of the Mediæval period.
I think Dale mentioned this instrument (and link) a few years ago…
You can place song templates under the strings to help learn to play.
A high quality instrument handmade in the US. From this website:
You can always get a beautiful Chinese Zither on eBay for about $7.
The problem is the freight is about $600 to get it here.
the main “problem” with these is how well the tuning pins are put in, and how well they hold tuning. The kindergarden teacher had several of these, and almost all of them were HORRIBLE at holding tuning - I looked at trying to reseating the tuning pegs, but the soundboard was a laminate and it would have been more trouble and expense than the instrument was worth new.
Cran - if you’d like to “borrow” a student dulcimer from us - let me know. They have a small fretboard length (25 3/4") and are made of a birch laminate, but are very good guality instruments.
I gave my mother one of these a few years ago. I think it was a better quality than those Missy’s friend had. It holds its tuning fine, and has a nice sound, like a wire-strung harp.
When I saw the title, I thought you were talking about the lap harps sold by Music Maker’s Kits. I’ve made several of those, and they’re wonderful.
I have the small dulcimer made by Cedar Creek (I don’t live terribly far from Branson), which is similar. I enjoy its sound even more than the bigger, lower pitched, dulcimers.
Thank you Missy! You are so kind and awesome and lovely, yet I don’t really want to borrow it because I’m not feeling well. That’s why I’m going to ask for the music maker thing (thanks for all the information, everybody!!) later on, because I know I wouldn’t play it much now anyway…
Cran, I’ve got one just like your photo! My m-i-law found it in a garage sale and got it for us. It came with sheets of different things to play and we all tried it. Its really easy to use the sheets and play it, and sounds very pretty.
The only thing I just remembered was, it didn’t come with a tuning wrench from the garage sale. I happen to have one from my dulcimer I used to play. But I’m sure you can get a tuning wrench online. It also holds its tuning very well so tuning it isn’t a big hassle once you have it in tune. Ours was in tune when it arrived.
You’ll like it.
Lesl
