Reverie harp - Where can I buy it? Similar other instruments?
The Reverie harp is a music therapy instrument in pentatonic tuning that anybody can play, no practice needed. There are no wrong notes and it is very soothing with a long sustain due to the metal strings that feels very nice as the vibrations spread through your body.
Some people say it is a combination of lap harp, finish kantele and gusli. The specialty of this instrument is that it has a mirrored tuning, the lowest notes being in the middle and from there going up to the sides. It is also possible to tune the right side and the left side to two different tunings to enjoy a 2 chord tuning to accompany your singing.
It is mostly used in hospiz, hospital, yoga studios, spas, sound therapy and healing settings but can also be enjoyed for private use. Your heart falls in love with it and that is reason enough to buy one and play relaxing and soothing music at the end of a long day.
Things you should know before you buy
You are somewhat limited with the pentatonic tuning and you cannot play "normal songs" with it like you can with a celtic harp. Also there is no color coding for strings - they all look the same (same problem with kantele and a lot of similar instruments) which makes it harder to navigate. Plus it has to be tuned a lot more than an instrument with nylon or carbon strings. They are quite sensitive to temperature changes. Besides that, it is a great little instrument to relax with and enjoy when you do not want to engage your mind in making music.
Where to buy?
- Here is the US website of the maker directly: https://www.harpkit.com/about-the-reverie-harp.html
- A place in Europe that sells the Reverie harp (UK): https://www.soundtravels.co.uk/p-Reverie_Harp_2_De_Luxe-4770.aspx
- Oceania - AU - NZ: Roberts Music Australia: http://robertsmusic.net/harps/
How to tune the Reverie Harp? / Alternative Tuning Charts for Reverie Harp:
"Although 95% of our customers don’t use anything other than the standard Reverie Harp tuning, we do have other tunings available.
- MEDITATION TUNING: This is a C minor pentatonic scale. The notes are C, D, E-flat, G, and A. The suggested use for this tuning is for a person who is quite depressed, as it expresses that sort of mood.
- LULLABYE TUNING: This tuning divides the harp into two halves, left and right. We tune the left side to the C major pentatonic scale, and the right side to a D minor pentatonic scale. This arrangement allows a person to accompany songs with several chords, because the left side works well for the C and A minor chords, and the right side works for the F, D minor, and G7 chords. People use this tuning when they want to sing with the harp."
Source: Harpkit website - More info & downloads here:
https://www.harpkit.com/blog/how-to-tune-the-reverie-harp/
Alternatives in Pentatonic Tuning
- Reverie Harp 2 There is also a cheaper model with a soundboard made out of laminated birch instead of solid wood and a red coating. It is called Reverie Harp 2 (and a Deluxe version with a soundboard of solid mahagony) and looks a bit different than the "original" Reverie Harp 1, I personally don't like the design and the modifications - the egg shape is what made it beautiful to me.
- Plus you can find a very similar instrument in Germany called Traumleier. I have not played that yet. But it might be an alternative for people within Germany or Europe: http://instrumentenbauer.net/instrumente/traumleier/
Alternatives in Diatonic Tuning
If you do not insist on the pentatonic tuning, you can shop for a finish kantele, gusli, zither, psaltery or any similar diatonic instrument. They are not the same as the Reverie harp, but just similar enough for me to recommend what else is there:
- In Germany, the Veeh Harfe is popular. You can play songs with it by using song sheets and laying them on the soundboard: http://www.veeh-harfe.de
- If you want to go for a kantele, I recommend this website for kanteles from Finland that sound really good and are reasonably priced. Traditionally the kantele has 5 strings but the 10 or 11 string versions are also popular and more versatile: http://www.melodiasoitin.com
Other Alternatives
- Consider a monochord if you want to go more for the sound healing aspect. I haven't tried them yet but the ones from Feeltone (Monolini/Monolina) look really promising to me: https://www.feeltone.com
- It is quite a different kind of instrument and sound, but anyway, I wanted to mention this here: A chinese Guzheng is a real cool instrument (in a chinese tuning) and I'd like to get to try one one day! Sadly I do not know where to buy good quality instruments of this type and they are not as lightweight as the other alternatives mentioned above.