Tuning Your Lever Harp in E-Flat (Eb)

Tuning your lever harp in Eb gives you access to three flat key signatures, five sharp key signatures,
and their natural minors. This is the most practical tuning to perform a wide range of repertoire on
lever harp. Listed below are the resulting major and minor keys available to the lever harpist as a result
of Eb tuning:
Tuning in Eb:
The Key of E flat Eb! contains three flats: "b, Eb, #b.
$ith all levers %&$', tune the harp to the key of Eb using an electronic tuner e.g. a korg (),
calibrated to **)+,!, starting on middle -, and moving down to the lowest string. Then begin again on
middle - and move up to the top string.
.or e/ample, moving down the harp:
-
" flat "b!
# flat #b or 01!2
0
.
E flat Eb!
%
-
etc...
#ll "3s should be flat, all #3s should be flat, all E3s should be flat. #ll the rest of the notes should be
4natural5 neither sharp nor flat!. $hen standing behind the harp, you will turn the tuning key away
from you to stretch the string, making it sharper. 6ou will rotate the tuning key back toward you, to
loosen the string, making it flatter.
26our electronic tuner may read 01 instead of #b. %on3t worry7 they3re the same pitch8
Fixing your Levers for other Keys:
&nce the harp is tuned in the key of Eb, as described above, you are ready to use your levers to
set your harp into any of the keys listed at the top of this page. %ownward arrows above the letters
indicate levers down, or disengaged. The highlighted, upward arrow over a bold letter name of string!
indicates which levers! go up. The bold letters indicate a string made 4natural5, while a bold letter
with an underline indicates a string made 4sharp5. 'ote: 6ou are already pre9tuned to accommodate
up to three flats the number of flats in the key of Eb!8
Key of Eb (3 flats)
Levers: : : : : : : : all levers down, disengaged!
;trings: - % Eb . 0 #b "b
Key of b (! flats)
Levers: : : : : : " : #9lever goes up!
;trings: - % Eb . 0 #b "b
Flats (b's)
<ajor .lat Keys: Eb "b .
'atural minor .lat Keys: c g d
Sharps (#'s)
<ajor ;harp Keys: - 0 % # E
'atural minor ;harp Keys: a e b f1 c1
Key of F ($ flat)
Levers: : : " : : " : # and E levers go up!
;trings: - % Eb . 0 #b "b
Key of % (no sharps or flats)
Levers: : : " : : " " #, E, and " levers go up. 'ow all notes are 4natural58!
;trings: - % Eb . 0 #b b
Key of & ($ sharp)
Levers: : : " " : " " #, E, ", and . levers go up!
;trings: - % Eb F 0 #b b
Key of ' (! sharps)
Levers: " : " " : " " #, E, ", ., and - levers go up!
;trings: % % Eb F 0 #b b
Key of # (3 sharps)
Levers: " : " " " " " #, E, ", ., -, and 0 levers go up!
;trings: % % Eb F & #b b
Key of E (( sharps)
Levers: " " " " " " " #ll levers go up8!
;trings: % ' Eb F & #b b
-ount the Keys8 6ou have = major keys available to you, along with their natural minors. That e>uals
?@ different keys available at your fingertips8 :!
+ave .un8888 A
Brepared for fellow lever harpists
by -lara +. #rnold, ".<us., '<T, <T9"-
.ebruary C)?C
www.lyricharpstudio.com