An In-depth Review of My Beautiful Purple Harp! (Musicmakers Sonnet Lap Harp)

Here's a list of timestamps to help you navigate:
0:00 Intro & specs
3:19 Range, A-A stringing
5:30 String tension & tonal quality
6:18 String spacing
7:50 Stability on lap
9:55 Playing the harp on the floor
11:21 Is this a good starter harp?
12:41 Harp Stand for Sonnet
13:27 Sound sample - improvs
14:20 Sound sample - Sally Garden
I have been wanting to do a review of my Musicmakers Sonnet Harp for a while now since people continue to ask me questions about it. But I kept putting it off because I dreaded having to monologue in front of a camera... Well I decided it's time to be brave and upload this video despite all the imperfections and endless umms you have to put up with. (Can you tell I'm totally outside of my comfort zone 😅?) My only wish is to showcase this beautiful harp and to provide some useful information for people on their harp journey so they can decide whether this is a right fit for them. One thing I forgot to emphasize in the video is the superb quality and craftsmanship of the harp. The woodwork is exquisite and the maple grain showing through the staining is simply gorgeous. I really love how innovative and open-minded Musicmakers is at trying new ideas and designing new products.
By the way, this is purely my honest opinion based on my experience and I have not been asked by Musicmakers to do this. They didn't know I was making this video. Here's a link to the product page for the Sonnet harp on their website: www.harpkit.com/sonnet-lap-harp. And the stand I talked about is called Ingles Cello & Bass Stand, and you can find one here: www.vermontviolins.com/produc.... You would need to remove the top safety bar so the harp can rest correctly on the stand.
If you have anymore questions regarding this harp or any other harps I own, please feel free to leave a comment below or reach out to me at [e-mail]. I'd be more than happy to help in anyway I can.

[@celestinac1105]

That is a beautiful lap harp. I wasn’t expecting the sound to be so full!! So lovely. It’s not tinny at all

[@TracieLin]

Yes! It's amazingly rich and full for a lap harp for sure 😍

[@alanb2325]

Thank you for the advice about the cello stand! My Sonnet has a tendency to slide on my wood floor and the base and back of the neck have been damaged. I like to leave a harp out of its bag to remind me to practice...it's too easy to get lazy. I also tuned to A to A but for a different reason..the strings were breaking constantly, C to C is just too great a tension for this lap harp as it takes longer for sound board to rise because of the strength and thickness of the wood (it will rise to adapt to normal tension over a year but got tired of constantly replacing strings) I also found that it really does produce a sweeter, richer and less brittle sound when tuned lower. I was used to a small harp that had Paraguayan spacing so for me the string spacing of the Sonnet was a nice compromise between Paraguayan and Concert. I love your videos because they encourage me to keep practicing and learning.

[@TracieLin]

So glad my videos are helpful to you. I hope the cello stand can help stabilize your harp off the floor and prevent further damage. Yes the more accessible the harp is, the more we will reach for it. I'm glad you like the A-A stringing as well. Best wishes on your harp journey!

[@moirbasso7051]

Very Good review. Nice shots of both playing and of the harp itself. Thank you.

[@TracieLin]

Thank you so much! I appreciate your feedback.

[@margaretmurphy9498]

Love the adjustments you made on the harp, and purple is excellent ❤

[@TracieLin]

Thank you so much!

[@jillc2700]

This is the harp that I own (first and only so far) except that mine is in green. It’s so pretty and sounds lovely.~ I am five foot and play with my lap harp balanced on my ankles/feet or just have it resting on the floor and cradling it with my legs. 😅 someday maybe I will get a floor harp but I’m enjoying what i have now. Love listening to your playing btw !

[@TracieLin]

That’s wonderful you enjoy what this harp has to offer too. Best wishes on your harp journey 🥰

[@lyndavonkanel8603]

You did very well and you said just what I needed to know about the Sonnet. I had the opportunity to try one out at the harp store near me yesterday. It was purple, too! I loved its sound and how comfortablely it sat on my lap. I'm short and found it awkward to reach up to play the high notes, they really were high! Still, in consideration of what you said to make that work, I am leaning heavily towards buying one in cherry wood. So, thank you for facing your fears and asking the video. It was helpful for me and will probably be for many others.

[@TracieLin]

@lyndavonkanel8603 So glad you find this video review informative. Yes the higher notes can be tricky to play and pretty high up for me as well. But if you do end up ordering a Sonnet, I hope you enjoy the harp!

[@leeki345we]

Thank you very much for making this video and being brave enough to talk to the camera! You've got lovely voice and it doesn't seem like the first time, so no worries! The detailed review is absolutely helpful to take a deep look at sonnet lap harp. 😀 I wonder if I could play it when it's on the cello stand? Sorry, this would be my last question on the Sonnet harp😂. You are so kind to put this effort to help others.

[@TracieLin]

Thank you so much! I truly appreciate your kind words 😍 Yes, you can play the harp on the cello stand. But because of the 17" width legs of the stand, you would have to tilt it pretty far back in order to find that balancing point. So I find that position awkward to play in. It feels more natural and comfortable on my lap instead. Hope this help!

[@leeki345we]

@@TracieLin ❤Thanks for the reply!!

[@msavard0]

Beautiful harp Tracie! I was going to but this or the 28 Bass Lap Harp from Marini. I ended up buying the Marini because it goes down to the F but only goes up to the E. However I can literally play most of my repertoire on the Marini. The tone on the Sonnet is gorgeous!

[@TracieLin]

Isn't it wonderful that Bass Lap Harp from Marini can go down to low F and yet still be portable? I'm sure that harp can bring you much enjoyable experience as well. Happy harping!

[@sabinekurz-sherman9750]

@@TracieLin Thank you for this very helpful video. The sound of the Sonnet harp is so amazing. But still, I am undecided whether to get a Sonnet (with A to A strings) or Marini made Bass 28 string. Do you have experience with both? If so, which sounds fuller? I am a beginner 5.2 "tall". Thank you!

[@TracieLin]

@@sabinekurz-sherman9750 Thank you for the comment. I have not tried a Marini Made Bass harp before so I can't really comment on comparison. But based on videos by Anne Crosby Gaudet, it sounds like a lovely harp as well. And it's great that it goes down to low F. It's always nice to have those low notes on a lap harp.

[@sabinekurz-sherman9750]

@@TracieLin Thank you, Tracie. You play very beautifully!

[@MaryJ-M]

@@sabinekurz-sherman9750 This comment might be too old for you to make a decision, but I believe the Sonnet strings are closer together, and Sue Marini had told me all their harps have standard spacing. Only saying in case spacing might be an issue for you.

[@carpenanne]

Great review

[@TracieLin]

Thank you Anne 🙏🏼

[@kenheady5946]

That's a beautiful harp and you play beautiful to

[@TracieLin]

Thank you so much! 🙏

[@friedfish69]

Ver informative. Thank you.

[@TracieLin]

Great I am glad it was helpful ☺️

[@arpamor]

The cat likes it too ♥

[@hmr28]

Can we see it in the sun to see the color better? I live it! Thank you for doing this video

[@TracieLin]

Thank you for watching. Here’s a video of me playing my Sonnet in the sun kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqi1nqx9oaiGrZo

[@celestekoz]

How lovely! I purchased your music "Water Fairies" and I am enjoying learning it. Can you please tell me where you got the arrangement of "Sally Gardens"?

[@TracieLin]

Thank you for your support! The piece "Sally Garden" I played in the video was an improv so it was something I made up on the spot 😊

[@inthedaysstillleft1257]

Thank you so much for this most helpful information I'm changing from my pedal harp to lap due to illness. I haven't played long and am early intermediate now. Do you recommend a reference for adjusting music to a smaller harp? Again, many thanks for your information and kindness.

[@TracieLin]

So glad this video was able to help you. I know many teachers out there have published wonderful music for smaller harps, like Anne Crosby Gaudet, Tiffany Shaeffer, Kristine Warmhold, and Christy Lynn. I usually just improvise it or transpose the tune myself to suit the various small harps I have. Good luck with your transition and I hope you enjoy your lap harp experience 🥰

[@SharonCullenArt]

Hi Tracie, I’ve been considering the purple Sonnet harp. I currently have a Jolie, green vivid although I had them go very deep green. I got the curly maple sound board because I was concerned about seeing the strings. In fact Jake recommended it. Do you have any trouble seeing the red or blue strings with your purple soundboard?

[@TracieLin]

Hi Sharon, I never had issues seeing the colors of the strings against the purple. I think I would only have issues with seeing the strings against patterned carpet/background that has a variety of colors.

[@SharonCullenArt]

@@TracieLin thank you.🙏

[@samanthathompson9812]

That's a very interesting way of dealing with range. I'd really like a low A too. I'd be worried about messing with the engineering but it's great you worked with them. How did you work out what gauges to switch to?

[@TracieLin]

If you are ordering a new Sonnet, then you can just request the A-A stringing. If you already have the harp, then please send me your email and I can send you a string chart. I first tuned the existing strings down to A-A. But the tension was too loose and floppy. So then I tried switching the strings up to the next gauge. After that the harp sounded much better, and I also felt the string tension was more ideal to my preference. Hope this helps!

[@samanthathompson9812]

@@TracieLin Thanks that's very kind of you. I was actually wondering if this might work on a 36 string harp. They all seem to come in C to C and I would rather have A to A. But I have no idea how to figure out all the gauge changes without wrecking the harp. My own (and only) harp has 33 strings and it's not enough range for me now. But I really want a low A and it's really hard to find in a lever harp.

[@TracieLin]

I see. Changing strings on a 36-string floor harp is a completely different story. Dealing with those low bass wires alone is a different ball game and not something I would feel comfortable tampering with. In this case I would suggest you speak to your harp maker and see if A-A is an option. There are actually many lever harps out there that are 38-40 strings such as those by made Camac, Salvi or Lyon and Healy.

[@samanthathompson9812]

@@TracieLin Right, thanks. I've seen one maker offer an A to A stringing on a 36 string but it"s not common. What did you do about the levers? Weren't the indications for the F and C strings in the wrong places? Or am I confused?

[@TracieLin]

Luckily Camac levers are easy to regulate and I have the tools to regulate them myself. And then I took the F and C colored tapes off and put them on the right levers matching the colored strings.

[@amincy1]

Hi Tracie, Great review. I’m 6 ft 3inch tall and wondered if the lap harp would work for me? I already have a floor harp. Just looking for something more portable.

[@TracieLin]

I’m glad this review was helpful to you. I believe this harp should be big enough for a tall guy like you to play comfortably. It is on the bigger side of a “lap” harp, but still quite portable.

[@peterpascone6942]

Thank you so much for your wonderful playing and review. Can I ask for how tall are you? I'm 5'4"; trying to get an idea how large it would be for my torso.

[@TracieLin]

I’m so glad this was helpful to you. I’m also 5’4” so I would imagine it would be similar for us. Good luck with your harp journey!

[@carolmcdaniel1673]

I have been playing a floor harp for about 5 years. I am looking for a lap harp. I have tried a small one and was not successful at holding it without it moving. The sonnet in your demonstration looks much easier. Would you say that is easier to learn to hold with minimal or no moving in your lap?

[@TracieLin]

The Sonnet is fairly stable on the lap and does not move in my experience. Good luck!

[@katinka4547]

Hello Tracie, do you still like the Sonnet? After I looked all these videos and thought about it over and over , I bravely ordered the Sonnet. It has a very full bass and sounds real nice! The upper range on the top sounds little bit thin and the string tension is kind of harder. That`s why I tuned it in "432 hertz". This gives it - in my option - a much better and warmer tone.

[@TracieLin]

Hello! Yes I still like my Sonnet. I also felt the upper range was too thin and piercing bright for my taste. So I tuned mine down to A-A range in addition to 432hz. It now sounds wonderfully warm and and the tension is softer. I hope you enjoy your Sonnet for many years to come 🥰

[@katinka4547]

@@TracieLin tuning down to A-A was a good choice, it gives the higher range more depth, sound real good now. Thanks!

[@elizabethdexter3779]

How does it compare to your Ceili? Especially string tension?

[@TracieLin]

I don’t have a Ceili. My Thormahlen is a Serenade with folk gut strings. The tension feels about the same for me.

[@crystaldevivo857]

Hello, Did you change the strings yourself? They no longer string A-A. If you did, is it easy to get to them?

[@TracieLin]

Yes I changed out the strings myself. Because I am familiar with the string gauges and know how to regulate the Camac levers, I didn’t find it particularly challenging.

[@lydiapoon7156]

Hi Tracie, did you "add quilted maple veener to the soundboard"? I have no idea on the purpose and how if I don't add on it? Thanks!

[@TracieLin]

Hello Lydia, no I did not add the quilted maple veneer to my soundboard. I think it’s only for esthetics of beautiful wood grain and doesn’t really affect the sound.

[@lydiapoon7156]

Thanks Tracie

[@lydiapoon7156]

Hi Tracie, I have just purchased a new sonnet lap harp. The soundboard rise and belly up obviously when it arrived. Is that normal? Anything I can do? 😢Thanks!

[@TracieLin]

@@lydiapoon7156 Hi Lydia, sorry I just saw your question now. The soundboard will belly up bit by bit as days go by, but usually not when it's first brand new. Perhaps this harp has been built for a few weeks already? The bellying up is a good thing as it adds depth and better resonance to your harp. There's nothing you have to do. Just take care of your harp and play it often 😄

[@lydiapoon7156]

I have ordered a A-A stringing Sonnet but they sent me a C-C. Since I am not lived in US and don't want to return and wait for a few months. Can you share how can I adjust by myself? Can you share the string chart with me? Thanks!

[@jihad1251]

It goes from A2-A5, correct?

[@TracieLin]

The highest note is 1st octave A and lowest is 5th octave A.

[@jihad1251]

I don’t understand harp notation ^^” I personally find it confusing as to why you label the lowest strings with high notes