You can rent a harp by first finding an instrument rental shop, choosing the appropriate harp, and having a deposit and first month’s rent ready to give. Both schools and repair shops sometimes rent instruments, because they are often too expensive to buy on a whim. Choosing the appropriate harp depends on the difficulty you seek plus your preferred shape and weight. In addition, you will need to have money upfront to rent a harp, which sometimes equals about two months' rent. Finally, you can take the harp home with you.
To rent a harp, first find an instrument repair shop or music school that rents out musical instruments. Check with any schools or shops you have already done business with and like. You can also use a business directory or search engine to find places near you. If the ad or website does not have much information on it, you may have to call to ask an employee if the store rents instruments. Harps are not the most popular instrument, so be specific in what you are looking for, because a business could easily rent instruments but not rent harps.
The next step is to choose a harp, as there are several kinds. Some harps will be more expensive than others, more difficult to play, or both. A teacher or employee at the shop should be able to help you make this decision, especially if you are a new harpist. Remember to look at harps within your budget in addition to harps that make sense to rent. If you can buy the harp new for just a few months' rent, it might not make financial sense to rent rather than purchase outright.
Depending on the rental place, you might need a deposit plus first month’s rent to rent a harp. The deposit is meant to cover any damage the harp takes while in your possession because you are 100-percent responsible for it during this time. If you scratch or lose the harp, you will not have the deposit returned. In fact, you might owe the store additional money to repair the harp or replace it with a new one.
If the harp rental business is not near you, you might have to pay shipping costs. Shipping a harp is usually not an inexpensive thing to do so. If possible, try to rent from a local shop. Renting locally also allows you to choose the harp in person and take it to the same place for repairs and lessons.
