Lyres are a category of stringed instruments known since the earliest civilizations. The Ancient Greeks and Romans played lyres, and after the fall of Rome the instrument became popular with Celtic and Germanic tribes in Europe.

A lyre is technically different from a harp in that the strings run parallel to the soundboard rather than perpendicular.

Tuning a lyre, though basically simple, can seem overwhelming for beginners, both in technique and in choice of tuning. These instructions apply primarily to the 6-string Anglo Saxon (or "Germanic") lyre, but can also be applied to other six-string lyres, the 5-string Finnish kantele or Russian gusle, and other similar instruments.[1]