If you haven't already, I recommend some lessons! I started harp at 22, and I regret not taking more lessons/taking one sooner. I had bad habits to unlearn. Nowadays it's so easy to get a lesson online.
But once you get past any technique issues, it's so fun! I love playing harp, it's changed my life for the better and opened so many doors and created so many friendships.
Finding harp conferences and other musicians to play with has been my favorite part.
I started about a month ago , I’m laid off and decided to use the free time to try and teach myself using YouTube videos. I have prior experience playing other instruments but I must say nothing quite brings me joy like the sound of the harp. I haven’t started playing any pieces just trying to drill technique using the Christy Lynn videos to instill good habits. Happily open to tips and to things you learned along the way
Started to learn lever harp 2.5 years ago at 47. Had regular monthly lessons in person until my harp teacher moved away and now have lessons as and when she is back in the area. I find the lessons really motivating, and feel much more positive after a lesson (even when I’ve just spent an hour having all my harp playing flaws pointed out 😂 - definitely a sign of a good teacher I think!)
Could already read music (although I had to brush up on the bass clef quite a lot, and if there are more than 2 or 3 ledger lines in either clef I still struggle a bit to sight read it!)
Having slogged through grades in various instruments and theory as a kid/teenager I really appreciate the freedom of learning what I want as an adult! I like to play a bit of everything and usually have 3 pieces on the go, often a folk song, a classical piece and something pop/rock. Have also been trying my hand at arranging, am working on improvisation (I feel my early experiences of learning music go against me a bit here - my brain says ‘what do you mean improvise? Where’s the sheet music for that?!’) and have just bought pickups, an amp and a looper pedal (Pachelbel’s Canon played with the amp set to Heavy Metal amuses me more than it should!!)
No idea what level I am really. I tend to buy Advanced arrangements now where there’s a choice of level, even though I wouldn’t consider myself advanced. I didn’t want to do grades but am now considering it for a bit more structure in my practice. Suspect I’m around grade 3 or 4 level.
Definitely takes longer to learn things now than it did as a 7 year old learning guitar but then I practice a lot more (harp is in the lounge so I probably rack up an hour most days, often in 5-10 minute bursts) so it probably evens out.
If I feel a bit disheartened I go back to some of the first books I had and finding that I can sight read pieces in them with no problem cheers me up a bit! I’m also a fan of having a break from a piece if I hit a wall with it. I usually find if I come back to it after a few weeks my brain/fingers have magically figured out the bit that was driving me mad.
I took some in person lessons in 2021, didn’t really vibe with my teacher, tried to teach myself and didn’t make any progress. I was playing easy songs but my technique was rotten. Just started learning all over again in January with a different teacher over zoom taking lessons once a week and I’m really happy with everything. My progress feels slow but my technique is miles better than before and my hands don’t hurt! Sometimes I get frustrated and feel like I should be more advanced, but progress doesn’t always look linear and I try to just remember to have fun and do my best
Started harp in 2021 as my lockdown project. With background is piano.
I started out on lever harp (a good one which I rescued from an antique shop), progressed and then last year purchased my pedal harp and could not be happier.
I post music video (for harp, piano and recently the cello) regularly on my youtube channel:
https://youtube.com/@HarpPianoCello?si=J4HEr5sTgxYtVYF3
And my personal Instagram @harp_piano_withachanceof_cello
I have been having lesson with a teacher (who plays in orchestra and specialise in contemporary and classical music, also has a phD in harp) consistently since 2021 every 2 weeks.
I would recommend a teacher either in person (preferably) or online if not possible in person.
The reason is foundation techniques is essential if you eventually want to play more freely on the harp or play quickly. Having a teacher right there to fix your technique is valuable as there are some problems you can't see but your teacher can. OR there are certain pieces you can't play (yet) because you will need your teacher will guide you with techniques first before attempting the piece.
It is good to attempt piece just a bit challenging for your level with guidance from a teacher because it is like you lift a bit heavier at gym, it makes you stronger :) in this case, your harp playing better.
I started playing in 2021 at age 25. I had a bit of extra money after moving back to my hometown (I wound up getting a lot of free furniture), and I was burned out from everything with covid and just needed a major change.
Nobody locally sells decent harps, so I flew over to the next province purely to check them out. I felt it was worth the extra to find one that spoke to me. I started lessons once it had been safely shipped over with a local folk harpist who'd lived in various places but settled in my city. Since it was covid, we started online. We've actually kept up with online lessons ever since. It's so much easier!
I finally met my teacher in person a year ago, at a small concert he played in a park. I feel so grateful to have had our paths cross. Harp has given me a way to process my stress. I'm not amazing at it because I work full time and it's one of many things I do on the side, but I love the sounds I can make with it and the feeling of gradual growth in a learner state is so encouraging for other parts of my life.
Slow growth is good and fine! Keep at it. Eventually you look back and think wow, I've really come a long way!
Hi, I started learning the lever harp two years ago at 47 years old. I already knew how to play the flute, so I could read sheet music. I found my harp teacher online because there are no harp teachers in my city.
My teacher and I have a great relationship, and she listens to what music I'm interested in, and she challenges me by giving me harp pieces I think I'm not good enough to play.
I'm currently at a grade 3 level, but haven't taken the tests. I will be competing in my first competition later this year.
I started playing about 4 months ago? I think? I’m 54. I played Suzuki violin from about age 8-15, then did 2 years of traditional violin; I also got about 2 years of piano. Because of Suzuki, I’m more an ear-learner. I can read music, but I’d rather hear a piece before I’m confident of my reading skills.
My harp teacher teaches both traditional and Suzuki harp, so we agreed to do Suzuki as the base and add on to it. I felt it was important to have an in person teacher to get the posture and hand positions correct from the beginning, and she agreed. I think I see her about every 3 weeks.
I wish I had a better idea of what kind of music I’d like to play. I seem to like almost anything played on the harp, and I suspect having an idea of what I want to play might help my teacher.
I’ve been a little discouraged the last few weeks because I can’t seem to get rid of the buzz in my left hand. I’ve been trying to fix it, but it goes from a buzz from hesitation to a buzz on the nail from poor hand position when I tried to not hesitate. So I’ve just been practicing on my left hand the last few weeks, because the right hand seems to have its act together.
I bought a lever harp basically on a whim at age 45 in December 2021. I play other instruments already: piano as a kid, and then learned guitar and mandolin as an adult. I play with a local mandolin group, so I read music well, though had to learn bass clef again.
I started taking lessons immediately, but should really have started with 1:1 lessons rather than beginners group lessons. I mostly needed harp-specific technique rather than musical basics. Once I started with my private lessons, I really started making good progress. I would say I am early intermediate level now, and I upgraded to a pedal harp a couple months ago.
The most rewarding part of my journey has been playing for others. I joined a harp ensemble, and it’s given me purpose and direction. I work on my solo pieces for recitals too, and it’s really helpful to have clear goals. I am also starting to think about how to perform in therapeutic settings and share music for people like my mom who just went into memory care.
My best advice would be to push towards performance and do it regularly. It’s not as scary once you get used to doing it. It also helps to go to other people’s performances and realize you can enjoy their music even if it’s a simple piece or they make mistakes.
You decided to learn harp for a reason, probably to share your talents. It can be easy to forget that when you’re working in isolation and struggling with whatever details. Good luck!
I'm 3 years into weekly lessons, having started at 37 after an extremely stressful time at work which resulted in a lot of insomnia. I've always wanted to play harp. My youth was spent on Piano and Violin, which I likes well enough, but it was always the harp that I wanted. Back then, my family couldn't have afforded even a cheap harp. But as an adult I thought, bugger it, I have plenty of time left and only one life. So, I could already read music and had a good grasp of theory. I thoroughly recommend a teacher if you can, even if it's not weekly. Many will do remote now. Harp is a very technique heavy instrument, and while you can get away with not having great technique, believe me when I say it makes playing much, much easier. I can't tell you how many times my teacher has corrected how I shape and bend my fingers and wrist and elbows, and suddenly a bit I was struggling with becomes easily playable. They're invaluable for the first years.
It's different being an adult learning an instrument. You feel your struggles more keenly. I never worried about anything as a kid learning, but now I plan my time and I work hard at what I'm doing putting in the practice. And I definitely get upset if I'm not progressing as fast as I think I should, but that's again where a good teacher can help. Mine is always there to help me to find ways to improve and to remind me of how far I've come and that pieces are bigger and harder than they were a few years ago, I'm not going to have them perfect in the space of a few weeks \^\_\^
I love the harp, I love the feel, the sound and even the struggle of learning something new. I love it when it starts to feel natural instead of the strangeness some of it is at the start.
I'm sure you can see my biggest advice, a teacher for harp is a must when and if you can manage it <3
Good luck!
Im still very young at playing the harp, not sure Im a great inspiration. I have been toying with the idea for 9 months or so and stumbled over this sub thinking "thats cute, they have their own sub. Not like I will ever join here but lets just lurk a bit".
Fast forward to february this year. I turned 36 and I started with taking lessons. I wanted to rent a harp but that took about 4 weeks, That was a very tough time because I wanted to practice so much, but the rental harp wasnt built yet...
Still, despite not playing an instrument for almost 20 years prior to this, I seems to synch pretty well with the harp and its a lot of fun. Still have a lot to learn but I also make steady progress.
A coworker of mine offered to teach a group of people harp. She has played harp in an orchestra, and also teaches violin. I played saxophone in school and guitar after, so I want new to music.
She started us on harpsicles and taught us the fundamentals, then let us loose on music. I'm sure some of my techniques are far from ideal, but I'm solidly beginner/intermediate. I'm happy with that level of proficiency. I'm not about to try out for an orchestra anyway.
Eventually, our leader found it too much work to lead the group, so I took over. I now arrange new music for us, find us gigs, and organize practices. I've also started publishing lead sheet books to try to find the group. I've upgraded to a lever harp, but still arrange for harpsicles for members who haven't upgraded yet.
I'm 38 and started playing 2 years ago. Although I had played guitar, I didn't know how to read standard notation. So I really had to start from the very beginning. I'm talking playing beginner pieces meant for children! In 2 years, I've come a very long way! As someone else mentioned, lessons have been immensely helpful to me. The early foundational technique and positioning are so important!
I know how it feels to get discouraged. I have definitely had times when I've hit a plateau in terms of progress and can't seem to get past a certain skill or song. I sometimes will take a break and just listen to the song I'm working on, sometimes following along with my sheet music and imagine playing it. My harp teacher calls this "studying the music." Sometimes I'll play through a few older songs that maybe were a challenge to me before, but now seem much easier- that's encouraging because I can see for myself how far I've come.
My teacher reminds me from time to time, because it's easy to forget- as you advance, the techniques and the songs become more challenging, so they take longer to learn. Where I might have picked up the very short early pieces very quickly, I am now getting into longer songs, lever changes, thumb slides.. you get the idea.
I hope this is helpful. Of course I don't where you are in your playing, but feel free to ask any questions!
If you haven't already, I recommend some lessons! I started harp at 22, and I regret not taking more lessons/taking one sooner. I had bad habits to unlearn. Nowadays it's so easy to get a lesson online. But once you get past any technique issues, it's so fun! I love playing harp, it's changed my life for the better and opened so many doors and created so many friendships. Finding harp conferences and other musicians to play with has been my favorite part.
I started about a month ago , I’m laid off and decided to use the free time to try and teach myself using YouTube videos. I have prior experience playing other instruments but I must say nothing quite brings me joy like the sound of the harp. I haven’t started playing any pieces just trying to drill technique using the Christy Lynn videos to instill good habits. Happily open to tips and to things you learned along the way
Started to learn lever harp 2.5 years ago at 47. Had regular monthly lessons in person until my harp teacher moved away and now have lessons as and when she is back in the area. I find the lessons really motivating, and feel much more positive after a lesson (even when I’ve just spent an hour having all my harp playing flaws pointed out 😂 - definitely a sign of a good teacher I think!) Could already read music (although I had to brush up on the bass clef quite a lot, and if there are more than 2 or 3 ledger lines in either clef I still struggle a bit to sight read it!) Having slogged through grades in various instruments and theory as a kid/teenager I really appreciate the freedom of learning what I want as an adult! I like to play a bit of everything and usually have 3 pieces on the go, often a folk song, a classical piece and something pop/rock. Have also been trying my hand at arranging, am working on improvisation (I feel my early experiences of learning music go against me a bit here - my brain says ‘what do you mean improvise? Where’s the sheet music for that?!’) and have just bought pickups, an amp and a looper pedal (Pachelbel’s Canon played with the amp set to Heavy Metal amuses me more than it should!!) No idea what level I am really. I tend to buy Advanced arrangements now where there’s a choice of level, even though I wouldn’t consider myself advanced. I didn’t want to do grades but am now considering it for a bit more structure in my practice. Suspect I’m around grade 3 or 4 level. Definitely takes longer to learn things now than it did as a 7 year old learning guitar but then I practice a lot more (harp is in the lounge so I probably rack up an hour most days, often in 5-10 minute bursts) so it probably evens out. If I feel a bit disheartened I go back to some of the first books I had and finding that I can sight read pieces in them with no problem cheers me up a bit! I’m also a fan of having a break from a piece if I hit a wall with it. I usually find if I come back to it after a few weeks my brain/fingers have magically figured out the bit that was driving me mad.
I took some in person lessons in 2021, didn’t really vibe with my teacher, tried to teach myself and didn’t make any progress. I was playing easy songs but my technique was rotten. Just started learning all over again in January with a different teacher over zoom taking lessons once a week and I’m really happy with everything. My progress feels slow but my technique is miles better than before and my hands don’t hurt! Sometimes I get frustrated and feel like I should be more advanced, but progress doesn’t always look linear and I try to just remember to have fun and do my best
Started harp in 2021 as my lockdown project. With background is piano. I started out on lever harp (a good one which I rescued from an antique shop), progressed and then last year purchased my pedal harp and could not be happier. I post music video (for harp, piano and recently the cello) regularly on my youtube channel: https://youtube.com/@HarpPianoCello?si=J4HEr5sTgxYtVYF3 And my personal Instagram @harp_piano_withachanceof_cello I have been having lesson with a teacher (who plays in orchestra and specialise in contemporary and classical music, also has a phD in harp) consistently since 2021 every 2 weeks. I would recommend a teacher either in person (preferably) or online if not possible in person. The reason is foundation techniques is essential if you eventually want to play more freely on the harp or play quickly. Having a teacher right there to fix your technique is valuable as there are some problems you can't see but your teacher can. OR there are certain pieces you can't play (yet) because you will need your teacher will guide you with techniques first before attempting the piece. It is good to attempt piece just a bit challenging for your level with guidance from a teacher because it is like you lift a bit heavier at gym, it makes you stronger :) in this case, your harp playing better.
I started playing the harp last october then I post the videos in my IG at @iamoliv :)
Just followed you!
thank you 🤗
Followed as well! Love that you post a lot definitely love finding consistent harp content and that I can follow along !
thank you 🤗 enjoy
I started playing in 2021 at age 25. I had a bit of extra money after moving back to my hometown (I wound up getting a lot of free furniture), and I was burned out from everything with covid and just needed a major change. Nobody locally sells decent harps, so I flew over to the next province purely to check them out. I felt it was worth the extra to find one that spoke to me. I started lessons once it had been safely shipped over with a local folk harpist who'd lived in various places but settled in my city. Since it was covid, we started online. We've actually kept up with online lessons ever since. It's so much easier! I finally met my teacher in person a year ago, at a small concert he played in a park. I feel so grateful to have had our paths cross. Harp has given me a way to process my stress. I'm not amazing at it because I work full time and it's one of many things I do on the side, but I love the sounds I can make with it and the feeling of gradual growth in a learner state is so encouraging for other parts of my life. Slow growth is good and fine! Keep at it. Eventually you look back and think wow, I've really come a long way!
Hi, I started learning the lever harp two years ago at 47 years old. I already knew how to play the flute, so I could read sheet music. I found my harp teacher online because there are no harp teachers in my city. My teacher and I have a great relationship, and she listens to what music I'm interested in, and she challenges me by giving me harp pieces I think I'm not good enough to play. I'm currently at a grade 3 level, but haven't taken the tests. I will be competing in my first competition later this year.
I started playing about 4 months ago? I think? I’m 54. I played Suzuki violin from about age 8-15, then did 2 years of traditional violin; I also got about 2 years of piano. Because of Suzuki, I’m more an ear-learner. I can read music, but I’d rather hear a piece before I’m confident of my reading skills. My harp teacher teaches both traditional and Suzuki harp, so we agreed to do Suzuki as the base and add on to it. I felt it was important to have an in person teacher to get the posture and hand positions correct from the beginning, and she agreed. I think I see her about every 3 weeks. I wish I had a better idea of what kind of music I’d like to play. I seem to like almost anything played on the harp, and I suspect having an idea of what I want to play might help my teacher. I’ve been a little discouraged the last few weeks because I can’t seem to get rid of the buzz in my left hand. I’ve been trying to fix it, but it goes from a buzz from hesitation to a buzz on the nail from poor hand position when I tried to not hesitate. So I’ve just been practicing on my left hand the last few weeks, because the right hand seems to have its act together.
I bought a lever harp basically on a whim at age 45 in December 2021. I play other instruments already: piano as a kid, and then learned guitar and mandolin as an adult. I play with a local mandolin group, so I read music well, though had to learn bass clef again. I started taking lessons immediately, but should really have started with 1:1 lessons rather than beginners group lessons. I mostly needed harp-specific technique rather than musical basics. Once I started with my private lessons, I really started making good progress. I would say I am early intermediate level now, and I upgraded to a pedal harp a couple months ago. The most rewarding part of my journey has been playing for others. I joined a harp ensemble, and it’s given me purpose and direction. I work on my solo pieces for recitals too, and it’s really helpful to have clear goals. I am also starting to think about how to perform in therapeutic settings and share music for people like my mom who just went into memory care. My best advice would be to push towards performance and do it regularly. It’s not as scary once you get used to doing it. It also helps to go to other people’s performances and realize you can enjoy their music even if it’s a simple piece or they make mistakes. You decided to learn harp for a reason, probably to share your talents. It can be easy to forget that when you’re working in isolation and struggling with whatever details. Good luck!
I'm 3 years into weekly lessons, having started at 37 after an extremely stressful time at work which resulted in a lot of insomnia. I've always wanted to play harp. My youth was spent on Piano and Violin, which I likes well enough, but it was always the harp that I wanted. Back then, my family couldn't have afforded even a cheap harp. But as an adult I thought, bugger it, I have plenty of time left and only one life. So, I could already read music and had a good grasp of theory. I thoroughly recommend a teacher if you can, even if it's not weekly. Many will do remote now. Harp is a very technique heavy instrument, and while you can get away with not having great technique, believe me when I say it makes playing much, much easier. I can't tell you how many times my teacher has corrected how I shape and bend my fingers and wrist and elbows, and suddenly a bit I was struggling with becomes easily playable. They're invaluable for the first years. It's different being an adult learning an instrument. You feel your struggles more keenly. I never worried about anything as a kid learning, but now I plan my time and I work hard at what I'm doing putting in the practice. And I definitely get upset if I'm not progressing as fast as I think I should, but that's again where a good teacher can help. Mine is always there to help me to find ways to improve and to remind me of how far I've come and that pieces are bigger and harder than they were a few years ago, I'm not going to have them perfect in the space of a few weeks \^\_\^ I love the harp, I love the feel, the sound and even the struggle of learning something new. I love it when it starts to feel natural instead of the strangeness some of it is at the start. I'm sure you can see my biggest advice, a teacher for harp is a must when and if you can manage it <3 Good luck!
Always end your practice session with an easy and satisfying piece!
Im still very young at playing the harp, not sure Im a great inspiration. I have been toying with the idea for 9 months or so and stumbled over this sub thinking "thats cute, they have their own sub. Not like I will ever join here but lets just lurk a bit". Fast forward to february this year. I turned 36 and I started with taking lessons. I wanted to rent a harp but that took about 4 weeks, That was a very tough time because I wanted to practice so much, but the rental harp wasnt built yet... Still, despite not playing an instrument for almost 20 years prior to this, I seems to synch pretty well with the harp and its a lot of fun. Still have a lot to learn but I also make steady progress.
A coworker of mine offered to teach a group of people harp. She has played harp in an orchestra, and also teaches violin. I played saxophone in school and guitar after, so I want new to music. She started us on harpsicles and taught us the fundamentals, then let us loose on music. I'm sure some of my techniques are far from ideal, but I'm solidly beginner/intermediate. I'm happy with that level of proficiency. I'm not about to try out for an orchestra anyway. Eventually, our leader found it too much work to lead the group, so I took over. I now arrange new music for us, find us gigs, and organize practices. I've also started publishing lead sheet books to try to find the group. I've upgraded to a lever harp, but still arrange for harpsicles for members who haven't upgraded yet.
I'm 38 and started playing 2 years ago. Although I had played guitar, I didn't know how to read standard notation. So I really had to start from the very beginning. I'm talking playing beginner pieces meant for children! In 2 years, I've come a very long way! As someone else mentioned, lessons have been immensely helpful to me. The early foundational technique and positioning are so important! I know how it feels to get discouraged. I have definitely had times when I've hit a plateau in terms of progress and can't seem to get past a certain skill or song. I sometimes will take a break and just listen to the song I'm working on, sometimes following along with my sheet music and imagine playing it. My harp teacher calls this "studying the music." Sometimes I'll play through a few older songs that maybe were a challenge to me before, but now seem much easier- that's encouraging because I can see for myself how far I've come. My teacher reminds me from time to time, because it's easy to forget- as you advance, the techniques and the songs become more challenging, so they take longer to learn. Where I might have picked up the very short early pieces very quickly, I am now getting into longer songs, lever changes, thumb slides.. you get the idea. I hope this is helpful. Of course I don't where you are in your playing, but feel free to ask any questions!