1 Year Harp Progress - Adult Beginner (NO music experience!)

Learning Resources:
Ailie Robertson
In-depth beginner to advanced video lessons offered though Patreon. Four songs a month (2 beginner-early intermediate level, 2 intermediate-advanced level. Celtic music.
Patreon: / ailierobertson
KZbin channel: / @learncelticharp
Website: www.ailierobertson.com/
Anne Crosby Gaudet
Creator of evocative harp compositions, full of teaching moments. Caters to early beginner level right through to advanced.
KZbin channel: / @annecrosbygaudetmusic
Website: musicdiscoveries.shop/
Christy-Lyn
Offers many video tutorials though her learning platform, Learning the Harp. Includes modern music by artists such as The Beatles, Elvis, Sting and more.
Learning the Harp: www.learningtheharp.com/
KZbin channel: / @learningtheharp
Josh Layne
Harp genius and passionate teacher. Creator of the popular series "Harp Tuesdays" as well as other harp series such as "Harpist in the Wild".
Patreon: / posts
KZbin channel: / @joshlayne
Website: www.joshlayne.com/
Talking Harps
Talking Harps’ is a passion project created by Angela, Javier, and Victoria - three adult harp learners from around the world who came to know each other during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mission for ‘Talking Harps’ is to connect the harp world through conversations. Kind of like a harp podcast!
KZbin channel: / @talkingharps
TIffany Schaefer
Countless harp resources on her channel - mostly celtic - and monthly sheet music available through her Patreon. "Nothing makes me happier than connecting with people through music - there's nothing quite like it!" 🙂
Patreon: / tiffanyharpandsong
KZbin channel: / @tiffanyharpandsong
Website: tiffanyschaefer.wixsite.com/m...
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:11 Day 1
0:22 Week 2
0:42 Week 3
1:05 Month 2
1:23 Month 3
1:53 Month 4
2:20 Month 5
3:16 Month 6
4:03 Month 7
5:04 Month 8
5:44 Month 9
6:29 Month 10
6:57 Month 11
7:38 Month 12

[@morrigan9152]

If you are watching this and thinking about learning the harp, look out for the faults in my technique that could have been corrected early on if I had a teacher at the time. In particular I cringe at my stiff pinky fingers (which I am still working on to this day!). Good technique will allow you to progress much faster in the long-term. If you cannot afford a teacher, even a once a month technique check-in will be valuable. Don't be afraid to speak with multiple teachers until you find someone whose teaching style suits you :) Have fun!

[@paledeerwoman]

You did a great job being able to coordinate both hands so early in the process.

[@morrigan9152]

I remember it taking so much focus and brain power to play with both hands in the beginning!

[@drp2200]

After watching this, I realize have no excuse to not play more. Your progress is inspiring!

[@marksadler4104]

As a self taught jazz guitarist, you are doing brilliantly😃 Keep going, don't get despondent if a piece of music doesn't work out, you are gradually performing more complex pieces demanding higher skill value, it will all come together. I've been there😃

[@sodiumcyanidee]

It was very satisfying seeing you go from the claws to proper harp hand positions, the claws get us all

[@morrigan9152]

Haha definitely! I called them the crab claws🦀 ! I overcompensated and my hands became very stiff - still working on fixing that with my teacher now :)

[@mv_03]

Very relatable and this is a great thing. Most of the time you see amazing harpists playing beautiful music without the hiccups, but you kept those and it makes it reassuring while keeping it entertaining

[@morrigan9152]

For sure. Even in beginner groups we see a lot of 'perfect' takes. I used to record 20 times or more and only post the one clip that had no mistakes. Now when I record, I pretend I am performing for an audience - if I make a mistake, I recover and move on. Not start again from the beginning 😋

[@paradox9369]

I hope you're still out there safe and playing! I watch this video almost everyday now that I decided to pursue my dream of playing the harp at the age of 26. Today I had my first lesson with a teacher and I was as nervous as if I were meeting a crush or an idol. (as in, the Harp 😂) Anyway, I wanted to say that this video is an inspiration and motivator for me... I'll come back here every time it gets tough, because I know it will. Thank you 🤍

[@dreamangel3487]

From day 1, you can play both hand. No music background . Absolutely you are super talent.

[@arkhamkillzone]

I am also going to buy a harp and learn. I am 31 with no music background. I prayed to God to bless me with skills to play the harp. I want to use this talent to play good music in my church and with Gods blessing I know it will be a total success.

[@LoneTreePeak]

Hey Morrigan, I just wanted to revisit this video and let you know I saw you visit a channel that I frequent a lot of, the great Maria Trevor's channel. I came here because I didn't want to awkwardly recommend you a video of hers in front of her haha. Anyways, I watched so many videos of hers and I decided to go all the way back to the beginning and her first upload was very unique and taught me a bit more of the harp's capabilities. Her intensity, techniques, elegance and aggression were all on display on that video. It was highly fascinating to me and I would definitely recommend it for someone learning things about the dynamics of the harp. She always plays such elegant tunes, but that performance had some real power and showed a different side I'm not used to seeing. Check it out if interested. It's definitely worth watching in my opinion. Have a nice day.

[@chiaralogiudice9326]

Very good! Bravo!! I love your strenght and passion

[@TaisiaDanilova]

wow!! now i've started believing in myself much more!

[@okorolina]

This is great! I watch all these harpists and love their work

[@morrigan9152]

It was great to find so many content creators who cater to adult learners! The harp community turned out to be bigger than I thought ;D

[@tiffanyharpandsong]

Oh hey thanks for the shout-out! You have made amazing progress!

[@morrigan9152]

My pleasure! You have been a constant source of inspiration for me :)

[@jovitapeeters7277]

I am very impressed!

[@morrigan9152]

Thank you, Jovita ^_^

[@ThePianoPutterer]

You're doing awesome! I can't wait for an updated video to see how far you've progressed since you posted this. I'll be subscribing to make sure I don't miss it!

[@AltoonaYourPiano]

This is impressive! You've made so much progress over the past year. I'm a self-taught pianist/keyboardist/composer who began playing/composing in 1988 and it took me longer than if I would have been classically trained to actually master a lot of techniques and a lot of my abilities for so many years were asymmetrical, it was especially challenging because there was no internet back then. For example, I learned chords through a keyboard's instruction manual. Anyways, I really enjoyed this a lot and hope to see more videos from you someday.

[@jessicachandler5570]

So beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

[@Aaron-xq6hv]

It's nice to hear that you have a teacher now. I am certainly not an accomplished-harpist, I just am involved with one, and while I noticed you corrected and eventually worked on some bad habits, and definitely still made good progress, there were definitely some still present by the end of the video. But, now that you have a pedal harp, here's hoping that I'll one day see a recording of the Hindemith (which I beg everybody to play).

[@morrigan9152]

Thank you! I feel like I blossomed as a harpist after finding my teacher (having online lessons still presents some challenges, though!) Hindemith, hmm - I am a few years away from being able to play that, but I am taking it as a personal challenge now 😌

[@connieLo87365]

Congratulations. You have grown into a beautiful and talented harpist. Such feeling. You can see your dedication. Such a wonderful journey

[@sylphienne]

Congratulations! I had my harp for a year but i had an arm injury that prevented me from playing/learning. It's slowly getting better, certain hand movements cause pain so i'm left with just playing with my right hand and learning to play with all the hand movements.

[@morrigan9152]

Thank you! You can certainly make some beautiful music with just one hand. I know, for example, Anne Crosby Gaudet wrote a piece for left hand only called "Mona's Song" - you could try it with the right hand also. I am so pleased you have not given up on the harp despite the additional challenge of your injury, that is real dedication! musicdiscoveries.shop/products/monas-song?_pos=1&_sid=bd332a274&_ss=r

[@sylphienne]

@@morrigan9152 Thanks and no problem. ^^

[@avavania5274]

Thank you for showing your progress! I started playing again about a month ago and play Anne Crosby Gaudet’s music and seeing this gives me inspiration!

[@marymoonen4001]

Excellent !! Amazing

[@clareroslington]

Lovely and inspiring! I relate as am mostly self taught, aside from a few lessons and a short harp therapy training. I love to improvise, have you explored this much? I love the recommendations at the end; they are all great harp teachers! I hope you are still enjoying playing the harp ❤🎶

[@morrigan9152]

Thank you 🥰 Im still playing - mostly pedal harp now - hope I will make an update video one day! I would love to learn to improvise, but as someone who loves structure it is a real challenge :D

[@SharonCullenArt]

Great job!

[@vancesellers6032]

Loved your video of your progress though the years. You definitely have become a very good harpist. Also loved your doggie guest appearances. Some of my guitar recordings have my dog popping in while recording. Lol 😆

[@vicenteharpantiqua]

Very nice Job indeed!!!

[@gorelowjeff5054]

Thanks for sharing and taking the time to make that video over the whole year. For me videos are better as well. But at least for me, a teacher has helped me suck a little less

[@AbbyPianist]

Excellent progress, Morrigan. Keep up the great work 🎶👏👏 Thank you for sharing your wonderful video 🙏💖💖

[@morrigan9152]

Thank you, Abby. You are super inspiring! I hope I can match your piano skill on the harp one day :D

[@chlhpua]

Cool! It inspires ❤

[@jonasgarley4426]

Great! MY favourite was Lullaby of Woe!

[@LoneTreePeak]

This is an amazing project. I absolutely enjoy time lapse videos and it was very interesting for me to see you progress. I've been eyeing up harp videos for a while in case one day I get one, which I plan on eventually. The enchanting sounds of it just really draw me to it. It's definitely been my favorite instrument to watch and learn about. The one you bought was an amazing one. I love the color and I think it suits you well. You seemed to do very well from the beginning and it's very impressive to me and inspires hope for me when I eventually get one. Thank you for sharing this experience and I learned some things from this video. By the way, you got really good in the time you recorded so congratulations to you. Also thanks for the recommendations at the end. I will check them out as well.

[@morrigan9152]

Thanks a lot! I really hope you get your harp - I am the same as you, something about the harp captivated me, it just felt 'right'. I would have never believed I could play an instrument at this level - I now have a teacher and am learning pedal harp. Looking forward to seeing where my next year goes! :)

[@LoneTreePeak]

@@morrigan9152 You're welcome and I really appreciate the encouragement. Thank you so much for that. That's also great to hear about you getting a teacher to help take it to the next level. I wish you the best of luck on your next year and if you decide to document that also, I'd be excited to see how you progressed even more. All the best to you.

[@nervousharpist]

So wonderful! I’m waiting on that Witcher cover now! You’re amazing and play so beautifully. You’ve come such a long way. Thanks for sharing with us

[@morrigan9152]

I suppose it will be your harp anniversary soon too! Mine was a while ago but it took me some time to edit this video :P We have both done fantastic things in our first year. Hoping to get a small harp so I can dance around and play like a bard, like Dandelion in the Witcher of course ;)

[@nervousharpist]

@@morrigan9152 mine was end of August! 😅 I have a really nice 22 string for dancing around on but I haven’t got used to the string yet and the top octave is literally under my chin because I’m so used to a pedal harp! I’m still terrible with two hands so I won’t be witchering any time soon hahaha I’m waiting for you instead

[@morrigan9152]

Haha it’s so weird, you would think it would be easy to go from pedal to lever, or lever to pedal, but not really! I went to a harp studio recently and sat down at a pedal harp and felt so lost 🤣 I was too scared to even try changing a pedal. And it was bloody huge! I walked away quite quickly 🤣 I’ve seen your baby harp on your streams, looking forward to seeing you grow with it 🤗

[@Meltiqueful]

Your progress is spectacular!

[@morrigan9152]

Thank you for your encouragement along the way, Amelia! Here's to many more years!

[@Meltiqueful]

@@morrigan9152 you inspire me!!

[@maximiliantrellerharp3983]

That‘s a great process! I‘m proud

[@morrigan9152]

Hey! Thank you! It means a lot - I remember watching your cover of Ancient Stones, and hoping I could play like you some day :)

[@maximiliantrellerharp3983]

@@morrigan9152 you will!! If you need an arrangement from me or need any tips I'm always there for you!

[@morrigan9152]

@@maximiliantrellerharp3983 Thank you so much 🥰

[@KaraDeeTV]

Thank you for posting your journey thus far, its so inspiring! I have just purchased a little 16 string Lyre to start me off, but harp is my dream. Can you please recommend a harp? What models are you using in this video? The darker harp is so beautiful! I would also love to see more videos from you btw :)

[@morrigan9152]

I am so glad you are starting your harp learning! If you are enjoying the lyre you might like to try the harp out sooner rather than later - they are played quite differently and you might prefer one over the other :) The first harp I rented is a discontinued model by Harps Australia, I then purchased a Camac Korrigan (the dark harp, which has 38 strings). The Korrigan is quite special in that it has higher string tension than most lever harps, that means you have to work a bit harder to get a nice sound out of it as a beginner :) I am no expert but I generally recommend that people to get as many strings as they can afford - you might quickly grow out of anything with less than 26 strings. Try to look for something with a four octave range (around 32 strings) if that is affordable to you. However, I have seen plenty of beginners have a great start on something like a 'Harpsicle' - but they usually upgrade to a bigger harp within a year! Try not to be tempted by the 'budget' brands like 'Roosebeck'/rosewood harps, some people get on OK with them but they generally have quality issues. You might wish to look into harp rental for a few months if you dont want to start off with a large financial investment. If there is a harp store local to you I definitely recommend a visit so you can play with a few harps. Hoping to post my 2 year update soon. I currently play a Camac Athena pedal harp - I am a Camac girl so recommend them 100% :P

[@lynniejenkins2079]

I hope I can play as well as you in month 5. I'm still in my first month of learning, and fumbling about.

[@Ben-yk4pq]

i dont know who you are, I have no idea how I become subscribed to you prior to your first video. However, I really enjoyed the video and I wanna start playing again.

[@morrigan9152]

I have no idea how that happened either but actually I think it is quite lovely! Ben, perhaps this is your sign to pick up that instrument again! 😄

[@pauloconnor6331]

I'm thinking about taking up the harp and your video encourages me to take the leap. You've chosen some wonderful tunes - did you find them in a particular songbook, or how did you arrive at picking those particular tunes? Your progress shows you've put in some serious work.

[@morrigan9152]

I hope you do start playing! To be honest, I became a bit obsessed with listening to , and shopping for, harp music. Mostly I would search KZbin, Harp Column, Sheet Music Direct or Musescore and find music I liked. I had a go at everything I liked, even if it was too difficult. If you are on Facebook there is a great group called 'Learning the Harp Together' where a lot of people post videos of beginner music - that is a great source of inspiration!

[@pancake6846]

Great video!! Did you have to learn to read music, or do harps have tabs like guitars do? I'm thinking of getting a harp, trying to gauge how difficult it would be for me to learn as I've struggled w/ reading music for so long.

[@morrigan9152]

Thank you! I could not read music at all. The great thing about harp, atleast, is that the Cs are red and the Fs and black, so you have two landmarks to help you find the notes. Although, we have the added difficulty of having to read two staves at once! I used to print off sheet of music and work out what the notes were, then write the corresponding alphabetical letter under the stave. When I went to the harp to try and play, I would be reading the letters I had written instead of the music notation. I did this for around 4-5 months and gradually weaned myself off of doing it. Eventually, you may find there are notes that are easier become easier to identify intuitively and help you find your way. Like middle C and high G in the treble clef, for me. It was a struggle, and honestly I never thought I would be able to read music, but these days I can sight read quite well and am a much faster learner. I am proud for that. I really hope you give it a go :)

[@edbrito-swdev]

I really enjoyed this video! Are you planning on doing more videos?

[@morrigan9152]

Thank you! I was planning on doing some harp covers in the future - and ofcourse more progress videos over time! 🥰

[@edbrito-swdev]

@@morrigan9152 that would be really cool! What kind of music would you like to cover?

[@morrigan9152]

@@edbrito-swdev Honestly, probably music I listen to the most hehe. I like metal, punk, alt-rock, country. I think it would be cool to do relaxing, slow harp renditions of this music. I also thought it would be fun to recreate some of my favourite music videos. I have a pedal harp now so the world is my oyster! 😋

[@edbrito-swdev]

@@morrigan9152 ohhhh, pretty cool! That's a very nice selection of styles. I'll wait to see more from your channel! Good luck for your next videos 🍀

[@harpingon1296]

You did so well in a year! I also have tried to go it alone without a teacher- are you thinking of getting one now/ regret not having a teacher?

[@morrigan9152]

I do have a pedal harp teacher now, and she is fantastic! It took me a bit of 'shopping around' before I found a teacher who I enjoy working with and who has a teaching method that suits me. I had picked up a few bad habits from being self-taught (mostly weak/stiff 4th fingers and stiff pinky!) but that being said I do not regret it. The main reason is that I was able to learn freely and pickup/drop whatever I wanted to learn on a day-to-day basis without having to keep up with lesson material. This built up my enthusiasm for the instrument, and enabled me to feel consistently successful and unrestricted. In hindsight, I should have taken a few lessons/workshops purely focused on technique, but at time I do not think I would have *enjoyed* regular lessons

[@morrigan9152]

Sorry for the ramble - its a really interesting question! For some more context I used to spend 1-2 weeks learning a song, now I am being presented with challenging pieces by my teacher that are taking months to learn. As I have already built up a passion for the harp I am happy to spend a lot of time on one piece, whereas in the early days I would become quite bored with the same piece by week 2. :)

[@retrobeats9]

Your progress is amazing!!! I’m also an adult beginner, can you share your practice regimen? I love harp, but it’s hard for me to work out a consistent practice schedule!

[@morrigan9152]

Glad to hear you are working on harp ^_^ I think different things work for different people. I am fortunate enough to work from home, so these days I usually do one hour of practice in the morning and up to an hour more in the evening. I start off warming up my four fingers and feet (for pedals!) for a couple of minutes with arpeggios (anything that is easy and sounds nice!), then I spend around 15 minutes working slowly on exercises to really focus on my technique, sometimes with a metronome. After that, I move on to practicing the songs I am working on; I do not play the songs in full, just repeat passages that I am finding difficult. I might play through the song in full a few times towards the end of my practice session. After all that, I try to end my practice by playing something I know well, or enjoy, so I finish on a good note! Hope that helps a bit. I know some people like to use practice journals; they write down what they do everyday, and I believe it could help you identify what sort of schedule might work best for you.

[@retrobeats9]

@@morrigan9152 thank you!!! I’ll incorporate some of those techniques! :D

[@GEUcompositions]

Sounds like a secret language of unicorns :))))

[@reesebrown5291]

Just got my harp on Christmas, how do you tune it, which ones are flat? Mines a lever harp

[@2009gradcu]

Beautiful. My daughter is soon to be 7 years old and learning. But her fingers get sore sometimes. Have you experienced soreness in your fingers?

[@morrigan9152]

How lovely that your daughter is starting to learn 🥰 In the early months I had some pain in my finger tips while I was building callouses there. Even now, I can experience sore finger tips if I use the low metal strings a lot. I also remember when I started using my fourth finger regularly it would sometimes ache a few hours later, but that went away with practice and improved technique. Other pain could be related to keeping the hands or body too tense while playing, or perhaps technique issues. I hope her pain improves and you have many years of happy harping to come :)

[@jangamjoyce9665]

Pls tell your Harp details company, strings etc

[@rondelby2482]

I also was self taught.

[@77CathyAnn]

Youre a prodigy you do know. And as delicate as porcelain in appearance .

[@janedoe-vh4uk]

I can't believe with no musical background, and the inability to read music, you started off with two hands and not the simplest of songs.

[@morrigan9152]

In the beginning I would write what the notes were under the stave as letters (A-G), then I would memorise the pattern of letters instead of reading the music. In the beginning I memorised everything. I see that this method (writing the notes as letters) is often discouraged in new learners, but I don’t think I would have got to where I am today without starting there. I am also playing some wrong notes early on in this video, due to not being able to read the music and memorising the incorrect letters I had written. To help with learning to read music, I would print off random sheets of music and write the letters for each note under the stave over my lunch break at work. That helped, but it probably took around 2 years to be able to read and play at the same time with fluency. Now 3 years on it is difficult to play WITHOUT reading!

[@janedoe-vh4uk]

However were you able to start off with two hands? There is so much to think about. That came later in my practicing & it took a lot of concentration for which finger was on which hand & the order in which it was played. 🎶

[@morrigan9152]

@@janedoe-vh4uk I was able to do it from the beginning, playing the same notes in both hands most of the time, but everyone learns differently. I certainly remember my brain hurting trying to play two things at once back then! It was not easy :)

[@janedoe-vh4uk]

@@morrigan9152 Kudos to you! Not an easy feat.