How long does it take to learn the harp?

[@LearningtheHarp]

How long do you think it takes to learn the harp? This is always a tricky question to answer, because it depends on how you define the end point of having learned sufficiently! I've seen so many students playing beautiful music within 1 year 😍 What do YOU think?

[@julialangmaid1951]

Yep can you send me the details

[@johnvonlove2734]

This expresses that you believe the true way to heaven !! : Lord Jesus, I have admitted I'm a sinner being sorry. Therefore, I do not trust in my own works to go to heaven because I realize, being a sinner, I cannot offer the perfect blood sacrifice that you require to pay for sin. Instead, I fully trust, believing in my heart, that your finished work on the cross, your one perfect blood sacrifice; when you bled, suffered and died, in my place, paid for my sins in full, past, present and future ! And I believe that you rose from the dead and that you are God Almighty, God the Son, alive for evermore !!! And I fully trust that you have forgiven me by cleansing me from all sin in your precious blood, which purified my soul. Thank you Lord Jesus for greatly loving me, for forgiving me, saving me from hell and giving me eternal life and sealing me with the Holy Spirit dwelling within me forever! Rom.3:25,5:8,9,10:9, Rev.1:5, Ephes.1:7,13, 4:30, Heb.10:10-14,19,38,39,I John 5:7,13,20

[@kathilisi3019]

I learned almost exclusively from your courses for a year, and managed to get to late intermediate level! If anyone is curious, I've got some videos of my harp journey up on my channel, particularly of my first year of playing. I've now been playing for a bit over two years, and I'm feeling pretty confident with my harp skills! I just don't have as much time to record videos, since I'm studying music therapy now and actually using the harp in my new chosen profession (I played some of Christy-Lyn's arrangements during my internship in a hospital).

[@LearningtheHarp]

You’ve done such a brilliant job with your progress, Katharina! You’re definitely an impressive case when it comes to your speed of progress and your ability to learn harp technique. You can be really proud of yourself! 🙌🏻😎

[@carpenanne]

This is why your business is flourishing… your delivery is so encouraging, you help people feel successful and raise their spirits. Thats so precious.

[@korymyers6424]

I've always had a good ear for music, I play by ear, once the notes are in my head, they stay put, this helps me a lot.

[@TaisiaDanilova]

I was surprised that harp was so easy to learn after piano. I got my harp 3 weeks ago but I already took part in one Irish session with 4 tunes.

[@sugar_harpandarts]

Learning is endless, but you can definitely learn to play very beautiful music in a year whilst you carry on learning to play even more beautiful music and become a better harpist and musician forever. I progressed from total beginner to playing river flows in you in a year as a self taught learner, but my learning journey is an endless one

[@LearningtheHarp]

It certainly is endless, which makes it even more exciting and wonderful 😊. It's been lovely seeing your progress and enthusiasm to learn 🤗 - plus excited to see the rest of the journey to come! xx Nicole, LTH Team member

[@ms.marieanne]

I learned how to play the harp with her lessons. Subscription is totally worth it!

[@nikosdellaportas7007]

You are so sweet for encouraging all the newbees and make things look easy.You don't see that often🙂

[@connieLo87365]

Absolutely, if your just looking to play a harp for yourself, church, small social events, getting to late beginner in one year is absolutely possible, I was 67, found Christy-Lyn and three months had my first two tunes. absolutely no music background except do re me and CD's. Following her Video lessons I was able to complete Sailing on the Lake, Mahogany Moon, Sally Gardens, Danny Boy, Caledonia and other simpler tunes in my first 14 months. She now has an online teacher and many tutorials for technique and a lot of how to do.... courses. Two thumbs up to get me in the right direction. Thank You for my beginnings Christy-Lyn. Always greatful. I'm off and learning Music Theory now.

[@ichbinfabi]

Thank you so much for the videos! A few years ago I saw myself playing a harp in my dream, and the dream was amazingly beautiful. So I bought a mini lyra. Because for me, harp was quite expensive and had no idea how can I start. And I moved Korea to Germany last year, and today while traveling in Zürich, I met a harp standing in the instrument shop 🥹✨ it was the first time to see a harp in actual for me. I will have my harp in 2 years! And until then, I’ll watch your videos, keep motivating myself and attract my harp ☺️ I like the way you express about harp and I can feel how much you love the harp ❤️

[@MargaretHarmer]

I love your optimism!

[@karissathatcher9206]

This is a very helpful video for students and teachers alike! Thanks Christy-Lyn! :)

[@LearningtheHarp]

Glad it was helpful! 😊💕

[@paulhicks5774]

My Daughter at 10 is ready for her first Harp ... Its impressive you had that Harp sent so far for you... It seems for the money that Ogden is the best Harp in the World for the money

[@LearningtheHarp]

That’s very exciting!! 😃😃 The Ogden is a great harp with a lovely sound, but it depends on what you’re looking for and what you’re aiming towards. If she wants to learn classical harp and head towards playing a pedal harp, then I’d say the Ogden is a wonderful choice, no doubt. If you’re wanting to play Celtic music you might consider some other options with a brighter tone and lower string tension.

[@wendy5290]

This was so encouraging, Christy-Lyn!! Although I've had my big harp for 3 years, in that time I've packed up house 3 times all by myself & 2ce moved 3hrs drive away from where I was, & had long breaks in between with either poor internet reception, grrr... or when I first moved & had shingles & then lingering post herpetic pain for almost 2, 1/4 yrs. I'll be more careful not to put myself down over my wrongly perceived lack of progress!

[@Bpl541]

I’ve been searching online to find what type of harp to learn on. It would have to be within a tight budget but I want to get one that I will love and not have to upgrade, at least not for a long time. I’m 69 but feeling the call if the harp❤️i do like the warmer tones and folkloric and celtic music. I’d appreciate a couple of suggestions. Thankyou for being such a generous and lovely harpist ❤️🙏🕊️🌳🐈‍⬛🦜🐾🦜

[@LearningtheHarp]

Probably the best combo of cheap-as-possible but won’t have to upgrade to a bigger harp would be the Ravenna 34 from Dusty Strings 😊 Here’s a link to have a look at a few harps I recommend: geni.us/recommendations

[@Bpl541]

@@LearningtheHarp thankyou for your reply. I will save for this one or similar. Maybe I can try a harp in the mean time❤️🙏🕊️

[@LearningtheHarp]

Another option could be to rent one in the meantime? Some harp shops do rent-to-own programs which are really helpful. Maybe try Virginia Harp Center?

[@carolep.1645]

I have noticed that the more advanced pieces assume that you have more than twenty six strings. I have 29 strings and I still can't play most of the advanced versions without modifying the arrangements. Wish there were more advanced pieces that didn't assume that you had 34 strings!

[@LearningtheHarp]

Many of my arrangements have small harp versions that are for 26 strings or bigger 😊 Have a look at River Flows in You, Clocks, O Holy Night, What a Wonderful World. Some arrangements like the advanced version of “Here Comes the Sun” don’t have a small harp version because there isn’t enough space to play big chords in both hands at the same time, and by simplifying it for small harp it’s no longer as advanced and needs to be labeled as such. But I understand the struggle which is why I try to do small harp versions as often as possible!

[@carolep.1645]

@@LearningtheHarp Thank you for responding. I feel bad that I didn't mention in my comment that your big and little harp versions are the exception to the rule. I'm really grateful for that! I wasn't clear that I was complaining about the harp music I find online in general. Every time I really like a piece because it's a little more complicated, I find that it goes below my harp's range. 😑 Having said all that, I might still buy Hallelujah and figure out a way around it because I like it so much! Thank you again for having more than one version of things. I feel bad that I didn't acknowledge that you do that and it is really helpful.

[@LearningtheHarp]

No problem, I really understand the frustration! Back when I made that hallelujah arrangement I wasn’t doing small harp versions for mid-intermediate level arrangements and higher, but I now I try whenever possible. So unfortunately it’s not every time with the more advanced pieces, but it’s more often that it used to be! 👍🏻😊

[@january5741]

anyone else from the 3am team in the comments section that supposed to be asleep by now

[@AcaciusR]

Bro i feel so bad rn ive been playing harp for 3 years in orchestra and never got enough attention to actually learn harp stuff like i cant even play beginner things but i know js dragonhunter like bro why they give me this option if they cant teach it

[@LearningtheHarp]

Aw, don’t feel bad! Everyone’s journey is different - it depends on what time we’re able to spend on learning, and also on our musical background and natural inclination. It sounds like you just haven’t had the input you need ❤️ But today is a new day! Would you like more help/input? People have a lot of success learning from our Video Courses 😊

[@jeffw1267]

I identify as an expert after just one day of practice. And I don't have a harp.

[@thesuburbanmorrigan]

How can you gauge what level of development you are at? Is it just your level of comfort approaching pieces labeled as "early intermediate", etc.?

[@LearningtheHarp]

I don’t really think it’s important to label yourself as a certain level, I was just describing the level of piece they’re working on 😊👍🏻

[@reckyaa]

here I am attempting it in a week💀

[@julialangmaid1951]

Hi how do l join a group or one to one session thank you

[@LearningtheHarp]

Hi Julia! Our one-to-one lessons are a great way to get some feedback on your playing - a check-in for your technique and advice for moving forwards. They are available through our shop page at learningtheharp.com/shop. Group sessions are either our topical live workshops (also on the shop page), or the Harp Grove zoom sessions where we meet as a community to discuss harp-related topics in breakout groups, or to do play-alongs with harpists around the world. Those monthly group zoom sessions are only available as part of our membership, which you can join with the free trial: www.learningtheharp.com/free-trial/

[@Sunyatasattva]

I would classify myself as a beginner. And that doesn't mean that a beginner can't play nice music. Why would you classify that arrangement of Halleluja as “mid-intermediate”? I would probably say that is mid/late-beginner at best. I think it's ok to recognize we are beginners, there is no shame in that. Though I'd definitely agree that you start getting quite a sense of pleasure after about 1 year.

[@kathilisi3019]

Different teachers and arrangers have their own criteria for judging the difficulty level of a piece. I've come across some pieces labelled "beginner" that were way beyond me after playing for several months, and some "intermediate" pieces that I'd have personally labelled late beginner. As far as I've come to understand Christy-Lyn's system, she rates the difficulty of her pieces according to technical criteria - if a piece has longer overlapping brackets with 4 fingers, lever changes, or a more complicated rhythm, it's definitely no longer a beginner piece. Her intermediate version of Hallelujah has overlapping brackets with left hand, and a couple of lever changes. She has a beginner version too, which has no lever change.

[@rowanoliveroldchanel]

Yours is an ogden right? Do you have a review video and is it good for beginners?

[@LearningtheHarp]

Yes it’s an Ogden 😊 I don’t have a review video, but I’d say that a 34 string floor harp is a wonderful harp for a beginner, and it can last you for the rest of your harping years! One thing to be aware of is that the Ogden has pedal harp tension which means the string tension is higher than the average lever harp. So it takes more strength to make a good sound and you need to make sure your technique is good so you don’t develop tension in your body or get any inquires. But it has a very warm tone with very little brightness to it, which is harder to find in lever harps and some people love that sound. I like it for accompanying my voice and I enjoy the warm sound, but for Celtic music it’s not the best (it’s better not to have high tension for those fast passages, and a brighter sound works better), and when playing in a band like at church or other gigs the sound of the Ogden doesn’t cut through because it’s tone is so warm, so even when it amplified it’s hard to hear amongst other instruments.

[@rowanoliveroldchanel]

@@LearningtheHarp thanks.

[@PaisLeysaSkye]

I’m having a hard time actually…and I’m trying….it’s been almost a year…. I am feeling defeated…feeling like it’s never going to happen for me

[@LearningtheHarp]

Ah I’m so sorry to hear that, Lisa. What learning materials are you using? ❤️

[@PaisLeysaSkye]

@@LearningtheHarp I have half hour lessons, every week, my teacher is great. However, I can’t seem to dedicate the time to learn reading music, TO play…that’s my biggest hang up ….. it’s reading music….I used to play violin, I could read G clef fine, adding bass clefs has brought on a discouraging challenge….I practice daily, but I only have gone through one song in its entirety so far. I’m really struggling and want to take a course with you but I am afraid to add another lesson on top of my current ones ….I may just try it I am just nervous

[@LearningtheHarp]

Ah sorry, that does sound very frustrating! Well you can get your first course free, so it’s worth a try I think 😊 You could also ask your teacher if she could work on the same song as the course with you, so that you’re not trying to do double the work. Perhaps you will find this style of learning works well for you, because you don’t need to be able to read sheet music, and you might discover some ways of practicing that work well for you. If you like the sound of my song “Mahogany Moon”, that one might be a good choice for you because it’s very simple to play but it sounds so mysterious and lovely. You don’t need the sheet music, but it just happens that it’s a very high song, so both hands are playing in the treble (G) clef 😅 Let us know how it goes!!

[@PaisLeysaSkye]

@@LearningtheHarp thank you for taking this time to share your insight with me…I do like Mahogany Moon….I will give it a go….and I will share the results 🎼🤍🎶🙏🏻