10 practice tips for harpists!

Which ones have you tried before?
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[@nickis.artworld9557]

I learned all those strategies except for the mirror. Love them. I will try the mirror strategy. Thank you so much.

[@annettekelly1592]

I found this again. Weeeee. So many good videos. Thank you!

[@FairyPrincessNinja]

This video was so helpful. Thank you!

[@AmandaGoreJoy]

Your videos are FABULOUS - THANK YOU Christy Lyn!!! I am SO grateful for someone like you sharing so willingly!

[@roseannfrielink8977]

Thank you! I am gaining a lot from your videos. I hadn't thought of simply practicing placing the fingers! I'm just beginning on the harp, but have many years at the piano. Practice rooms in college all had mirrors, so I'll do that too! It really is helpful! Thank you again for your videos!!

[@shade467]

I like to use a metronome when I'm struggling and gradually increase the speed to get used to playing a piece quickly. I'm starting harp in September but I've done this before with piano.

[@LearningtheHarp]

Fantastic! Sounds like you’re well set up to practice the harp with gusto once you get started!! 👍🏻

[@helenwright3711]

I love this video. And I have become a big fan of chunking practice. Colored glass marbles!

[@Meltiqueful]

Great tips! YES! please do more of these practice videos! Thanks.

[@LearningtheHarp]

Thanks Amelia! Will do 😃

[@Meltiqueful]

Christy-Lyn, I have a question about your virtual harp circle: if I were to join and wasn't able to be there for the live circle, is there a reply I would be able to listen to at a later time?

[@LearningtheHarp]

Hi Amelia! No, it's like a Skype session - you gotta be there because the action happens live! ;) But it takes place at the same time every month, so maybe you could plan your time around it? :)

[@eannemarieweber5285]

I totally had to get a metronome app! When I was in high school my band teacher got on the floor and yelled at my foot to keep beat lol I was that bad! And never learned how to read music, I just memorized everything, but I want to do it the right way with the Harp!!!

[@LearningtheHarp]

Memorising is an AMAZING skill that many people struggle with, so that’s definitely a strength, not a weakness! But it is also helpful to read music - then you could have the best of both worlds! I’m not sure if you’ve tried learning from my video courses? They work for both people who read music, and those who don’t. And some people have found that by using the course they started to learn to read music just from following along with me, so cool! I will hopefully make a course on how to read sheet music soon, too 😊

[@eannemarieweber5285]

@@LearningtheHarp I just joined y'all , the early bird special I am working on after the rain and loving it!!! It is taking me a long time as I am trying to do it with the sheet music :)

[@LearningtheHarp]

Excellent, keep it up and it’ll get easier for sure!

[@charlottebournisien]

Thank you for these tips! It would be great to have more videos about this topic. I like the mirror tip. Personally, I don’t have a mirror in the room where I practice, but I regularly record videos of myself to see what I can improve with my technique.

[@LearningtheHarp]

That’s just as good, well done!!

[@shannondelsol468]

I use video as well, and set the camera (my tablet) up so that the angle is as similar as possible Christy Lyn’s angle in the lesson. This way I can compare my hand shape, placement and timing to hers side by side by playing the lesson in one window and my video of that segment in another at the same time. Sounds complicated, perhaps, it it is easy once you do it a few times. I then keep the best video and erase the rest! Ha ha.

[@yoonflower7419]

After more than 7 years of playing the harp (I now play the concert harp) I can say that practicing everyday is the most important thing to do. When you don’t you just don’t get a step forward and when you practice you shouldn’t just practice the things you already can, you should practice the parts you can’t play. I agree with all your practice techniques and I kind of feel stalked from yt that it recommended me this XD Hahahahahahaha I usually practice every day for about 45 min or more (depends on the mood) and it really helps!!! Thanks and love from a lazy student in Germany 😂✌🏻 Stay save everyone 👀

[@LearningtheHarp]

Hehe, I think KZbin is reminding you to practice 🤓 Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I’m sure that will be encouraging for people to read! Well done for all the progress you have made in your harp playing - you may feel lazy but you’re still being consistent and that is truly paying off! 💪🏻

[@rebekahfolsom6022]

What's the easiest way to learn how to read music website you would go to? I've not no musical background when it comes to reading sheet music. I've become incredibly in love with the harp in the last month, and have actually called my library to order a standing harp to rent from the library! What would you recement in all on the first steps. I'm like all of everything .. 😀

[@LearningtheHarp]

Great! Exciting that you can rent a harp, that’s the best way to start. Make sure you start with the free course “How to play the harp, start here” - you don’t need to read sheet music to get started 😃 The videos for that course are here on YT but it’s nicer to follow on my website learningtheharp.com/shop. Then after that you can learn your first song with a free course of your choice 😊 I don’t have a favourite website that teaches sheet music unfortunately, but I am planning to create my own series of workshops to teach how to read sheet music soon 😃🙌🏻

[@harpandwhiskers6377]

Your tips are very useful! I tried the squeeze and release and it absolutely made me more sure where to place my hands. I'll keep using that one 👌 For me it really works to split my practice into smaller sessions. I'll do maybe 20 minutes now and then 20 minutes in an hour and then maybe another 20 minutes later in the day. It helps to keep me motivated.

[@LearningtheHarp]

That’s a great suggestion, thanks for the comment! 😃 I do that too, come to think of it 👍🏻

[@kazaki8967]

I would love to understand better how to approach a new piece, and how to tell where to break the piece up and connect measures

[@samuelbernhardt8534]

Here is a tip that I made up: Play from the beginning of a piece until the first trouble spot and work on that spot; then go back to the beginning, but play until the second trouble spot, and so on.

[@elizabethjesenko3098]

Thank you Christie- very helpful tips!!

[@LearningtheHarp]

I’m so glad! Were any of the tips new for you?

[@susankeller3198]

Very helpful! Thanks!

[@karissathatcher9206]

Thanks for sharing these tips, Christy-Lyn! I will have to try out the ones I've never used before. :D

[@LearningtheHarp]

Great!! Which ones will you try first? It’s interesting for me to hear which tips are new, and which ones people have heard before. 😃

[@karissathatcher9206]

#6 Squeeze and release and #7 Block chords were two I had never heard of, and I was able to share them with a student that was struggling with fingering and placing. I think they will make a big difference!!

[@melissalundberg4656]

5 stars. Thank you.

[@francishetherton1837]

Great tips. Thank you. Never heard of the mirror one, sounds good, must try it. Still hate the metronome but as you recommend it will give it another try. Thank you.

[@LearningtheHarp]

Yes, the metronome is such a helpful friend once you get used to it. Perhaps it would be useful for you to test out different metronome apps to see which one has a sound that you prefer? 😊

[@naomilacken152]

Are you squeezing each note separately before you play it or do you squeeze all of them at the same time? Great video thank you. Naomi xx

[@jottaemme]

Thank you!

[@sarahjones3992]

It would be useful to know how much time should be spent on technical exercises v practising pieces of music. Thank you.

[@LearningtheHarp]

Ok, thanks for the question, Sarah! 👍🏻

[@caitlinnaomi]

I feel so discouraged playing the harp. I don‘t get it, I don‘t even get sheet music. I don‘t have the time for a teacher and i feel so guilty for not really playing it although I‘d love to and I love the harp so much. I just try to do something but stop after 2 minutes because it‘s no fun when you don‘t get it.😭😭

[@jacomiententeije5417]

🙂🎶🙂

[@Lewis_the_raider]

if you dont have a mirror nearby, is recording yourself okay too?

[@LearningtheHarp]

Yes, perfect!! Since my Skype students have their computers set up at the right position, some of them just switch on the webcam which works really well too! 👍🏻

[@samuelbernhardt8534]

2:27 My harp teacher wants me to play trouble spots 25+ times, instead of just five or ten.

[@olivermaximo4149]

Pro tip: watch movies on Flixzone. I've been using them for watching loads of movies lately.

[@enriquezechariah3660]

@Oliver Maximo Yea, have been using flixzone} for since november myself :D