# Any Players of Harp...?



## hawk

Some years ago I was gifted a very nice harp. It is a 36 string fully levered folk harp. In another thread I mentioned hitting a wall as far as technique is concerned and this has literally stopped me from playing.

I have looked for teachers but most require I read music to take me on as a student. I at this point in my life am not sure if I am ready to learn to read music. I am almost 52 and with many things to fill my day it seems like a big comittment to learn a new "language".

So I guess I am here looking for suggestions that might get me playing again.
Any ideas???
Thanks


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## music17

Hey! Sorry I'm so late in replying. I'm a harpist. Congratulations on your gift! I think learning to read music is necessary if you want to improve your harp playing. I understand your apprehension about taking on another language, but once you get the basics, things really start to make sense. Maybe if you spent a little time every day learning to read music. If you are just doing it for fun, you don't need to spend a whole lot of time. Learning good technique is also necessary for really good playing.


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## Ciel_Rouge

I like harp and what it can do. I suppose you could find some tutorials on youtube. Here are two examples of what I find interesting:


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## lülü

Hi hawk,

I play the harp as an amateur since a few years.

Reading music is not as complicated as it seems, I say. Once you get the basics, you can find your way through the notes and the strings. There are many tutorials on the internet that provides the essentials of reading music. (for example musictheory.net)

As for playing the harp, I think harp is easier, or at least more discouraging than other instruments at the beginning because it's nearly impossible to produce unpleasant sounds from a harp if it's well tuned. just tune your harp and pull the strings randomly, make glissandi, try to create some melodies... I've always been fascinated by the sounds I get from the harp, whether if the piece I'm playing is a very easy one.

Here is a very useful internet page for harpists: www.harpcoloumn.com . They have a particular forum called "Beginning in the middle" for adult beginners.

Hope I could be helpful. Good luck =)


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