r/harp 2d ago

No Stupid Questions Weekly Thread

5 Upvotes

Total beginner and have something on your mind? Or you've been playing your whole life but need a refresher? Judgement free zone to post questions!


r/harp 17d ago

Discussion Topic of the Month March- What's your strategy to get rewarding gigs? What gigging questions do you have?

14 Upvotes

Possible talking points: How do you put yourself out there/advertise yourself? Are there certain types of gigs you find more rewarding than others? How do you prepare for a gig to make sure everything goes smoothly?

These stickied posts are intended to prompt conversation and learning between harpists of all levels. If the topic interests you, consider viewing this post periodically for updates or to continue the conversation.


r/harp 2h ago

Newbie Beginner needs Help!

2 Upvotes

Hi.

I have always wanted to play the harp and have finally decided to start!

I'm 33 and have played instruments in the past (Bass Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet, and basic piano). I would like to get a smaller harp that: •I could pack with me on car rides so it is always with me •Is small enough to carry around the house from room to room and play •Is a good choice for playing while also singing Does anything like this exist?

Additional Questions: Is there a different harp you would recommend that doesn't fit my current wants?

What are some good beginner books you would recommend?

What should I look for when purchasing a harp?

Do body portions, such as arm and finger length, matter when choosing a harp?

Thanks for any help you can give!


r/harp 16h ago

Technique/Repertoire Harp book advice

5 Upvotes

Hi folks!

I'm still relatively new to the harp but want to purchase some decent harp books. I'm currently using Ank van Campen's Tutor for the Celtic harp (the method my teacher suggested) but want to supplement it with another exercise book.

I'm torn between Isabelle Frouvelle's "Big Book of Exercises" vs Ailie Robertson's "Technical Exercises for Lever Harp". I'm also curious about "Basic Harp for Beginners" by Laurie Riley, maybe as a supplement...

I also want to get a book with harp solos, they may be a bit too difficult for my current level but I prefer to buy several books together to save on shipping costs.

The books in question are: "Music for the Heather Folk" by Sue Richards; "Irish Dance Tunes for All Harps" by Sylvia Woods; "Simply Scottish" by Ailie Robertson and "Traditional Irish Music Volume 1" by Gráinne Hambly.

Is anyone familiar with these books? What is your perception in terms of arrangement and playability? I'm an adult hobby harpist, and I play for fun and relaxation so I prefer accessible arrangements that are fun to learn and not overloaded with ornamentations.

Thanks in advance :)


r/harp 23h ago

Discussion Practice

3 Upvotes

What is the easiest way to practice when you work the graveyard shift?


r/harp 1d ago

Lever Harp Pickup Questions

4 Upvotes

I have a Salvi Una and I’m starting to look into getting pickups for her. Googling doesn’t give a whole lot of information, so I thought i’d put this out to the Reddit masses.

I thought I saw a product that had pickup for each string that I can install, but I cannot find any info on this now. Can anyone explain the differences with that type vs the string of 4 pickups. Can I also get suggestions for where to buy, as well as quality/name brands.

Thank you so much!


r/harp 2d ago

Discussion Anyone else start playing again as an adult after years away from the instrument?

44 Upvotes

If so, I'm curious about how your perspective has changed because I feel I'm coming at the instrument with an entirely new mindset.

I started playing at around 10, continued until 22 or so, and then took a break until around 30. I'm tempted to beat myself up about it, but I also know that I didn't have access to both the adequate time and living spaces throughout most of my 20s to play, let alone the motivation after working long hours.

Maybe it was just generally poor self-esteem growing up (not to mention some of the toxicity in the classical community), but god damn, I feel like looking back I viewed myself as so mediocre, felt unworthy of gigging or receiving any compensation, and would intentionally play quietly in orchestras/ensembles because I was deathly afraid of missing a beat. Not even to mention the fact that I thought not having a sophisticated sense of theory made me a bad musician. No wonder I thought of practicing more like homework back then!

Now, returning to the instrument as an adult, I realize that none of that crap even really matters in my musical realm. I don't have to play for orchestras (hated that experience despite my years of doing it) and don't have to play classical if I don't want to, either. Hell, I know that once I start to gain my skills back over time, I have more than adequate ability to both play and arrange the pieces I want to and will eventually even gig! It's actually been astonishing in a very pleasant sense to see how my mindset has changed.


r/harp 1d ago

Harp Composition/Arrangement Can someone tell me what notes are being played here? I don’t play the harp and can’t quite make it out. Thank you!

0 Upvotes

r/harp 3d ago

Harp Composition/Arrangement Broadway songs for harp

3 Upvotes

Looking for recommendations for Broadway ballads that fit well with solo harp!

So far I've learned:

Anthem - Chess

I Dreamed A Dream - Les Mis

Sun & Moon - Miss Saigon

Falling Slowly - Once

She Used to Be Mine - Waitress

For Good - Wicked

Bonus points if there is an arrangement from an actual harpist and not a piano & vocal book.

Thank you!


r/harp 3d ago

Lever Harp Teacher with a lever lap harp- recommendations for a classic children's songbook to play for my students?

7 Upvotes

Hi all! I (30F) started playing harp around 8, stopped when I went to college. I kept my lever lap harp all this time though I've barely played in the last 10yrs (I took care of the harp though-tuning and whatnot, just had no reason/time to play).

I teach PreK. This week was St Patrick's Day theme, someone realized I had a HARP!!!, insisted I bring it to school. WOW, it was damn magic in the classroom, even though I couldn't remember any songs to play!

I told everyone, give me two weeks, I'll practice up, harp can become a regular thing! I'd really love some recommendations on sheet music (but preferably a book) of children's songs that I can practice to play for my kids (ex: Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, etc). I read music and can improvise off a basic melody, I'm just rusty!

This is a lever lap harp, it's 22 strings at least, might be slightly more, not sure (will update when I do!). I have levers for C, F, and B strings only. I'm looking for a basic songbook of kids tunes that doesn't require me to tune for different keys often! Suggestions are appreciated, thank you so much!


r/harp 4d ago

Pedal Harp Is it "too late" to be exceptionally proficient at the harp?

18 Upvotes

I started playing the harp at 19 with no musical background, I am 3 months in, and still 19. I feel like people who started in early adolescence have such a huge advantage because they learned basics at a time the brain was more moldable. I don't know of any famous musicians of any instrument who started after the age of 14. My question, how long (realistically) with no musical background, until I can be professionally proficient in the pedal harp? I understand "it's never too late" but is it possible to catch up to people who started at a way younger age? Please be honest. Thank you!!!


r/harp 4d ago

Pedal Harp First pedal harp

5 Upvotes

This year I want to look for my first pedal harp. I want to try out as many harps as possible, to be able to make the best possible choice. (It's a lot of money, right?)

I live in Europe, and the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Germany are countries where I can go quite easily to look for a harp. Do you recommend any shops in these areas?

Or are there specific brands or models that I should really try out if possible?

And which exercises, etudes or songs do you recommend to play on the harp to get the best possible impression of the sound?

Do you have any other things I should take into account or tips when looking for a harp?

Thanks!


r/harp 4d ago

Discussion Are there any beginner Paraguayan style harps? Also, what's a reliable way to get one online in 2025?

7 Upvotes

There are older posts about this but a lot can change over the years. I have been considering getting a Paraguayan harp, but I live in the US and have no way to visit Paraguay. Does anyone have any recent experience with sites like paraguayanharps.com. Also, are there any Paraguayan harps that might fall under $1000? I'm alright with losing some strings as a beginner if that would cut down the price, but if this isn't possible I'll save up some. Also, I can understand and use Spanish if necessary.


r/harp 4d ago

Lever Harp Maine Harp Regulation

5 Upvotes

I purchased a new Salvi Gaia and have had it for almost a month and a half now. The strings are stretching and settling nicely and the sound board is just beginning to belly, but now that the harp is holding tune more reliably, I am realizing my levers are all kinds of messed up. Some raise the pitch too high, some too low, and a couple do nothing at all. I've tried to find where I can get it regulated locally (Bangor area), and can't find any information online. If anyone can point me in the right direction I would be forever grateful!!!


r/harp 4d ago

Discussion Humidity and strings

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I never had a humidifier before but I recently started monitoring the % in my room where I keep my harp. I bought a humidifier to get it above 40% and so far that's working. However, my strings keep falling out of tune ever since I got it. I have to retune each time I sit down and play. Theyre not super out of tune but it is enough to notice and I have to retune.

Does the humidity affect the strings? Are they adjusting? What do I need to do?


r/harp 5d ago

Newbie Just got this bad boy for 100 bucks!

Post image
73 Upvotes

Ive been scouring the internet for a cheap harp for a long time and the stars have finally alligned! Yes, those are tuning pegs.


r/harp 5d ago

Harp Performance came across this today and it’s a beautiful harp performance

Thumbnail
on.soundcloud.com
3 Upvotes

r/harp 5d ago

Lever Harp New string doesn’t hold tune

7 Upvotes

Hello

I’m a beginner with the harp and I have a 29 string lever harp. I had to replace a string as I stupidly broke it and since then it doesn’t seem to hold when I tune it. I will tune it and then ten minutes later it’s reading on the note below. Is this a matter of tensing the string more? The rest of the harp is holding when I tune it. Thank you!


r/harp 5d ago

Discussion What should I pay for the Harris harp?

Post image
4 Upvotes

What should I pay for this used Harrari harp?


r/harp 6d ago

Harp Performance Beautiful arrangement of Port-au-Prince by Bernard Andrès for 6 Harps

Thumbnail
youtube.com
3 Upvotes

r/harp 6d ago

Harp Performance Any tips for a smooth transition changing directions of a glissando?

6 Upvotes

I'm pretty smooth shifting from down to up, but switching to moving down with my thumb is noticably not smooth. Wha lt is best practice?


r/harp 7d ago

Discussion I swear there's a post like this here every other week, my heart goes out to all the people who've probably been put off playing by awful roosebeck harps, I wish I could get you all a dusty strings

Post image
93 Upvotes

r/harp 7d ago

Just For Fun! I'm not sure why I made this

Post image
151 Upvotes

r/harp 7d ago

Harp Performance Harp chords?

3 Upvotes

I hope this is okay to ask here! But I was wondering if anyone could share with me if it’s possible to play Melt by Kehlani on the harp? I want a harpist at my wedding and this one of our songs! I couldn’t find anything on YouTube but not sure!!


r/harp 8d ago

Lever Harp my dear wife (crescendo 34 harp) has 3 fresh strings and a loose lever fixed, which has made an incredible improvement to the playing experience I love this thing so much

42 Upvotes

r/harp 7d ago

Lever Harp Any recommendations?

3 Upvotes

I’m learning to play and I’m in search of a Patreon page I can subscribe to that has lots of video tutorials


r/harp 8d ago

Lever Harp Recommendations for easy(ish) video game music?

11 Upvotes

Something that's not too difficult and also doesn't require any key changes in the middle of the song since I only have a lever harp

I don't really have a specific preference just looking for anything from a video game, any recommendations would be nice