Harp Beginnings
From absolute beginner to playing beautiful harp music in 6 weeks!
Harp Beginnings
From absolute beginner to playing beautiful harp music in 6 weeks!
Online harp lessons that get results, at a fraction of the price. Trusted by over 3,000 students
By the end of this 6-week Program, you’ll be able to:
Play 3 beautiful songs, even if you have no musical background.
Play from chords – you don’t need to read sheet music to learn your favorite songs.
Practice smart, not long – progress fast, even with a busy schedule.
Get personalized feedback from a harp teacher so that you never get stuck.
What our students say
I went from total beginner to having the first lovely song down! The instruction was clear enough for a newbie to work my way through slow and steady. It was perfect for a total beginner like me!
Mitzie McElhaney, 63
When I tried to learn to play the harp over ten years ago there was nothing like this, and I gave up. Determined to start again, your on-line courses are helping me fulfil my dream!
Rose Rozon, 55
I love the way you teach! It makes me look forward to practicing, not dread it. All the while, helping me to focus on my technique, fingering, and timing.
Megan Peck, 16
Why learning the harp is like a 3 legged chair...
Learning the harp successfully is like a chair with 3 legs – if you’re missing any of these 3 elements, you’re bound to fall!
Good harp technique
Learn harp basics that will help you thrive. But it doesn’t have to be through boring exercises – our carefully crafted songs work on different aspects of your harp technique as you go.
Healthy practice habits
Plan how to fit harp practice into your busy schedule. 20 minutes of practice a day can give great results, if you use tested strategies on how to spend your limited time.
Feedback and encouragement
Get feedback on your playing so that you know you’re on the right track. Share your progress with other students and be inspired to keep on going!
If you’ve ever tried to learn an instrument before and struggled, be encouraged! You were probably missing one of these foundational elements and didn’t have the tools you needed to thrive.
That’s why these 3 elements are the core focus in our ‘Harp Beginnings’ Program.
Here’s what you’ll get in the 'Harp Beginnings' Program:
Preparation: The Basics
The ‘Which Harp to Buy’ Guide
10 page booklet
If you need help choosing a beginner-friendly harp to start with, this guide helps you decide based on your needs and budget. The three beginner harps we recommend are from trusted brands, so you can feel confident with your choice no matter what. These harps are in high demand, though! You could wait up to 7 weeks for your harp to arrive – so don’t delay your order! You’ll get access to this guide immediately after you purchase ‘Harp Beginnings’.
‘How To Play the Harp: Start Here’ Video Course
14 Lessons | 55 mins
Join the tens of thousands of students who’ve completed Christy-Lyn’s free course! Initially launched on YouTube, it continues to be our most popular course, and it’s included inside your Harp Beginnings Program so you can find all your learning materials in one place. The course acts as your very first harp lesson, with detailed videos broken into manageable chunks. Learn how to sit at your harp with great posture, how to pluck the strings to get a good sound, and the note names of all the strings. If you’re waiting for your harp delivery, you can take this course before it arrives!
WEEK 1: Your first song (20min x 5 days)
‘After the Rain’ Beginner Video Course
17 Lessons | 42 mins
This week, you’ll go from plucking a few strings to playing a full piece! You’ll learn this beautiful song note-by-note, using only two fingers on each hand. The course includes instructions on how to play with fingers 1 and 2, how to position your hands and body for good technique and how to practice in a results-driven way.
‘How to Practice: A Guide for Busy People’
8 Page Booklet
Learn how to use your practice time to get the most out of every precious moment. If you follow these strategies for just 20 minutes a day, you’ll be amazed at the progress you can make, even if you’ve never played a musical instrument before.
‘Progress Call’ with your Harp Teacher, Carrie
One-hour Zoom call with your harp teacher and fellow students
Your 6 weeks have just begun! Join your weekly Progress Call to get accountability, support and guidance from your harp teacher, Carrie, and to meet the other students who are learning alongside you. It’s so good to know you’re not alone!
WEEK 2: Your second song (20min x 5 days)
‘Mahogany Moon’ Beginner Video Course
12 Lessons | 26 mins
This atmospheric tune sounds interesting but is easy to learn. You’ll build your basic harp skills and technique as you learn to play more notes with each hand, now using fingers 1, 2, and 3. You’ll also learn how to change a lever, and if your harp doesn’t have levers, you’ll learn how to tune your strings into different keys.
This week’s ‘Progress Call’ with Carrie
One-hour Zoom call with your harp teacher and fellow students
Dive into the details of harp playing with Carrie and your fellow students. Ask questions about harp care and maintenance, and how to fit practice time into your daily life or whatever else is on your mind. Carrie is here to support you, not discipline you… this is all about helping you to reach your personal goals!
WEEK 3: Your third song (20min x 5 days)
‘Behind the Flames’ Beginner Video Course
25 Lessons | 60 mins
This Flamenco-inspired harp piece will take your learning to the next level, as you play with your hands together for the first time! What a big moment! No need to be nervous – this arrangement keeps things simple as you play with your hands together, and learn basic bracketing and overlapping brackets.
Your ‘Progress Call’ of the week
One-hour Zoom call with your harp teacher and fellow students
Your weekly dose of motivation! Share the successes and challenges of your week. You might feel a bit overwhelmed by everything you’re learning, but Carrie is here to give you guidance and help you step-by-step. You can do it!
WEEK 4: Review week (20min x 5 days)
Catch up and reinforce what you’ve learned
Detailed 5-day practice breakdown
This week, you’ll receive daily guidance on what to review from the first three weeks of the program. Each day, you’ll pinpoint problem spots in your songs and learn how to tackle them in a time-effective way. The goal of this week is to play each song fluently without hesitation.
‘Progress Call’ with Carrie
One-hour Zoom call with your harp teacher and fellow students
We’ve got this far together! This is your chance to ask questions about your practice time and get input on any problem spots in your songs that you can’t get right. With a bit of help you’ll be playing confidently soon!
WEEK 5: Chords workshop (45min x 2 days; 20min x 3 days)
‘How to Play from Chords’ Workshop
12 chapters | 1.5 hours
This pre-recorded workshop sets you up with all the basic musical knowledge you need to play songs from chord sheets. It means you aren’t limited to playing only harp music – you can play your favorite song from chords! This week is more flexible, and you’re encouraged to explore and have fun!
This week’s ‘Progress Call’
One-hour Zoom call with your harp teacher and fellow students
Share how you’re doing with playing from chords and get input on going from hearing a song to playing it on the harp. You don’t need to be super talented or an experienced musician – there are formulas you can use to make up your own harp part!
WEEK 6: Get feedback on your playing
Receive a Personalized Feedback Video
Submit a 3-minute video | Get a 10-minute video of detailed personalized feedback
Your harp teacher Carrie is here to give you detailed feedback! Send her a short video of your work-in-progress, and Carrie will send back a Feedback Video with exercises, adjustments and ideas to make your harp playing flow. She’s extremely kind and encouraging, so don’t be intimidated! It’s a brilliant opportunity to get individual help.
Take part in the #HarpBeginnings Challenge
A fun and encouraging community challenge
Post a video of yourself playing one of your new songs with the tag #HarpBeginnings and share the video link with your Harp Beginnings community group! It’s so exciting to celebrate one another as we reach this important milestone.
Your last ‘Progress Call’ of the Program!
One-hour Zoom call with your harp teacher and fellow students
It’s time to celebrate! You’ve come to the last week and have so much to be proud of. This is the time to ask any last burning questions and to get support in completing the last bit of your program. We want you to finish saying ‘I did it!’
Bonuses included in the program:
Sheet Music and MP3’s to follow along
3 x pieces of sheet music and 3 x recordings in MP3 format
You’ll receive the sheet music for every song in your program. The sheet music is clear and easy-to-read with slightly larger notes to accommodate those with eyesight issues. If you can’t read sheet music yet, you can learn as you go! You’ll also receive MP3 recordings of the 3 songs which you can use to practice along to, or play in the car to solidify your practice.
Practice Videos – play along with Christy-Lyn
A full-speed video and a slow video for each song, with adjustable speed
You’ll get a slow practice video and a full-speed video within each course, so that you can work on the tricky spots and get it sounding smooth and fluent. This is as effective as practicing with a metronome, but far less annoying and more lovely to listen to! Change the speed to be just right, so that you never feel left behind.
Interactive and encouraging online community
Journey with others
You will get access to an exclusive ‘Harp Beginnings’ online group, as well as our open community feeds. You can use these groups to ask questions, share progress and journey with others who are also learning to play the harp.
Access for a year!
Refer back to these courses again and again
You’ll have access to the program content for a whole year, and lifetime access to the workshop and three courses within the program! Come back and review what you’ve learned, play along to the practice videos to refresh your memory and skills, and ask extra questions and share encouragement in your private ‘Harp Beginnings’ group.
What's the price?
If you learned all of this content with an individual teacher, it would take at least 10 lessons and would cost more than $600. By using the ‘Harp Beginnings’ program, you get the same results at a fraction of the price – and you can learn at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home! And using our proven methods means you won’t forfeit your success – we have hundreds of happy students to prove it.
If you took one-to-one lessons with a teacher: $600+
Your price today: $285 (52% less)
Don’t have a harp? You can still join the program!
Our harp teachers have chosen the top 3 harps for beginners, so that it’s impossible to make a bad decision! We’ve had hundreds of students test out different beginner harps and share their experience. With this information, we’ve chosen harps at three different price points, to suit your budget and needs. You can choose a harp without stress, knowing that you’ve made a great purchase!
Our harp teachers have chosen the top 3 harps for beginners, so that it’s impossible to make a bad decision! We’ve had hundreds of students test out different beginner harps and share their experience. With this information, we’ve chosen harps at three different price points, to suit your budget and needs. You can choose a harp without stress, knowing that you’ve made a great purchase!
We’ll equip you to:
Get a quality harp that sounds and looks beautiful, and will stand the test of time
Get the best value for money for a beginner harp, so you don’t make an expensive mistake
Choose the right number of strings for you, based on your goals
You’ll get your ‘Which Harp to Buy’ Guide immediately when you purchase the ‘Harp Beginnings’ Program, so you can get your new harp delivered to your door as soon as possible!
More student feedback
Thank you for being so informative, understanding and concise in your teaching. I have really enjoyed your warm, vibrant personality. Thank you so much for making the dream of playing the harp come true and for making it so enjoyable.
Julie O’Connor, 56
The courses that you are offering are really very good and make me want to practice every day. My progress in the last 2 months was really incredible. It is so much fun and all the techniques are so well explained.
Nina, 40
After inconsistent practising, over a long period, and becoming frustrated with my playing, I decided to go back to first principles and re learn earlier pieces. The lessons are succinct, but allow repetition, before moving on to each section. They are easy to follow. Thank you very much.
Anne O’Connell, 73
Make friends with hundreds of harp players from all around the world
Join students from 64 different countries who are passionate about learning the harp! Our active online community is an exciting place to stay inspired.
Meet your instructors
Christy-Lyn
Hi, I’m Christy-Lyn! When I first started learning to play the harp at 25 years old I assumed I wouldn’t get very far because I thought I was ‘too old’ to have much success. I had always heard that if you didn’t start as a child, you shouldn’t even bother trying.
But once I started learning to play the harp I progressed so much quicker and further than I ever expected: I was performing within 3 months!
10 years later I now run Learning the Harp, which I started with my two sisters, creating online courses to teach thousands of adults all around the world to play the harp.
As a trained Occupational Therapist, I’ve been able to extract what helped me to learn so quickly and apply it to hundreds of students, tweaking the method to suit different personalities and learning styles.
The result is thorough in-depth video courses that act as practice guides: they take you through learning every note in a way that makes you feel like your own harp teacher is sitting with you.
I can’t wait to walk this journey with you as you learn to play the harp from the beginning!
10 years later I now run Learning the Harp, which I started with my two sisters, creating online courses to teach thousands of adults all around the world to play the harp.
As a trained Occupational Therapist, I’ve been able to extract what helped me to learn so quickly and apply it to hundreds of students, tweaking the method to suit different personalities and learning styles.
The result is thorough in-depth video courses that act as practice guides: they take you through learning every note in a way that makes you feel like your own harp teacher is sitting with you.
I can’t wait to walk this journey with you as you learn to play the harp from scratch!
Carrie
Hi there, I’m Carrie. I’ve loved the harp since I was young, having been introduced to it when I was only eight years old! The music teacher at my elementary school was a harpist, so she created a program for the kids so they could learn how to play. I almost didn’t sign up because I was insecure about being unable to read sheet music, but I’m so thankful I didn’t let that stop me!
I was hooked the moment I plucked my first string, and I haven’t stopped since. I went on to study harp in college, and after graduating, I taught harp to middle and high school students before my path led me to Learning the Harp.
It’s a blessing to create courses that teach others how to play an instrument I love. That shared passion is like no other, and I can’t wait to see you thrive on this journey as you play your harp.
I was hooked the moment I plucked my first string, and I haven’t stopped since. I went on to study harp in college, and after graduating, I taught harp to middle and high school students before my path led me to Learning the Harp.
It’s a blessing to create courses that teach others how to play an instrument I love. That shared passion is like no other, and I can’t wait to see you thrive on this journey as you play your harp.
Guarantee
By the end of the program, if you feel you haven’t got the instruction needed to help you to learn to play the harp, we’ll give you your $285 back! We truly want you to have a wonderful time learning to play the harp and if you aren’t satisfied, we aren’t either. More information
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve designed the course to take 20 minutes a day during the week (with the exception of 2x45min slots to watch the Chords Workshop), with the weekend to just have fun with your harp. We highly recommend that you set aside time to work through the videos consistently every day, because doing it all on the weekend doesn’t create muscle memory as well.
You’ll have access to the program content for a whole year, and lifetime access to the workshop and three courses within the program. The only exception is the weekly Progress Calls, which you’ll only be invited to during your initial 6 weeks.
Then this program is designed specifically with you in mind! Christy-Lyn teaches the songs note-by-note and explains every concept in ordinary terms. So even if you have no clue, you’ll be able to follow along.
We provide sheet music in case you’d like to follow along, but Christy-Lyn teaches each note verbally and plays each one so you can check that you’re getting it right. You may find that you learn to read sheet music by mistake as you go!
Right now you’re weighing up the cost of buying this program… but what’s the cost of not buying it? You might end up with an expensive piece of furniture gathering dust. The harp is quite difficult to learn to proficiency on your own, because there are a few common mistakes that can really hold you back. Why not save yourself from all the disappointment of trying and failing, and rather give yourself the best chance from the beginning?
Great, you’ll benefit from our ‘Which Harp to Buy’ guide! The harps that we recommend range between US$580 and US$3600, depending on whether you want a ‘just to get started’ harp or a ‘forever’ harp. All the harps are good quality and will last for years to come, but some will give you more flexibility in what you’ll be able to play.
If you have a harp with at least 22 strings that go from C-C, you’ll be able to play all of the songs in this program. You don’t need any levers on your harp. If you want to learn to play in the shortest time possible, we urge you to consider joining, no matter what harp you have!
Contact us at [email protected] for some options of the way forward.
This program is an intensive deep-dive designed to help you to progress in the shortest time possible. So if time is going by and you’re still not coming close to your goal of learning to play the harp, this an opportunity to get the extra support you need to kick-start your harp journey.
We’ve designed the program so that you can enjoy the ‘Preparation’ content while you wait for your harp to arrive, and then click a button to start your 6 weeks. This means that we’ll only start sending the invitations to your 6 weekly Progress Calls once you are ready to begin.
Do you feel a pull toward the harp? There’s a reason for that.
The harp is really unique: it can help improve memory, lower stress and bring so much joy into your life. So if you’ve been feeling drawn to the harp, that’s not a mistake!
I believe that it’s never too late to learn the harp. I’ve had students of 60, 70 and 80 years old learn to play the harp from the beginning, and have a wonderful time!
Life is too short to procrastinate doing the things that are important. If learning the harp is a dream of yours, it is SO worth it to pursue. Don’t wait until the ‘perfect moment’, because it may never come! Now is the right time to take a brave step.
Just imagine…
Imagine how it will feel when you can sit down at the harp and play music as a stress release.
Imagine seeing yourself progress and feeling the excitement that you’ve done it – you’ve achieved a dream!
Imagine how amazed friends and family will be to see you rising to a new challenge with bravery.
Imagine the fun and inspiration of having a way to express yourself every day.
Tried and tested courses with hundreds of happy students
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A really positive learning experience
There’s really something about the way you teach that really makes it feel like I have my own music teacher. I feel like it is so important to have someone who reminds you to hold your hands right or complete your motions. I can get completely lost in learning the melody, so it is nice to get those gentle reminders. I’m so glad you do this!
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Easy to follow
I love the way it was taught step by step. Definitely makes me feel more confident and prepared for the next song!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A really positive learning experience
There’s really something about the way you teach that really makes it feel like I have my own music teacher. I feel like it is so important to have someone who reminds you to hold your hands right or complete your motions. I can get completely lost in learning the melody, so it is nice to get those gentle reminders. I’m so glad you do this!
Access on any device, big or small
Access ‘Harp Beginnings’ from your laptop, tablet, or smart phone, or even cast to your smart tv!
Pick up where you left off
Mark lessons as “Complete” when you’ve finished learning each section, and when you come back the next day you can jump right back to where you left off at the click of a button!
Short, easy lessons
Each course within the Harp Beginnings Program is broken up into short segments which you can watch at your own pace, and repeat as many times as you like. This also makes it very easy to navigate through the course.
Classmates group
If you ever get stuck or have questions, you can post in the classmates chat within the course and you’re sure to get an answer from a fellow student or someone from the Learning the Harp team!
Connect with other students all over the world
A platform that’s like our own Facebook, but specifically for the Harp, and without ads!
Meet other like-minded harp students
You’ll be added to Classmates groups where you’ll be journeying alongside other students in the same stage of learning as you. Create a member profile and share about your story and your harp, and get to know other’s stories too!
Make friends and stay connected
Browse the member directory to find others with similar interests, or who have the same harp as you. Follow other students to see their content in your activity feed. Send and receive private messages with individual members or groupd of members.
Get answers to your questions
Ask questions in the forums and find topics such as Harp Care & Maintenance, Harp Therapy, Technique Questions, Pianists Learning the Harp, Teaching, Types of Harps, Harp Accessories, and much more!
Keep up to date with what’s happening
Access our site-wide Activity Feed with students of all levels and from all across the globe. See videos, pictures and inspiring stories of others reaching their harp goals and overcoming challenges along the journey!
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