Is It Too Late to Learn to Play the Harp?

Have you dreamed of learning to play the harp, but feel like it’s too late to start? Most of us got the message over the years that if you didn’t learn an instrument from a young age, it’s too late and you should probably just move on. But I started the harp as an adult, and now it’s my full-time career!

I was 25 years old when I started learning to play the harp, and I thought I would just learn to play a few chords to accompany my singing. Now I can play classical harp at an advanced level and write my own arrangements – I’ve even played Celtic harp and have explored many different genres. It really wasn’t true that I needed to start from young if I wanted to take harp seriously.

There are professional harpists I know of who also started later in life, similar to me. For example, Ray Pool is a great American harpist who started when he was 25 years old. Even Deborah Henson-Conant was 22 when she started playing the harp. There are even people who started for fun in their 30’s, 40’s, and up to 80’s! So again it’s never too late to learn something new. 

TIPS FOR STARTING OUT

The three things I recommend having when you’re going to play the harp is

  • Passion
  • Time – You don’t need a lot of time, at least just ten minutes a day
  • Commitment – You have to know that it’s really something you want.

Sometimes we procrastinate for so long that we end up giving up. It’s time to forgive ourselves and move on! Allow yourself to chase your dream.

Don’t let the past stop you from moving toward something you’ve wanted to do for so long.

WHY START PLAYING HARP?

Firstly, it’s such a satisfying and fun instrument to play. You don’t have to work extremely hard to make your first note sound beautiful. From the moment you start harp, you’re going to be encouraged by the sound that you produce – that makes it so much fun to play!

Secondly, you can share the music with others. It’s a wonderful process when people around you see that you’re achieving your dreams. If you can share some harp music with them along the way, what a fantastic thing for them to experience too!

Lastly, it’s a stimulating and exciting experience. There’s much to learn, with a whole range of information you can access on the internet. It’s an exciting journey, so why not start now? I think you owe it to yourself.

FRIENDLY REMINDERS

  • Don’t pressure yourself to learn it all quickly, it can be such a relaxing process and wonderful hobby, no matter your age.
  • Practice short sections daily, you don’t need an hour or two every day to practice. Just a little bit (ten minutes a day) and it will add up and you’ll see your progress.
  • Have patience with yourself and allow yourself to be a beginner. It takes a little humility to be a beginner at something, since one typically isn’t good from the get-go.

NEED MORE ENCOURAGEMENT?

If you’d like to start learning the harp, it’s really important to have consistent help in your harp journey, and that’s what my online courses can give you. We love seeing people finally acheving their dreams.

OUR MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP

When you join, you’ll receive:

  • Vibrant harp community
  •  1 credit per month 
  •  Members-only private group
  •  Members-only online meetups

What is a credit?

  • When you join our Standard Membership, you get 1 credit every month.
  • One credit is equivalent to one Course or Workshop, and can be used to redeem any of your choice. This gives you the flexibility to choose whatever suits your stage of learning.
  • Non-members do not receive credits, but can purchase Courses or Workshops once-off for US$45.
  • All purchases are yours to keep – no matter if they’re purchased with credits or cash.

Join our monthly membership here!

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  1. Oh dear “even into their 80s”. Well I’m not quite that age, I was 73 when I first sat at a harp. My first musical experience. I will never be an expert player, and I may take a little longer to get “the concepts”. I don’t care, I love sitting making what I believe is beautiful music, even with all my mistakes.

  2. I started concert harp when I was 58, it was 3 years ago; although my tutor asked if I want to join any music examination, I refused as I simply want to play and give myself no pressure at all. never too late; I did few nice music too……..