Can I Teach Myself to Play the Harp? YES! The harp survived for thousands of years because there is something enchanting about the sound of a harp that seems to penetrate the soul. Even when the strings are silent, a harp standing in a room seems to draw people to it. There is a magic. Among stringed instruments, the harp is listed as one of the easiest to play while the guitar and violin are ranked with the most difficult. Even so, there is a misconception that the harp is very demanding. For, literally, thousands of years people have been playing the harp. Simple, foundational instruments, like the drum and flute were invented by ancient civilizations. The harp was among these. In the modern Middle East, Africa, North and South America and throughout Europe, most notably in Ireland, harps are played by the wealthy and the average person alike. Harps became this widespread precisely because they did not require hours of schooled practice locked away in a music room. Harps have survived because they are accessible and rewarding to play for even the most basic beginner. Through time and across civilizations, people have either taught themselves or picked up a few lessons from the local harper. The beauty of the harp is that the music can be very simple while still being quite beautiful.

Harpsicle™ Harp Method Book with DVD This book and DVD will walk you through all the basics you will need to know to start having fun playing the harp. This book and DVD will teach you: Simple Harp Technique The parts of the harp How to hold the harp Basics in playing music including chords, arpeggios, placing & bracketing. How to tune the harp How to change a broken string have even more fun watching the DVD extras $14.99 Purchase

The strings of a harp are set up in a do-re-me scale and have been color coded for centuries with the C’s being red and the F’s being blue or green. This way you don’t lose your place. Tuning is now a breeze with inexpensive electronic tuners that will show you the name of the note and if it’s sharp or flat. Pianists find the harp especially easy because they already read treble and bass clef and the fingering is fairly similar. Like the piano, the lead or melody line on a harp is played with the right hand and the chords and bass with the left hand. Both left and right handed persons play the same instrument in the same way. The harp is also an easy instrument to play by ear and many harpers, even some famous ones, never have learned to read music. If this is going to be the first musical instrument you’ve ever played, you will find the harp to be very friendly. It is, after-all, a harp - how bad can it really sound? People with a piano background find it to be much like the piano and are usually plucking two handed tunes the first night home with their harp. Guitar players find there is no fretting of the strings or awkward hand positions, no hammer-ons, no pick-offs and the technique is much simpler. The majority of the harp players that we meet are self-taught or have had a few lessons to get themselves started. Some people need a more regimented plan in their lives or learn more easily when someone is showing them directly, so a harp teacher may be the path to take. However, you don’t need a teacher or any previous musical training to learn to play the harp. We offer a book with a companion DVD that provides a basic starter course for learning to play the harp. We also offer a fine collection of easy music for the Harpsicle Harp.