Frequently Asked Questions about Starting Harp Lessons
- Do you offer online video lessons? Yes! Regular online video lessons may be available to students, especially those who live further than 30 miles away from my studios in Arlington and Fort Worth. A hybrid of online video lessons in combination with in-person lessons may be offered at my discretion. I also offer online lessons to all students when I’m traveling, during inclement weather, or in other emergency situations.
- How hard is it to learn to play the harp? Learning any instrument requires hard work and practice, just like learning how to dance or play a sport. If the student understands that learning to play the harp requires a time commitment on their part to practice everyday, then most students usually have no trouble learning how to play the harp.
- What is the process to begin studying harp with Kela? Whenever possible, I encourage potential new students to observe other student’s lessons in my studio until they feel ready to begin lessons themselves. Observing lessons helps us mutually determine if the harp is the right instrument for the student to study at this time, and if I am the right teacher for them.
- Do I need to be able to read music before I begin studying harp? While a previous knowledge of how to read music is helpful, it is not a prerequisite for admission to my studio. Learning to read music is an essential skill that I teach during harp lessons and in group classes.
- What age is appropriate for young children to begin taking harp lessons? It depends on the child, and students as young as 3 years old are welcome to begin harp lessons as long as there is parental support at home. I recommend Suzuki Early Childhood Education (general music classes) for students 3 and under. I'm always happy to meet with parents and their children to determine if their child is ready to begin harp lessons with me.
- Do parents attend their student's lessons? Absolutely yes! Parents are an essential part of harp lessons! This way parents can see first hand the student’s progress, take notes, learn how and what the student needs to practice, and in turn parents can more effectively help with the practicing process at home. Middle school-aged and older students may not be comfortable with their parents observing and taking notes during lessons, and I support this option for students who are ready to take responsibility for their own practice skills.
- Do I need to own a harp? Students must either have a harp to practice on at home, or access to practice time on a harp at school. I can assist you with finding the appropriate harp to purchase or rent that will suit your individual needs.
- Which type of harp should students purchase or rent? I strongly recommend that students (and parents) work with their teacher to determine which size and type of harp will best suit the student's needs and goals.
- How much does a harp cost? Good quality lever harps for students range in price from around $3,000 to over $6,000, pedal harps cost more. Rental harps can cost between $75-$250 per month. I strongly recommend that students (and parents) work with their teacher to find and select the appropriate harp to purchase, rent, or rent-to-own. I’ve helped more than 75 families find harps to purchase and rent over the years. I have relationships with harp manufacturers, and I can often save you time and money.
- How much do harp lessons cost? Current lesson rates are published each year in the Student Handbook found on the Studio Policies page.
- How long are lessons? I teach weekly lessons in time periods of 30 minute, 45 minute, and 1 hour long lessons. Lesson length and frequency are determined by the student’s age and goals, and decided by mutual agreement between parents, the student, and myself. Floating lessons (held at least twice monthly) are available only to adult students, and only for 1 hour long lessons. Students are also strongly encouraged to attend an appropriate group class when offered.
- How are lessons scheduled? For weekly students, a regular lesson time that fits in everyone's schedule is agreed upon. The student's regular lesson time is theirs to keep for the academic year. In the summer students submit their schedule requests for the fall, to accommodate changing activities and new school schedules.
- Are Music Theory or Group Lessons available? I strongly encourage each of my students (of all ages) to participate in the appropriate group class where we play as harp ensemble, study music theory (often by playing games), and practice performing to develop all aspects of musicianship.
- Can you recommend harp teachers in other areas? I know harpists throughout the country, so even if I don't know of a harp teacher in your area I might know someone else who does.
Frequently Asked Questions about Harps & Strings
- How much does a harp weigh, and how many strings does a harp have? The answer varies because harps come in many sizes. A Lyon & Healy Concert Grand harp is approximately 6' 3" tall, has 47 strings, and weighs about 85 lbs. A large lever harp is often around 5' tall, has 36 strings, and weighs between 20-40 lbs. A small lever harp, or a lap harp is around 25-20" tall, has 26 strings, and weighs 10-20 lbs.
- What is the difference between a lever harp and a pedal harp? Besides size and price the difference between the two types of harps is a technical one. Lever harps (with a full set of levers) have one lever on each string to raise and lower the pitch of the string by one half-step giving the harpist the ability to play in eight different key signatures without having to retune the harp. Pedal harps have seven pedals (D, C, B, E, F, G, A). The D pedal controls the pitch of all the harp's D strings and is capable of making the D strings sound as D-flats, D-naturals, or D-sharps. This allows pedal harps to play in all fifteen possible key signatures and to change between them very quickly. Because they are mechanically more complex pedal harps are usually larger and much more expensive than lever harps.
- How do you move a harp around? For larger harps a specially made dolly is used (with the harp carefully strapped to it). The harp must always be moved with its padded cover on or in its padded case. The important thing to remember when traveling with the harp is to always keep the levers or discs facing up or away from any pressure in the car. You will most often find harpists driving wagons, mini-vans, and SUVs.
- Do you have to tune the harp yourself? Yes, you have to tune the harp yourself and you have to tune it often. Harps come with a tuning key that fits onto the tuning pegs and allows you to raise or lower the pitch of each individual string with a small turn of the key. Harpists use an electronic tuner or tuning app to help determine what adjustment is needed (if any) so each string is in tune.
- How often do you need to tune the harp, and how long does it take to tune? Lots of factors affect how often the harp needs tuning. Changes in temperature and humidity levels affect the tuning of any instrument made of wood. Moving the harp can (and often does) cause the harp to go out of tune. New strings require a period of adjustment before they will hold their pitch for long periods of time, and must be tuned more frequently. Tuning regularly helps the harp strings hold their pitch, and greatly reduces the amount of time it takes to tune the harp in the long run. I recommend students tune their harp before they practice, or at the very least every other day, and always after they move their harp. I can usually tune a harp in less than 5 minutes.
- Why are the harp strings different colors? The strings are color coded to provide the harpist with reference points for finding the correct notes. On most harps all of the C strings are red, and all of the F strings are black or dark blue, all of the other strings are white or non-colored.
- What materials do they use to make harp strings? Harp strings come in many varieties. The low strings, which produce the bass notes, are often wire-wound and similar to piano or guitar strings. The high strings in the top octaves of the harp are often made of nylon and appear white/translucent. The strings in the middle of the harp are often made of gut (yes, actually made from the intestines of cows) and have a fibrous as well as more opaque appearance.
- How often to harp strings break? Strings break for a variety of reasons, often with sudden changes in the weather or due to advanced wear and tear. The different types of strings vary in durability and life span. Many strings will last for years, but you might not want to keep them on your harp for years on end. As strings get old (both on the harp or off the harp) they loose their sound quality and begin to sound dull and/or produce less volume. I make an effort to replace strings regularly and before they get to the breaking point to keep the harp sounding its best.
- Do harpists keep a spare set of strings? Yes I keep and travel to gigs with a full set of spare strings for emergency string replacement. Harp students may want to keep a skeleton set of spare strings, as a full set can be costly. Many of the higher octave strings come in double lengths, so after you replace a string in the higher octaves you may have enough left-over string to save as a spare when that string needs replacing again. With Internet ordering and fast shipping it is easy to order, purchase, and replace strings within days. If you have time to wait a day or two, it is better to replace a broken string with a new string from the manufacturer because it will sound better than one that has been sitting in your string bag for who knows how long.
- What is a skeleton set of spare strings? A "skeleton" set of strings a set made up of 4 strings per octave rather than 7 strings per octave. A skeleton set consists of the colored C's and F's for each octave, as well as the D string and the A string. The D string can be used to replace a D or an E string, and the A string can be used to replace a G, A, or B string. It is not a good idea to use a skeleton set for replacing wire strings because wire strings exhort more tension the harp than the smaller nylon and gut strings. Broken wire strings must be replaced with the exact wire string that is needed.