I often get adult harpists get in contact with me for lessons because the feel they’re hit a slump in their progress. They have become stuck in a rut and unsure how to progress their playing.

This article will cover some of the most common reasons why harpists hit a roadblock in their learning and the action required to overcome them.

1. Too much, too soon

Impatience is one of the main causes of frustration when learning the harp.

What often happens is students try to play faster or play pieces that are more complicated than what their fingers and brain are capable of at that stage, and inevitably fail, leading to frustration.

It's normal to want to challenge yourself as soon as possible, but try not to jump ahead prematurely.

Eg, when working on speed, you want be able to play comfortably, without any mistakes at the current tempo before you notch it up another few BPM. In my January Patreon Practice Challenge we aimed for 10% increase per week – having a set goal in mind can really help, and prevent you going too fast!

2. You haven’t learnt your theory

Many harpists neglect learning theory because it's perceived as boring, or difficult, but theory has an important role in developing you as a musician. Theory helps you UNDERSTAND what you’re playing and why. When you understand how music is built, you gain a much deeper insight into it.

3. You're not learning progressively

Whilst YouTube tutorials etc are great, if you don’t learn with a progressive course, you often don’t consolidate new skills enough, and build systematically on your skill base.

If you don’t have a private tutor, look for books that are systematic and progressive, or better yet, find an online course that takes you logically through a series of lessons and skills.  My Level 2 Harp from the Start course is ideal for elementary players who have got to grips with the basics, and now want to keep working on their fluidity, expand the type of Left-hand shapes they are using, and increase in confidence, with lessons presented systematically and logically.

4. You're not practicing harp regularly enough

Regular practice is one of the most important tools for any harpist. It’s far better to do 20 minutes every day than 3 hours once a week.

Muscle memory and finger strength will develop far quicker with short regular bursts of practice than with long but sparsely separated practice sessions.

5. Your harp practice time isn't focused enough

 Simply sitting at the harp and noodling isn't enough for anyone serious about becoming a decent player. Practise becomes aimless and without clear benefit. You need to have some kind of plan of what you'll cover in each practice session and devote that session to it.

A lot of progress slumps are the result of jumping between different learning elements and therefore never truly nailing any single one of them. The inevitable result is that you never truly master anything.

Check out my FREE EFFECTIVE PRACTICE GUIDE for more thoughts on how to practice better!

6. You're not doing technical work properly... or at all

Technical exercises are a great tool to help give your fingers the dexterity they need for playing. My Technical Exercises for Lever Harp book is a great place to start!

7. You have no clear goals in your mind

Knowing what you want to achieve as a harpist is important because it helps you focus your practice time (see point 5). I have another blog post about this here: https://www.ailierobertson.com/harp-tips-blog/2022/1/4/goal-setting-how-to-set-and-achieve-your-2022-harp-goals

Invest in a good Practice Journal such as this one, which has space for goal setting and tracking. Psychology studies have found that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down! Writing your goals helps you to get clear on what you want to accomplish, and plays a part in motivating you.

8. You need a break!

I know this point may appear to contradict #4, but if you already practice regularly then it may just be you need a rest. A fellow harpist once told me "leave the harp for a couple of days and you'll pick it up with renewed vigour". How true!