How old were you when you started playing the harp?

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I was nearly 16. If you are thinking about starting, start as young as you can with the best teacher you can find.

[HBrock25]

I started when I was around 11. I just turned 12, and I’m playing the song, The Minstrel’s Adieu to His Native Land. It’s a really nice piece, and you should listen to it.

[Seoid OC]

I was 18 – nearly 19 – when I started playing (an 24 now) and am so jealous of all of you who got to start so young!

[unknown-user]

I was 15 when my twin sister and I first started lessons with a harp.

[unknown-user]

I started when I was 9, and I agree with Saul. Start with the best teacher that you can find/will accept you.

[unknown-user]

From a rather older young harper.

[kimberly-houser]

I started when I was eight.

[renate-kvalsvik]

I started when I had just turned 20, and am now 21, halfway to 22. I had no musical background when I started, but I had always wanted to play the harp so badly. Unfortunately, I live in Norway and there are precious few harpists in this country. So there was no opportunity for me to learn when I was younger, and eventually I just let it go. But then right after my wedding (when I was 20) I suddenly started thinking about it again, after talking to a harpist about the possibility of her playing at the wedding, but in the end, we couldn’t afford it. But it got me thinking, and before I knew it, my husband had bought me a cheap Paki harp from ebay. It turned out to be of really bad quality (of course, I found out later that Paki harps are prone to such), and I saved up for a better and bigger lever harp.
It took me 1 1/2 year to find a harp teacher, but since January this year I’ve been taking some much needed lessons. I find that I am improving rapidly with my teacher’s help, even though I only have one lesson a month. I’m so glad I found her! My passion for harp-playing has only increased since I started playing, and though I realise I could probably never be a professional (it’s too late for that), I still want to do my best and maybe some day do a little freelancing, playing in weddings and parties etc.
Sorry, that post turned out a little longer than I intended.

[unknown-user]

I started when i was in fourth grade, when i was nine…and now i am going into eleventh grade, turning sixteen!! So i have played for almost 7 years…ahh that went by so fast:D haha

[Suzie Q]

I started on lever harp when I was 13…but I’d had 4 years of piano instruction at that time. After a year, I moved up to a pedal harp, and I’m now 15, and also continuing piano. (I have to say though, telling people I play harp sounds a lot cooler.) For now, harp for 2 years, piano for 6. 🙂

[Diane S]

I started playing the harp six weeks ago at the age of 53!

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

Oh no you’re not (one of the oldest harpists here)….not at all. I think it’s great you just started this, and it’ll be great fun, and a lot of hard work. Enjoy!

Briggsie

[HBrock25]

I was 5 when I began playing the harp and then began piano lessons at age 13.

[Rachel Hall]

I received a folk harp for Christmas when I was 5. I joined a harp ensemble, but didn’t start formal lessons until I was ten.

[phoebe-powell]

I started playing the Celtic Harp when I was 10, but I had already been playing the piano for 3 years, and I found that I picked up the harp extremely quickly because of that. I had one lesson at the begining and from then one was pretty much self taught until a year later, when I started taking lessons with another self taught harpist. I didn’t start proper technique until I was 12 1/2. So, I’ve only had a very solid technique for 4 years. Now, I’m working on my Gr. 10 and the OSM Standard life competition! I absolutely love to play my harp. It has become so much of my life that I couldn’t see my life without it. What a gift from God the harp is!

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