Learn to play the harp by ear and to read music
No prior musical experience necessary
- Experienced and Patient teacher
- Individual lessons at your own pace
- Lessons to suit your schedule
- Music lessons are fun!
- Harps for hire
Lessons at Point Chevalier, Auckland or online using Skype or zoom
Lesson days Monday - Friday
Music soothes the soul and harps are wonderful instruments to play. Spending a little time each day playing is all you need to make progress. The more you play the easier it all becomes.
You will learn:
To read music and play by ear.
To arrange music for the harp so you can play your favourite songs as well as how to write your own.
To work out the best fingering to use and options for left hand parts, including which chords to play and different ways to play them. |
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By the end of your lessons with Robyn you will be able to play at an amateur performance level.
Later on Robyn can coach you on the business side of being a professional player in the wedding and corporate market in New Zealand. With 40 years professional and semi professional playing experience Robyn has a wealth of knowledge to share.
Why take harp lessons?
Have you always dreamed of playing the harp? Read on and perhaps you will decide that now is the time to give it a go.
It's fun!
Learning to play the harp is fun. Each lesson is tailored to the individual and is an enjoyable challenge.
Flexible lessons
Life is busy It can be challenging to find the time to do things, but very important for us, and those around us, that we find the time to do things that will help us to slow down. Harp lessons can be flexible to fit round your schedule, you can have a lesson each week, each fortnight or once a month, whatever will work best for you.
Harps sound great from the start
The harp is a lovely instrument to learn music on. Each string is a separate note so it is easy to get a good sound out of it from the start. You don't need to coordinate 2 hands to play a note like the guitar or the violin. On a harp the string is plucked and the note sounds. This is very encouraging for beginner players and quite soothing for others in the houselold listening.
No prior musical knowledge required
No prior musical knowledge is necessary for learning the harp,
if you have never played any musical instrument in your life this is a great one to start with.
In person or convenient online lessons
In person lessons are in Point Chevalier, Auckland but online lessons are wonderful if there is no harp teacher close to you. If you are in Auckland it is still a great option if you are feeling a little unwell or don't want to spend the time in traffic. Skype lessons are also useful if there are weather warnings issued and you are advised to work from home and stay indoors. Online lessons save on travel which helps to save our environment.
Express your creativity
Some adult learners like to learn to read music, others are more interested in free playing and want to just sit with the harp and create beautiful sounds. Learning by ear suits some people better than reading the notes but you still need to know where to start when you hear a tune and want to learn it.
Reconnect with music later in life
You may have learnt a musical instrument as a child and be wanting to reconnect with music in later life for the fun of it or you may be wanting to try something completely different. You are never too old to enjoy playing music and your family can also share in your journey as they listen to you playing at home. This can be a wonderful way to role model playing music in your home. Your playing might be the inspiration for others to take up playing music.
Singing and playing the harp
If you sing already you will find the harp to be a beautiful accompaniment to your voice. There is a lot of music available for harp and most songs can be adapted for this instrument. If you are learning another language it is very special to find songs in your new language that you can sing. You may also want to write your own songs.
Playing a musical instrument is a workout for your brain
There is a lot going on in your brain when you are playing a piece of music, from reading the notes and working out which strings to put your fingers on to playing the different rhythms. Learning how to play a musical instrument involves many different parts of your brain and is useful for maintaining good brain health. A lot of students tell me they are taking up the harp to keep their minds active.
Playing music from memory
Many people remember their music and you will look at different strategies for getting the best out of your memory. This is particularly good for older adult students as a brain exercise.
Good for your fingers
Learning the harp improves finger dexterity and coordination. Playing will help your hands to stay supple and flexible. Playing for meditation
Learning Harp music can be very gentle and soothing. When you pluck a string on the harp the sound doesn't stop when you play the next note, unlike a guitar where you lift your finger off the fretboard to reposition it for the next note and the first note stops as the finger is lifted. When you are playing the harp it is as it the notes are washing over you and this is a part of what makes the harp such a beautiful instrument to play. Harp music can be incorporated into many relaxation practices such as yoga or labyrinth walking. You can also think of your finger exercises as little mini meditations or just sit at the harp and play what comes to you as you find a place of relaxation.
Playing music for healing
Many people want to play the harp for others, some at the bedside of the ill or perhaps volunteering at a hospice or hospital. There are many opportunities for you to share your music and this is an incredibly rewarding thing to do, for you and also for others. When life is difficult music can be a welcome distraction. It is also a lovely way to visit a very ill person and interact with them. Music really is a universal language and if conversation is not suitable, the harp can speak instead.
New Zealand Harp Teachers Directory
If you need to find a harp teacher in New Zealand have a look at this resource.
email or phone for more details or with any questions you may have.
email: robyn@robynsutherland.com or Ph 021 25 27 632
Robyn's musical beginnings
When I was a young girl my father would play the piano and encouraged my 2 sisters and I to sing. He was a fantastic musician who could read a little bit of music but who could also play well by ear. When he went away with the troops in World War 2 he took his piano accordian and would play for their entertainment.
He taught me about melody, harmony and rhythm and I also learnt how to give an amateur performance to my Aunts and Uncles when they came to visit!
They were great times and these memories sit among the fondest of my childhood.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a musician in the family and some people live in a home with no music played at all.
I enjoy sharing my love of music and ability to play and sing with others, just as my father enjoyed sharing his love of music with his friends and his family.
Comments from some adult students who have taken lessons:
Rebekah - Auckland - In person and online lessons
Thank you so much Robyn for teaching me the harp last year. I loved how you took both a focus on the basics, while enabling me to come up with notes myself to songs that I liked. Our lessons taught me so much and I really appreciated how you tailored them to what I wanted to do too. You were very encouraging and helpful, with the perfect amount of push to inspire me to work on the music myself and feel confident doing so! Can't believe how much I've learnt in that time! You are an amazing teacher!
Alina - Auckland
I have never played the harp before, and Robyn has been patiently guiding me and allowing me to learn at my pace from the start.
Initially I rented a small harp from her and she kindly recommended a smaller one that fitted my small hands better, so it made it much easier for me to play.
I have truly enjoyed learning the harp from Robyn, it has been a delightful experience. She is very talented and wonderful to deal with and makes the process easy and fun. I strongly recommend Robyn's harp lessons to anyone looking to learn this magical instrument.
Thank you Robyn for everything, it has been a pleasure learning from you.
Craig - Auckland
I can warmly recommend Robyn as someone to learn the harp from. She has a gentle, patient manner of teaching that is also warm and encouraging, allowing one to learn at one's own pace, with opportunities to challenge oneself further beyond the simple tunes.
Yu Liu - Auckland
The harp classes with Robyn were wonderful experiences. Robyn taught me the basics of harp playing with easy-to-follow tips, and she corrected my gestures so I can play the harp smoothly. In the Christmas holiday, Robyn also gave me extra sheet music, of my level, and I can play Christmas songs with the harp to my friends. On my boyfriend's birthday, I also played him a birthday song, and he was amazed. Have to say thank you Robyn for giving me helpful instructions and lending me a harp, I enjoy harp learning with you so much, thank you!
Laura - Grey Lynn, Auckland
I love learning the harp and Robyn is such a patient teacher. Renting a harp was great as well as I was able to go home and practice. She is very encouraging and even as a total beginner with the instrument and misuc as well, she makes me feel enthusiastic about the learning experience. The whole experience has been lovely. I can't wait to play as beautifully as she does :)
Claire Callister - Auckland
From the first phone call, enquiring about harp lessons, I felt comfortable with Robyn and was aware of her calm and positive way of teaching. ( I am an adult who has always wanted to learn the harp.) As a piano and class music teacher, I can recommend her as a great teacher, who communicates well, and provides a great atmosphere to learn this fascinating instrument. Thank you Robyn
Max Maxwell - Auckland
I invited Robyn to accompany my choir in a concert of spiritual music. Her parts were not scored and she created beautiful harmonies in whichever key I asked her to. She was totally professional regarding attending rehearsals, timeliness and knowledge of how best to amplify the harp for performances. I was so inspired that earlier this year I started taking lessons from Robyn. As a teacher myself I appreciated her professionalism in that regard also.
Chrissy - Auckland
Very patient, nice and relaxed harp teacher, having a lessons with her is very delighted, so comfortable to have her teach me and play alongside with me, Highly recommend very good harp teacher.
Mira - Henderson, Auckland
My name is Mira and I'm a mother of 3. In my philosophy there is no time limit for me to start learning something that I like or interested in.
I always believe that in my life, I will always learn something that makes my life so productive and meaningful.
Since in my very young age, I really wanted to learn harp instrumnet. But because in my original country where I came from, harp is not a common instrument. Meaning: it is a very rare instrument and hardly to find a teacher.
I started my harp lesson with Robyn on 13th Feb 2014. I like it so much and more in love with the harp instrument.
Robyn is a very brilliant teacher that I experienced during my lessons. She is so patient and a lovely teacher who I feel so comfortable to learn from.
I can see my progress every time I went to the lessons. She gave me feedbacks and shows how things need to do, in example: in order to have a better right position of your body, position of instrument, position of the fingers, etc.
I like her attention to details and techniques that she shows in the lessons in order to make me progress faster.
I know that I no longer has a harp lesson right now due to my children's activities, but I still open myself that I will come back to learn harp instrument in the future.
That is all from me. I hope it can encourage everyone who reads this testimony and want to learn the harp.
Thank you Robyn for the opportunity for me to learn harp ad share my testimony.
Best regards
Mira
Helen - Auckland
Playing the harp and taking lessons from Robyn was definitely enjoyable and fun! The harp was at a reasonable size which made it very easy for transportation and taking it around to different places.
Normally I practise the harp at home with the book provided by Robyn and will take a few lessons now and then with her to fine tune my skills. I find this way of learning very suitable for a person like me who has full on work schedules. I get to decide when I want to play, how fast to progress with my learning, and basically just going at a pace which I am comfortable with!
Robyn is very friendly and helpful throughout the whole time. It is very easy to understand the techniques and skills she tries to teach, and she's very good at fine tuning my skills! Every time after a lesson with her I felt like my skills have improved a lot. She is also very flexible timing wise which I really appreciated when I try to fit a lesson into my busy schedule.
Thanks Robyn, I really enjoyed playing the harp!
Nicola Wilson - Northland - Online lessons
While living in rural Northland I was able to fulfull a long held ambition of playing a harp by hiring one that Robyn couriered to us in a harp travel case. I had lessons fortnightly via skype using the internet. This was a learning curve with the technology in addition to the instrument but Robyn was very helpful and supportive. My five year old daughter was enchanted with my harp playing and decided to join me in learning. We would visit Robyn a couple of times a term for an in person lesson which we found invaluable. Our harp learning was a memorable and treasured experience. Robyn is an exceptional person. Her gorgeous character flows over into every aspect of teaching, playing and personal interactions. How grateful we are for the opportunity to have studied under her tutelage!
Are you interested in learning the harp
but have no instrument to play?
Hire a harp!
Book your first harp lesson today
New Zealand Harp Teachers Directory
email: robyn@robynsutherland.com or phone: 021 252 7632
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