Assessment, Feedback & Certificate

Celebrate your progress. Consolidate your skills. Take your next confident step on the harp.

The Starter Harp Certification is a supportive, practical assessment designed to help you reflect on what you’ve learned, receive personalised feedback, and celebrate your progress through the Starter Course.

This is not about perfection, it’s about musicianship, confidence, and growth.

Who Is This Certification For?

This certification is ideal for you if:

  • You’ve completed (or nearly completed) the How to Harp Starter Course

  • You want a clear sense of how well you’ve absorbed the foundations

  • You’d like structured feedback from an experienced harp teacher

  • You enjoy working towards a goal or milestone

  • You want a certificate recognising your progress

FAQ

  • How long is the assessment?

    The assessment itself lasts around 20 minutes. We book a 30-minute slot to allow time for setup, tuning, and a relaxed start.

  • How much does the certification cost?

    The cost is £35, which includes the full assessment and personalised feedback from your examiner.

  • Where will it take place?

    The assessment takes place online, live with an examiner, so you can take it from the comfort of your own home.

  • How will I receive my certificate?

    If you are awarded the certification, you will receive a digital certificate as part of the assessment. You can also request a printed certificate with additional charge.

Before Your Assessment

To help everything run smoothly, please ensure the following before your session. This helps your examiner clearly see and hear your playing so they can give you the best possible feedback.

  • Your harp is fully tuned

  • You are seated so the strings and hands are clearly visible on screen

  • Original sound for musicians is switched on in your video platform

  • You have your music and backing tracks/metronome ready if using them

Performance Section

Exercises

All exercises should be prepared in advance. During the assessment, the examiner will choose 3 exercises for you to perform from the following list. You do not need to play every exercise — just be ready for any of them.

  • 2 Finger Warm Up

  • Finger 2 and Thumb

  • 3 Finger Warm Up

  • Finger Groups of 2 or 3

  • Individual Fingers – Exercise 1

  • Individual Fingers – Exercise 2

  • Individual Fingers – Exercise 3

Pieces

You will perform 3 pieces, chosen by you at the time of booking, from the following list. Pieces may be played with a backing track, or with a metronome. Choose the option that helps you feel the most confident and musical.

  • It’s All in the Colours

  • Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

  • The Magic Number

  • The Little Waterfall

  • The Peppercorn Polka

  • Morning Stretch

Practical & Aural Musicianship (PAM)

This section checks your understanding, not your memory under pressure.

Practical Questions

The examiner will ask you 3 questions, chosen from a set list that covers posture, technique, rhythm, notation, and basic harp knowledge.

  • When seated at the harp what should be higher - your knees or your hips?

  • Which finger is your 3rd finger in harp fingering?

  • Give one key thing to remember for a good hand playing position.

  • What does BPM stand for?

  • Is 60 BPM faster or slower than 100 BPM?

  • What is the difference between 3/4 and 4/4 time?

  • Identify a glissando from sheet music

  • What is a metronome?

  • How many fingers on each hand do harpists use?

  • What are the highest/lowest stings on the harp in terms of tone?

  • Where is middle C?

  • In the Starter Course what does the direction of the stems indicate?

  • Where should our feet be when we are seated at the harp?

  • What does the saying ‘no bird beaks’ refer to in harp playing from the Starter Course?

  • What are T-rex arms and how do we avoid this?

  • When seated do we bring the harp to us or position ourselves around the harp?

  • Be able to name and identify a Treble Clef from a picture

  • What note do the red strings on the harp represent?

  • What is one thing you can do before you start playing to help you feel more focused or calm?

  • What is a fingering bracket, and why do we use it in harp music?

Aural Questions

A short 2 bar melody will be played to you. You will then be asked 3 questions.

  • The tune will be played twice and then you will be asked to clap the rhythm

  • The first 3 notes will be played and you will be asked to identify the highest or lowest note (that is was it the first, middle or last one played?)

  • The tune will be played twice. Once normally and then once with a change. You will be asked to identify if the change happens near the beginning or near the end of the tune.