Harp Academy

A world of musical adventure in your hands!

Richard

Come and try for FREE! Simply click the Gold Harmonica on our homepage (or scroll down on a smartphone) to register for your FREE taster session, which includes a FREE starter harmonica to keep. Complete your details without obligation, or call, and we will email everything you need to know.

If you are returning to harmonica sessions at school this term, to reserve your place we just need you to register for the new school year by clicking the Gold Harmonica here on our homepage (or scroll down on a smartphone). Once we receive your details, we will email your renewal invitation.

Fun online learning resources
All our subscribers are sent the login code for our online music resources, which are great for practising the harmonica at home and building wider music knowledge.

Subscriptions
Termly and half-termly subscriptions are by bank transfer, or through our Store using a credit/debit card (no need to log in). Unfortunately we are unable to accept childcare vouchers or cash. Further information is provided in our taster invitation or renewal email. There are also further detail on our How To Pay page. Read more

Summer Postcard Competition 2025 Winners

Richard

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to everyone who sent in postcards during the summer holidays – we had some amazing entries! Our random generator selected the following three winners and your prizes will be delivered to our first music session of the new term.

1st Place
Eleanor playing in front of Thomas the Tank Engine. Eleanor wins a Special 20 harmonica and Harp Academy mug.

2nd Place
Orson playing in front of some lovely Dutch windmills. Orson wins a Harp Academy mug and mini-harmonica key chain.

3rd Place
Millie and Josh fearlessly playing on a glass balcony in Germany. Both win a Harp Academy mug and mini-harmonica key chain.

Harmonica for 4-11 Year Olds

Richard

Would you like to include music-making on the harmonica in your setting?

Here’s Richard presenting Play Harmonica, the theme tune from Harp Academy’s early years harmonica courses for 4-7 year olds. He’s using a 4 hole easy-play Speedy harmonica (available in our Store). Set to the tune of Wind The Bobbin Up/There’s A Dinosaur, the song encourages young players to acquire the following key skills:

∙ Hole location by number – 1 2 3 4
∙ Breath control – Blow and Draw
∙ C Major Arpeggio – C E G C
∙ Musical Alphabet (with Makaton) – A B C D E F G
∙ Progression to C Major Scale – C D E F G A B C
∙ Enjoyment of Rhythm and Rhyme
∙ Follow hand signals for intonation
∙ Read and follow harmonica arrow tab notation

If you would like access to the backing track, harmonica tabs, or further details about music making on the harmonica and running weekly sessions in your Early Years setting, get in touch using the details on our Contact page. Please also visit our Early Years menu for more insight into our Pre-School harmonica activities, or our KS1 for young School Age children.

Children’s Harmonica Workshop

Richard

Harpin’ By The Sea Harmonica Festival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a memento for everyone who took part in the children’s workshop at this year’s Harpin’ By The Sea international harmonica festival in 2023.

Thirty children from 4 to 11 years old joined Richard Taylor and Quim Roca for two hours of music and mayhem, culminating in a performance to our grown ups live on stage. It was epic!

Thanks to Matt our Sound Engineer and everyone at The Brunswick for a great morning of fun.

The P Word (Practise)

Richard

How to Practise Harmonica
It’s noticeable in our weekly school sessions when children have found the time to practise at home and have the support of their grown ups. Confidence levels are high, progress is swift and lessons are fun. Central to this process is parental encouragement, good use of our website, a music diary, a well managed music kit and a specific task or performance to aim at.

Of course some harmonauts tell us they don’t have time to practise, their grown ups won’t let them, or they’ve lost their music. And there was one harmonaut whose dog ate their harmonica – we saw the evidence, complete with bite marks. But practise needn’t be a torture. Here is our take on how to make it a purposeful and enjoyable habit.

Harp Academy Website
Many of our study pieces and exercise have a support page on our website. With help from their grown ups, harmonauts can log in and navigate to the appropriate page. Here they can find click-and-copy buttons to guide them through songs line by line. There is an explanation of what makes the song or music exercise unique, a list of key skills covered and practise tracks. Wider learning items also feature, touching on music theory, general knowledge and performance preparation. Read more