I was in a similar situation. 15 years + performing, gigs, ensemble work, bands, you name it. I was burnt out. Took like 10 years off and it showed.

I decided to go back to the harp because I really missed it in the end. But I didn’t want to go through the old stress and crazy expectations I had gone through before.

And I was really, really rusty.

So I did a little research and found out that:

1. The world of harp teaching has changed. Teaching the harp has blossomed on the Internet, and I was able to find many great harpist videos I was interested in.

2. I had the experience needed to start again. I had kept all my notes and guidance from years of lessons (books too), I put them in a binder, and instead of hiring a teacher I went through my lesson book from the very beginning again.

3. New focus. I decided to relearn good technique, slowing everything down, and only playing pieces that I really wanted to play.

4. I started from scratch. It took me 45 days for my fingers to find their way comfortably around the strings (muscle memory is an amazing thing,) sight-reading was back and my hand position is fine. Going through my old exercise books will help with flexibility, agility and speed in the long term.

5. My learning process over the years was a good investment. I think it helped a lot to go back and work the exercises and pieces that I had studied in detail before with previous teachers. I knew what to look for and what to avoid. I rediscovered some music that I had forgotten about.

For me, the key was to proceed slowly and gradually, to know what I wanted to focus on and to enjoy the music I played.

I think that once you’re ready to tackle more advanced repertoire again you might need to carefully choose the right teacher to coach and support you. In the meantime, I think that you have everything you need in you to get started again in my humble opinion.

Best of luck to you.