ABA Music
Academy
Where talent meets tradition
Est. Santa Clarita Valley
Qanun Lessons
Learn the qanun — the shimmering plucked zither at the heart of Armenian traditional music — with a teacher who has spent 25+ years performing and passing it on.
- Instrument
- Qanun
- Format
- Private, weekly
- Studio hours
- Mon–Fri 1:00–9:00 PMSat 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
ABA Music Academy offers private qanun lessons for students across the Santa Clarita Valley, California. The qanun is a traditional Armenian plucked string instrument with a bright, harp-like voice, played flat on the lap with plectra on both hands.
Qanun lessons are taught by Gohar Harutunyan, who holds a music education degree, brings more than 25 years of experience as a qanun teacher and performer, and specializes in working with children.
Families come to the studio from Santa Clarita, Valencia, Newhall, Saugus, Canyon Country, Stevenson Ranch, and Castaic. No experience is needed, and the first lesson is free.
About the instrument
The qanun is a traditional Armenian plucked string instrument with a bright, harp-like voice. It sits flat on the lap and is played with plectra worn on both hands, giving it a shimmering, cascading sound unlike anything else in the studio.
Students who learn it join a living tradition — the repertoire is Armenian folk and classical music, and lessons connect technique to the culture the instrument comes from.
What you'll learn
Lessons build technique and repertoire side by side, connecting students to Armenian musical heritage while developing well-rounded musicianship.
- 01Posture, hand position, and plectrum technique
- 02Traditional Armenian melodies and folk repertoire
- 03Note reading, rhythm, and ear training on the instrument
- 04Performance preparation for recitals and cultural events
Your qanun teacher
Gohar Harutunyan
Qanun Instructor
Gohar holds a degree in music education and brings more than 25 years of experience as a qanun teacher and performer, with a specialty in working with children. For the past five years in the U.S., she has actively shared her love of music and Armenian culture through teaching and community performance.
Meet our teachersCredentials
Training, Teaching & Cultural Work
What Gohar brings to every qanun lesson — the degree, the decades of teaching, and the community performance behind the instruction.
- 25+
- Years teaching & performing
- 5
- Years in the U.S.
- 1
- Music education degree
- Kids
- A declared specialty
Training
Music education degree
Gohar Harutunyan, qanun instructor
Teaching
25+ years
As a qanun teacher and performer
Specialty with children
Where she does her best work
Performance
Community performance
Five years actively performing in the U.S.
Cultural work
Armenian heritage
Sharing her love of music and Armenian culture through teaching and performance
For Armenian families, the qanun is a way to keep something. For everyone else, it is the most beautiful instrument in the studio you have never heard.
How to get started
1
Send an inquiry with the student's age, experience, and preferred times.
2
Book a free trial lesson and try the qanun — no instrument needed to start.
3
Choose a weekly time and enroll online through the student portal.