In search of an etude or exercise book…

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This topic has 10 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 3 years ago by Saul Davis Zlatkovski.

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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June 6, 2023 at 9:13 am #303368

Lily-White
Participant

Hi,

I’m learning to play the harp from Pamela Bruner’s series “Play the Harp Beautifully”. I purchased method books by three different authors and fell in love with the one by Pamela Bruner. Book number 1 (out of 3) is filled with beautiful exercises / etudes and pieces for a beginner. I have now started to play book number 2. I was very excited to start the second book, it’s full of delicious chapters like rolled chords, glissandos, harmonics and much more. But it doesn’t have enough exercises for me. I feel I need more “études” before the actual musical pieces. I have to proceed VERY slowly, because of “extra challenges” with my hands, and because I want to learn the right technique from the very beginning. My hands might say STOP at a certain point, time will tell. In any case, I love the harp so much that I’m willing to give it my all! ❤

If someone out there plays or knows Pamela Bruner’s method books, which exercise / etude book would you recommend to go with them? I have been looking online at books like:

– “Harp Exercises For Agility And Speed” by Friou
– “Technical Exercises for Lever Harp” by Ailie Robertson
– “Method for the Harp” by Maria Grossi
– “Bochsa Revisited” by Carl Swanson

… and many more.

I almost ordered Ailie Robertson’s book. I liked what I could see online (only two pages…), but it would probably be too difficult for me. Like most of the books above. Maybe Friou? Grossi isn’t spiral bound, which is a big minus. I’m very hesitant.

I realize I’m talking both about exercises and etudes. What I’m looking for is short repetitive “exercises” that still sound like small beautiful pieces, and therefore are enjoyable to play. Introducing one new thing at the time, in a repetitive way, typical patterns for the harp, so that I would be familiar with them when they pop up in musical pieces. I guess I’m talking about etudes here, but are there etudes for my level? The problem is that I still have to concentrate A LOT on my hand issues and relaxation when I play, so musical pieces with a lot of new things are quite challenging.

My harp teacher lets me choose what I want to play. I chose Bruner myself and the idea of an “exercise book” is mine as well. However – exercises or etudes – maybe the book I imagine exists only in my mind? 🙃

Any comments / thoughts / ideas are welcome, if someone has taken the time to read this whole novel… 😀

Thanks a million!

– Lily

June 7, 2023 at 5:11 pm #303387

carl-swanson
Participant

Hi Lily,

Your description what you are looking for is EXACTLY what Bochsa Revisited is. Bochsa’s original 40 Easy Etudes is a wonderful set of simple etudes with a different pattern in each one. By the time you have learned that etude, you will have committed to muscle-memory that pattern. Once you have learned 20 of these etudes, you will have a very solid technique at that level. It will enable you to learn pieces easily and quickly, because you will have already learned the technique.

The problem with many sets of etudes is that 1) they often use the same patterns over and over again in the set, and 2) they are very right hand oriented, with little or nothing for the left hand. That is why I published Bochsa Revisited. It has all of the first 20 Bochsa etudes, printed in an easy-to-read format, with pedals, fingerings, etc. But then there is a left hand version of the same etude. So both hands get the same workout.

June 8, 2023 at 3:49 pm #303398
Lily-White
Participant
Hi Carl,

Thank you for your kind answer!

Before I received your answer, I found some more information about some of the books. Not much, but based on that information, I had to rule out Grossi and Friou, they weren’t exactly what I was looking for right now. They seem to be very popular, though.

I was left with two interesting books. Yours and the one by Ailie Robertson. I managed to find some samples of the latter one. Exercises that seemed a little boring, but simple enough for me. AND, the table of contents matched the one of my method book perfectly! So I could do exercises exactly on the things I was learning. It was all there: crossings, scales, chords, ornaments, harmonics, etc. And easily found.

Based on what I found about your book, it was definitely the most interesting one from a musical point of view. There is clearly a difference between exercises and etudes! Etudes are more beautiful, and therefore more enjoyable to play. However, the etudes in Bochsa Revisited were more difficult and time consuming than the exercises by Robertson…

I decided to buy both books. Robertson felt more right for me right now, but I could’t resist the temptation to get yours as well. However, I couldn’t find even one online store in the EU with both books (!!!). I found Robertson at the Camac online store for a very good price. They had a lot of Bochsa, but strangely not Bochsa REVISITED for lever harp (which is the one I want). So I ended up ordering only Robertson. I should get it in a couple of days. When I have seen what it really has to offer, I’ll decide what to do with the Bochsa Revisited, get it immediately or later. I found it in one single store in the EU, just like Robertson (but not the same store, argh!). It’s quite expensive in Europe, and has a long delivery time, but I suppose it’s worth it… 😉

You wrote about the left hand, that’s a very good point! Robertson seems to have most of the stuff only in the G-clef. But it’s meant to be played first with the right hand, then the left hand, and finally both hands together. Just before writing this post, the link on your website to download samples finally worked (it hasn’t worked for me before). So I got a better picture of what the book is like. You have done a GREAT job with the etude variations – WOW!!!

I wrote a novel again, sorry for that! 🙃

– Lily
- This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Lily-White.
June 9, 2023 at 8:21 am #303403

carl-swanson
Participant

Lily,

If you can use a digital download of the book, go to the Carl Fischer web site and type in my name, Carl Swanson, in the search bar. That will bring up all of my publications. There, you can by a printed copy OR a digital download of any of my editions.

June 9, 2023 at 9:09 am #303404

Lily-White
Participant

Hi Carl,

I had a look, it just gave me the spiral bound option (or maybe it was me…). I think I prefer the spiral bound book anyway, it’s easier to handle and much nicer in every respect.

Thank you for taking the time to answer and help me, I appreciate it a lot!

– Lily

June 10, 2023 at 10:42 am #303408

pheona-miller
Participant

I would highly recommend Jacqueline Pollauf’s exercise series for both lever and pedal harps which are published via ‘Oakway Studios’ and available as a PDF download or paper version.

Here is the link: https://www.harpinsideout.com/exercises

In addition, she has a wonderful range of YouTube videos on all things harp where she demonstrates all of the exercises mentioned above. If you play only lever harp, do not be put off as she tends to demonstrate on her pedal harp for these you tube videos. However, she is scrupulous in her communication skills and ALWAYS states clearly whether the tune or technique can be played on a non-pedal harp. Naturally, she has vids of her playing on a lever harp also.

June 20, 2023 at 2:45 pm #303512

wil-weten
Participant

Hi Lily, I wonder whether you’d like the free and online weekend that the professional harp teacher Heather Downie (from Scotland) will organize from 23rd of June. More information at: https://heatherdownie.ac-page.com/summer-how-to-harp-weekend-2023

She’s built an enormous “Technique Bank” with all kinds of exercises on video. Also, she has arranged lots of tunes, each for beginners, intermediate and advanced players. And she has a surprisingly interesting possibilities for people with a monthly subscription to get personal feedback.

June 22, 2023 at 2:56 pm #303536

pheona-miller
Participant

Since Carl has given an excellent explanation of his book of etudes, I thought that I would share the aforementioned exercise book by Ailie Robertson as I recently cane across a YouTube video for it. It is entitled “Technical Exercises for Lever Harp.”

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVb2JcIyaXI

June 22, 2023 at 3:10 pm #303537

pheona-miller
Participant

I agree with Wil-Weten’s recommendation of Heather Downie’s free and subscribed online lever harp school.

Both Heather and Ailie (Robertson) are considered to be the ‘gems of Scottish harp’ having won many competitions and accolades in their young lives thus far. They are both incredible teachers, composers as well as musicians and this is readily apparent in their unique teaching style.

Wil-Weten has already given the link to Heather’s online harp school so here is the link to Aili Robertson’s online harp school, sheet music and technical studies books etc:

https://www.ailierobertson.com/

June 24, 2023 at 4:03 pm #303583

Lily-White
Participant

Hi @pheona-miller and @wil-weten ,

Thanks a million for all the information! I ended up purchasing Ailie Robertson’s exercise book, it goes REALLY well together with Pamela Bruner’s method books. I am interested in “The Bochsa Revisited” as well, for the future.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to participate in Heather Downie’s online workshop this weekend. But her name was new to me and she offers a lot of interesting things! Just like Ailie, among other things, she has a lot of BEAUTIFUL sheet music. Jacqueline Pollauf was new to me as well, so thanks for that tip as well!

I’m so grateful for this forum, I have got so much help here. A wonderful community, thanks to all of you! <3

– Lily

August 9, 2023 at 5:45 pm #304498

Saul Davis Zlatkovski
Participant

The most concise, economical and effective method book is the Lawrence/Salzedo Method, which has several pages of most-effective and simple exercises which will build your strength. After that, his Conditioning Exercises are superb for strengthening. The LaRiviere Exercises are exhaustive, literally, so are the Payr. I find others to be insufficient.
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