Best Teaching Method for Adults – Harp Olympics?

[Neka Borders]

Hello,

I wonder if any teachers on the forum have thoughts, or experience teaching (adults) using Harp Olympics? 1. Why would you use/not use this method? Or, 2. Can you recommend any method(s) you like to use for a begining adult student? I’m a begining student, not well versed in the various methods of study, but I’d like to engage some informed (internal) thought on this before moving ahead. It took A LOT for me to get to a place where I can indulge the harp journey, and I am taking it very seriously. I thank you for your comments and thougths on this topic.

Regards,

Neka

[patricia-jaeger]

Neka, as a harp teacher for 50 years, I teach all ages and over the years I find no two students begin with me at the harp with the same backgrounds. Some adults have had years of piano, some come from flute or French horn, some require basic music knowledge. Also, some respond better to a printed page; some learn better copying the teacher or listening to music. Can you reveal to us in this forum, what level of music knowledge you might

[Neka Borders]

Greetings,

Some background: I can read music, and have played the clarinet and piano – though not very well. Notwithstanding, I don’t have much music theory knowledge. I’d consider myself a “square one” beginner with regard to the above. Simply put, I’d say my goal in learning to play the harp is to play (sheet music, and by ear) with GOOD technique. I trust my playing will improve with the benefit of having a good foundation, which is why I want to begin on the right track. While I do not have professional ambissions, I would like to be able to play for others and myself for therapeudic reasons and sheer enjoyment.

I hope this provides some perspective about my inquiry and background. I thank you for sharing your positive experience with regard to the Grossi Method.

Best Regards,

N.

[Misty Harrison]

When I teach adult beginners I use older books that maybe people don’t use now as much like the Betty Paret books and the Mildred Dilling Old Tunes for New Harpists because they don’t have teddy bears and they use songs that are recognizable instead of songs that someone no matter how well-known wrote up just for the book. Adults like it because they know the songs even though the songs are sometimes nursery rhymes. I also add a lot of other things depending on the student and their interests. The Grossi I also like to use with the Dilling because it has billions of exercises that are short so adults don’t feel overwhelmed from the length of the study and they can practice it each day no matter what since it’s so short.

[Tacye]

As has been said above adults vary so much- I have started adults off with Dilling and Grossi (to which I am probably biased as that is what I started on), but I have also had an adult working (with apologies) on Bosio’s I Play Harp, which is full of cutesy pictures for 4 year olds!

[sherry-lenox]

As a deadly serious adult student, I cast my vote for Grossi. I have played everything in Grossi/Pozzoli once through, and now I continue to play the exercises for better tempo.

I now do Bochsa, also great for technique.

[David Ice]

I like to use the Betty Paret books with adults.

[Neka Borders]

Thanks for all the great input. This information certainly gives me a lot to meditate on, as I embark on this journey.

N.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

I love Henriette Renié’s Method for the Harp. It’s very thorough, and full of excellent advice. Salzedo’s Method for the Harp is also a good book, and uses the pedals a lot more. Many people buy it especially for the pieces at the end, which include Chanson dans la Nuit.

[Neka Borders]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I’d like to point out that I am currently playing a troubadour, in case this is a factor in what method I start with.

N.

[emily-granger]

I would recommend Harp for Today by Susann McDonald.

[rosalind-beck]

Another vote for the Grossi Method for The Harp (text in Italian).

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I would add the Pathfinder to the Harp by Lucile Lawrence and Carlos Salzedo, pedal or lever harp, which uses simple but modern music, not as difficult as that in the Method for the Harp. The Art of Modulating is good for the third year or so, to teach pedal sight reading, and it has some excellent solos in it as well. I, too, like Betty Paret’s first book. I have never explored her other material. It was the same for me with recorder books, I liked the ones with a lot of folk songs and baroque music. Purcell for the Harp by Dewey Owens is a good collection of fairly easy solos.

[Neka Borders]

Thank you.

[janelle-lake]

I vote for the Grossi Method for playing, and Ray Pool’s “3’s a Chord” for teaching music theory.

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