Free sheet music

[madeline-davis–2]

Anyone know of any sites with free downloads of harp music?

[kreig-kitts]

The BYU Harp Archive has a large collection of harp music that is in the public domain.
@http://lib.byu.edu/sites/harp/

The Internet Sheet Music Project also has public domain music, though not specific to harp. It’s important to know, however, that because the US and Europe have different copyright laws, some of their pieces that are in the public domain in Europe are NOT in the public domain in the United States.
@http://imslp.org/

Many of the sites with free arrangements of more popular pieces might not be using legeally licensed music. Some artists might make their original compositions publicly available on an individual basis. Many search engines, including Google, have an advanced search feature for license limitations, which might help find music with a Creative Commons license, though you should always make sure you can find explicit permission on the page to use the piece for whatever purpose you have. For example, some public licenses allow commercial use, while others prohibit it.

[Sylvia]

It is nice that you want to use the harp in your piece, and I commend you for that.
The audio doesn’t play for me. (does it play for anyone else?)
The writing does not look harpy to me. No arpeggios or chords?
Linear writing and intricate rhythms are not what I would want to see.

[Tacye]

Yes you do need to put the pedals in. Noting that a harpist only has two feet: one a left and the other a right. Not so much for the sake of the harpist (we all have different ideas about them), but as a learning tool for you because you need to take them into account when writing and it appears you haven’t. Bluntly, it does not look like you have written a harp part – it looks like you have maybe written a part to be played on a keyboard synthesising a ‘harp’ sound. How, for instance, is a harpist supposed to play a sustained Ab in the bass clef agains an Anat in the treble in bar 4 followed by the same problem with Bb and B nat? If you had put in the pedals this should have stood out as impossible. To write chromatically for the harp you need to develop the sort of mind that knows you need Gsharp, Asharp in the bass there.

The division between the hands is not how I would play it – harpists rely on linking between notes so I would probably first attempt the first 5 bars all in one hand. You also seem to be underestimating the sustain on harp strings, especially in the bass which will muddy up your vision at that speed.

There are several guides to writing for the harp written by harpists -both online and books by Stanley Chaloupka and Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher. I am sorry I can’t give you a specific recommendation as I have not read them.

[roger-illingworth]

Thanks guys, that pretty much sums up my fears. Ok. Back to the drawing board.

[teva-benshlomo–2]

hi madeline, If you do a little investigating, you can find plenty of free printable harp music. here are a few websites you may want to check out- http://www.easybyte.org Makingmusicfun.net http://www.hornandharp.com http://www.reigningharps.com http://www.janetlanier.com hope you find something you like!

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