What was your favourite (beginner/low intermediate level) music book?

[Gillian Bradford]

I’m a big of the Friou early music stuff. It doesn’t look hard on paper….but then we all know putting fingers on strings is another matter. My harp teacher got me to use the Bernard Andres pieces as well, Asters, marelles and ribambelle. They also look really sparce on paper but sound absolutely lovely and full, not like beginner pieces as well. And as always a lot more challenging than they appear. Andres loves to put finger combinations down that are real technique builders. But then you also have a real sense of achievement once you’ve got it down. Not so difficult that it’s frustating. In fact the melody lines are usually pretty easy to learn.

[Deborah Henson-Conant]

I LOVED “Medieval to Modern” and still do! I played it solo, I made my best-friend-cellist play some of the tunes with me (she played the bass clef notes and I played the melodies). I improvised on many of the pieces, and eventually fell in love with one of the melodies he introduced me to, and used it as the theme for a concerto. Thank you Sam Milligan!!

[Audrey Nickel]

For the wire harp, Anne Heymann’s “Coupled Hands for Harpers” is great for building repertoire while getting the technique down.

[Barbara Henniger]

I’ve been playing harp for a year and just placed my first order of music! I read all your comments with great interest and my order was based on all of your suggestions.
It is one thing to read a description and another to know appropriate the selections are for an early intermediate player.

Thanks for sharing your experiences and I can’t wait for my order to come. It will be a big package!!!

Now my next step is to try a few more harps so I can buy my own. I am leaning towards the Prelude 40 even though I have been playing a Dusty Strings Ravenna 34 I have been renting from my teacher. My long term goal is to get a pedal harp as well as a Celtic harp. I have a posting under Harps and Accessories as well so any suggestions are welcome.

[tony-morosco]

If you are interested in eventually playing Pedal harp then the Prelude is an excellent choice. I took my early lessons on a Prelude and the transition to Pedal harp was made much easier because of it.

So out of curiosity, what books did you order?

[Barbara Henniger]

I ordered Friou’s Baroque Music; Milligan’s Medieval to Modern;
Sylvia Woods Andrew Lloyd Webber and My Heart Will Go On (Titanic theme); Kim Robertson’s Celtic Harp Solos and her Shady Grove book; and finally Pratt’s Danses pour La Dauphine. I want to experience different types of music so I can develop a broad range of music. I haven’t ever studied music seriously before and have a lot of ground to make up!

I also at present am studying from Bruner’s Play the Harp Beautifully- book 2 as well as Friou’s Exercises for Agility and Speed.

[Norah Calamy]

I started with suzanne balderston’ step by step (blue book) then moved onto both fun from the first by sam milligan and first harp book by betty paret.

I also have Harp excersises for agility and speed by deborah friou 🙂

[tony-morosco]

Ah, I have about half of those books and they all look like good choices. I particularly like Friou’s Baroque book, Milligan’s Medieval to Modern and pretty much all of Sylvia Woods’ books.

And Friou’s exercises books is excellent. You might also check out Salzedo’s Conditioning exercises book. Those two books I use for my warm ups and both are very good.

[Barbara Henniger]

Thanks for the tips. I will add Salzedo’s Conditioning exercises to my list!

I am suffering from Harp Fever right now. I just got back from trying a Prelude 40 which it turns out is owned locally by another one of my teacher’s students. I got to play for over an hour and she also played after that so it was great fun.
The harp felt like it was meant for me and it even felt more comfortable for me to play than the one I play everyday. I am 6’tall and have big hands so the spacing felt really comfortable. I think I am ready to order my own, just want to see if there are still some other harps I can try. Will be able to try a Prelude (38) later this week so am looking forward to it.

[Rachel]

For real beginners, Susanna Lowy’s “Measures of Life” sounds nice and uses lots of treble clef.

[harpglo-jean]

FY.I., Also, on the http://www.scotlandsmusic.com site are a few “free” downloads, including free sheet music, in lead sheet form of some very nice Scottish tunes….

[alexandra coursen]

I love the Lament of Tristan on my Webster too. Think it is not a beginner's piece. Though there are many in Friou's Early Music Book that are good for beginners. 

[HBrock25]

Friou and Woods books as already mentioned are favourites.
I’ve just received and had a quick play through “Folk Harp with a friend” arr. by Patricia Jaeger. I wanted simple music to play with other ‘beginner +’ instrumentalists, and this looks wonderful. Classic Irish tunes, and can accommodate varying degrees of skill.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Betty Paret’s book one, Pathfinder to the Harp by Lawrence, and the Enchanted Harp by Beatrice Rose are favorites of mine. I believe Salzedo made Tiny Tales challenging so you would immediately get used to the hardest things about the harp, rather than rely on placing and other false forms of security. He gets you used to the idea of letting the strings ring, of coming off and on again. It is challenging, but a brilliant approach. He also has you playing in every key. Sometimes you need challenging as well as accomodating or whatever you would call that which is only slightly challenging.

By the way, I have to say that composing very easy pieces that are good is extremely hard to do. I have yet to do anything simple that is able to remain simple, they all turn into something more. So I take my hat off to anyone able to do it well.

[tony-morosco]

Saul, Glad you mentioned Tiny Tales because that reminded of another of Salzedo’s beginner’s series, Sketches vol. I and II. Excellent books of pieces specifically designed to be interesting for beginners to play, but that also stress specific techniques and skills in each piece.

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