An Etude A Day–Music for the 30 Day Practice Challenge

Harp Column’s annual 30 Day Practice Challenge returns on January 1st! This year, we challenge you to harness your technical skills by practicing An Etude A Day. We’ll be sharing some of our favorite etudes each day of the challenge that develop your skills to play arpeggios, scales, and harmonics, as well as understand rhythm and theory. Want to choose your own etude? Scroll down for our recommendations of etudes/progressive study collections you can download instantly at Harp Column Music.

(Titles marked with an * are playable on lever harp.)

*Bass Clef Etudes

by Christine Mazza

This set of bass clef etudes was written for beginner harpists by Christine Mazza. There are 14 one-page etudes, each designed as a weekly assignment to help students learn to read the bass clef.

*Baby Doves–Harp Lessons for Beginners

by Kaffee Peck

This lesson book by Kaffee Peck includes both original music and arrangements for beginner harpists. 43 progressive short pieces are included that make a great core lesson book, or can be used as supplemental materials.

*Learning Notes & Rhythms at the Harp 

by Haley Hodson

This book by Haley Hodson takes new music students step by step through learning notes and rhythms at the harp through its 67 exercises.

*Basic Harp for Beginners

by Laurie Riley

Laurie Riley presents this basic, easy-to-understand, step-by-step method about playing the harp. Riley addresses basics such as sitting at the harp and tuning the harp, but also provides etudes and tunes addressing different skills like rolled chords, ornamentations, octave jumps, and more.

Burgmüller: 22 Progressive Etudes 

edited by Kaffee Peck

Kaffee Peck has edited 22 of Johann Burgmüller’s etudes from Opus 100. Each piece presents different musical and technical challenges for harpists, and in this edition the order of the pieces has been altered from the original to reflect the progressive difficulty for harpists.

*Rhythm and Hand Separation Exercises and Etudes Book 1

by Maeve Gilchrist

This book is jam-packed with seven chapters of exercises to build hand independence and rhythm skills. Many of the exercises coordinate with Maeve’s creative technique and repertoire lessons at Harp Column Academy.

*Exercises in Harmonics: Overtones for the Lever Harp

by Jacqueline Pollauf

This collection by Jacqueline Pollauf offers a chance to focus intensely on harmonics, working through exercises that include playing harmonics in all keys, playing harmonics and natural notes, and playing multiple harmonics simultaneously. See here for the pedal harp book. 

*Cool Chords and Groovy Rhythms

by Verlene Schermer

For those wanting to go “beyond and between” the triads used in traditional styles of music, this book dives into “cool chords” like 9ths, 11ths, and sus4s, and explores modern rhythms with syncopation, “swing eighths” and “four on the floor.” Exercises, examples, and assignments are given for each element presented.

*Carl Czerny 25 Studies for Lever or Pedal Harp

edited by Kaffee Peck

Kaffee Peck has edited 26 of Carl Czerny’s piano studies from opus 139. This book can be used as a progressive study method for beginner to early advanced level harpists. Also included with the book is a list of targeted playing techniques with corresponding studies addressing each technique.