Other classical music types here?

[Anita]

I do love classical music. But I can’t learn all songs I’ve already bought from Christy-Lyn…Then I have two big boxes with music literature and would LOVE to play them all. There are different styles etc. So, what I mean, I have to focus now….Step by step and the classical stuff will come around, too

😃

[Wendy Dooley]

I would love to add classical pieces to my repertoire as I become more skilled. But I fear my sight reading will have to improve greatly as well!

[Helen Smith]

I would really love to learn some classical pieces – not too difficult!

[Sally Snyder]

Frankly, I was torn between the two styles, classical and celtic. I want to learn both but I certainly don’t have time to do them in lessons at the moment. So I chose to focus on classical which will help develop my technical prowess and work on light celtic stuff by myself. For beginners, I suggest you look at https://us.abrsm.org/en/our-exams/harp-exams/harp-non-pedal-exams/. This lists some classical pieces for lever harps which shouldn’t be too difficult to play (the lower grades of course). If you want super-easy, I suggest the Harpsicle packets https://harpsicleharps.com/harp-accessories/music-easy-classics . I would love to hear other suggestions.

[Venessa Hart]

I love Renaissance music and play some on my dulcimer but it is in Tab. I need my skills on my harp before buying classical sheet music, but I will when I’m ready.

[Venessa Hart]

Joan, thank you for posting this question.

Later on, after reading it I found and bought Ray Pool’s Anthology, 50 Themes, and Melodies for every Harpist. It has a few classical and Opera songs to quench my thirst.

I’m now playing several songs that I was playing on my dulcimer and I love having access to them in a simple version. Especially my favorite from Peer Gynt Suite “Morning” by Edvard Grieg, and other lovely pieces from Hyden, JS Bach, etc. I watched Ray Pool on Youtube and it led me to buy his online book from the Sylvia Woods website.

[Joan Hall]

Grieg’s “Morning” is truly gorgeous – a beautiful piece! Have fun with your book.

[Victoria Johnson]

I developed an aversion towards classical music from my piano exam days. I was quite adamant to stay away from classical music when I first started harp lesson, but my harp teacher slowly swayed me over and I have since learned some pieces that I really enjoyed playing such as Handel’s Chaconne from Suite in D Minor and Bach’s Toccata in D Minor. I do find that playing classical very different from Celtic music; they are both technically demanding in their own ways.

[JS Moir]

Well, I’ll admit it. I’m a (duh-duh-duuuuuuh!) Classical Music Prof. I teach Bel Canto (classical singing) Choir, Ear Training, etc. at my college; and took up the harp to be able to accompany myself in doing Dowland lute songs, and Celtic folk songs- and because piano accompanists are expensive! lol.

Anyway, I LOVE classical music. I’m working my way through the Dilling “Old Tunes for new Harpists’ after doing the Alice Giles online course- which helped tremendously. Proper technique (I tell my students) is absolutely NECESSARY to advance in your music skills- but one can do lovely music, even at a beginning level. As in Voice, so in Harp (or piano, or marimba, or sousaphone, etc.) So, yeah. Good technique, lovely rep, and growing in grace, is how I see it.

Ciao.

[Wayne Gaver]

Hi Joan,

I see that you took the Alice Giles course. Did you do both? What do you think of them? I am a long time bassoonist, and have recently taken to learning the harp. I know how to read music, and how to learn pieces, but I could definitely use some help with technique. The harp is a very different instrument, for sure.

Smile,

Wayne Gaver

[Katharina Kleidosty]

I love classical music! I think that the majority of classical harp music is geared towards pedal harp, though. Maybe not yet in Renaissance music, but after the invention of the triple harp composers stopped avoiding accidentals.

I’m always happy to find classical pieces arranged for lever harps though. I really like Christy-Lyn’s arrangement of Pachelbel’s canon in D, and Für Elise. I also know that Anne Crosby Gaudet has lovely intermediate classical arrangements, and Josh Layne is great at arranging classical pieces at a more advanced level. “Bastian and the harp” also has some pieces for lever harp on his site as a free download.

[Susan S.]

I have my undergrad degree in Music Education & did my graduate study as an opera major at the Shepherd School at Rice University. I did my beginning harp studies in undergrad university as an elective w a wonderful classical harpist & on a full size pedal harp. I completely loved it. Then one day, walking out of my opera group at Rice, I saw an ad for Dusty Strings harps & vowed one day I’d have one & I do! And 2 others as well now. I love it all.

[Unknown Member]

I’m into baroque and the small period preceding that but it took me ages to figure out this is what I meant by the term ‘classical music’ and that well a pedal harp wasn’t even necessary for playing most of what I wanted to play. While a lever harp isn’t ‘historical’ it’s a good fit for the quieter voice of the baroque harp. I initially bought a lot of arrangements (I think I own every D Friou book) but quickly learned that none of these pieces were what I actually wanted to play and I didn’t like the arranging style of that particular person. So I started making my own arrangements of pieces that inspire me. Currently working through The Well Tempered Clavier I. Managed a nice arrangement of Bach’s Air on the G string but want to try Air from the Goldberg variations which is much nicer. I go searching for nice harpsichord pieces then simplify them down for harp. I learn a lot doing that. I did start off with a teacher and a book. But quickly became frustrated having to learn pieces I didn’t enjoy because it was the cirricullum. For me, the more enchanted I am with the piece, the easier it is for me to lift my technique to meet it. Learning boring tunes I don’t connect with? Not so much. I stuck at lessons for the first year then went my own way after that. I have to be really into a piece of music to spend the many hours it takes to learn it. Creating arrangements keeps my interest up.