minstrel: harp method books

[yarrowp at mscd.edu]

Per earlier requests, here is a brief discussion of some of the method 
books for folk harp that are currently available, and whether I would 
recommend them *for SCA harpers*.  The descriptions are taken from Sylvia 
Woods, Mel Bay or Lark in the Morning's webpages, with my commentary added. 
 Most of these volumes are available from the sources above.

Highly recommended:

_A Gaelic Harper's First Tunes_ "A primer for the clairseach based on 
remnants of Gaelic oral tradition including the first tunes taught student 
harpers by Ann Heymann. Tutor for the wire strung Gaelic harp by one of its 
foremost players & teachers. price approximately $20.00 

This is a new volume based on the out-of-print _Secrets of the Gaelic 
Harp_.  It contains the teaching tunes, fewer exercises than the original 
volume, and less of the history.  The notation system is slightly different 
from the black and red system used in the earlier volume, and this has 
helped bring the price down.  I do recommend supplementing these tunes with 
material from Alison Kinnaird's book (below).

_Secrets of the Gaelic Harp_ by Ann Heymann.  If you can find this one, buy 
it.  Preferably with the companion cassette.  I also recommend any of Ann's 
books of arrangements.

 The Small Harp Step-by -step tutor by Alison Kinnaird, with cassette. 40 
tunes, introduction, sections on reading music and arranging, notes on the 
music. From beginning to advanced.  My commentary:  Ms. Kinnaird's guide to 
ornamentation is invaluable.   I also recommend her books of music, though 
her Lothian collection is outside the SCA purview.

Recommended (but not outstanding):

Harp Exercises for Agility & Speed by Friou. Musical exercises to develop & 
maintain strength, suppleness and agility in the fingers & hands for all 
levels of players.  Ms. Friou also several music books of interest to SCA 
harpers, mostly with appropriate arrangements.

Irish Harp Book: A Tutor and Companion by Cuthbert. Comprehensive tutor, 
designed to serve a student from initial stage of study to the most 
advanced music. More advanced beginners and intermediate players will 
appreciate the many exercises, scales, and tutorials, as well as a wide 
selection of Irish tunes. 

Mel Bay's Basic Harp  for Beginners by Laurie Riley - This is a Mel Bay, 
and as such is widely available.  Laurie also has a basic book of Celtic 
music with some nice arrangements.

Still under evaluation:
Learn to Play Celtic Harp by Star Edwards.  You might have to order this 
one directly:
http://www.starharp.com/musicbooks.html  

Not recommended *for SCA harpers* (modern arranging techniques):

Arranging For Folk Harp by Kim Robertson. Basic guide to chords, 
accompaniment & arranging techniques forthe beginner to intermediate 
player. 

Begin The Harp by Calthorpe. A basic tutor for the folk harp for the 
beginner. 

Exploring the Folk Harp by Janna McCall Geller and Mallory Geller. Choosing 
a harp, how to play and sing with your harp, developing personal style and 
technique, improvisation, chord reading and ear playing, accompaniment, 
arranging and playing with a group, harmony, scales and modes, Renaissance 
songs, traditional ballads, folk songs and classics with lyrics and chord 
symbols and much more.  My commentary:  this is basically a "Rennie" book.  
The material may be period, but the arrangements are not.
 
Not recommended:

Music Theory and Arranging Techniques for Folk Harps by Sylvia Woods A 
thorough guide to the music theory and techniques needed by the harpist to 
make their own arrangements. Includes chords, inversions, keys, 
accompaniment patterns, transposing & more than 90 tunes. 
 
Teach Yourself to Play the Folk Harp by Sylvia Woods. This book is an 
introduction to the Celtic harp.  Companion cassette available.

Ms. Woods has a wide selection of Celtic traditional music with *very* 
modern arrangements available.  I do not recommend them for the SCA harper, 
but they may be useful if you find yourself having to play a request at a 
wedding or memorial service.

Harp history books:

Recommended:

The Harp of Ireland by Grainne Yeats. Traces the ancient tradition of 
harping in Ireland. Subtitled "The Belfast Harpers' Festival, 1792, and the 
Saving of Ireland's Harp Music by Edward Bunting." Detailed account of the 
Festival (from contemporary sources of the time), discussion of the work of 
Edward Bunting in writing down the harp music for the first time, chapters 
on the harper-composers, particularly Turlough Carolan. Biographical 
details
on each of the harpers who played at Belfast. 

Tree of Strings by Alison Kinnaird & Keith Sanger. The History of the Harp 
in Scotland, from its earliest appearance on the Pictish stones of the 8th 
C. to the present day. Subjects include: origins of the Celtic Harp, 
Highland and Lowland harpers, the harp at the Royal Courts, history of 
Scottish harp music, links with the Irish harps and harpers, decline and 
renaissance of the small harp in Scotland. Many illustrations, appendices, 
index.

Qualified recommendation:
THE IRISH AND HIGHLAND HARPS, Robert Bruce Armstrong  - out of print but 
your library may have it.

The Irish Harp by Joan Rimmer
 
Still under evaluation:
The Historical Method of the Celtic Harp Drawing on literary and musical 
sources, this book reconstructs the method of the ancient British small 
harp the diatonic Welsh bray harp and the Irish wire strung Clairseach. 
Includes a range of rhythmic and melodic types.   

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about any of the 
above.  I can also provide a list of books of harp music, with or without 
the subjective commentary, if people are looking for same.  

Vivien
yarrowp at mscd.edu
http://clem.mscd.edu/~yarrowp/ 


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