Mel Bay's Basic Harp is intended to be an introductory book to teach beginners how to play the harp in a step-by-step manner. Designed for players of any level, the material in this book can be used on any kind of harp, whether it has pedals or not. It also is useful for whatever type of music you choose to play. Some subjects covered in the book include tuning, basic hand position, etudes, and harp solos. The sections of the book are organized logically, so that you can play each song in sequential order, beginning with the easier pieces and gradually increasing in difficulty level.
There are a number of illustrations to show you the proper hand positions, giving the reader a visual reference, as well as the written instructions. Each song is arranged in an easy to learn manner, allowing you to progress through the pieces and introducing you to more complex concepts slowly. There are plenty of fingering exercises to train your left hand and give you confidence to tackle the difficult arrangements.
Because hand and body position is so important when playing the harp, the book devotes several sections to topics related to this. You will learn the proper way to sit and hold your harp and where to place your hands. The book also covers maintenance of the harp and how to tune it. Music theory concepts such as scales, arpeggios, open and broken chords, and finger placement are extensively discussed. There is also a brief section that summarizes the basics of reading music. Along with all of these useful lessons to teach you how to play your harp, there are a number of Celtic harp songs includes as examples.
Unfortunately, the book does not come with an audio CD, so some of the lessons and fingerings may be a bit difficult to visualize. The addition of a CD would make this book an absolute must-buy for anyone interested in learning the harp. Some of the songs for the exercises only include a small portion, so you may not be able to put the song together in your head just from the excerpt. Even without the CD, this is a good starting point for new musicians and can still be a very effective resource.
Mel Bay's Basic Harp gets to the point quickly and cuts out a lot of the unnecessary fluff. Beginners can pick up this book and begin playing beautiful songs on the harp right away. Unlike some beginner's books that are overly complicated and difficult to understand, Riley is able to concisely explain each lesson in a way that musicians of all levels will be able to comprehend. The logical organization of the book makes it easy to skip around and learn only what you need to. While this is not usually an issue with a beginner's book, some people do pick up concepts faster than others and may wish to skip ahead instead of practicing the same exercises they already understand.
Originally posted 2008-11-07 05:08:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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