The Treble Harpist: An Introduction to Music on the Harp

“Music for the harp – just like the piano – is customarily written in two clefs. The forty-seven strings on a concert grand pedal harp certainly require this for legible notation in a six and one–half octave range.  There is an increasing interest in harps with fewer strings.  Many manufacturers of lever harps produce models with nineteen, twenty-two and twenty-six strings.  These harps are very popular with the rapidly increasing numbers of adult learners.  A smaller range of strings provides an option to modify traditional harp notation.  This also facilitates study for the expanding group of new harpist.

By writing music using occasional ledger lines – three below the staff and two above – a range of two and one-half octaves can be achieved on a single staff.  Only the treble clef is used.  The range begins with the F below Middle C and finishes with the C two octaves higher.  These nineteen pitches comprise the range of The Treble Harpist…

The Treble Harpist provides study material and arrangements which can be notated on a single staff…

In all cases, this study is intended for participation between a student and a teacher.  It is not self-guided….

The repertoire for this study comes from folk tunes, religious and holiday tunes in both the Christian and Jewish traditions, well known melodies…”  R. Pool

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