Fixed Position £11

Tunes and exercises for the beginner wire-strung harper.

This book is intended for beginners on the wire-strung harp or clarsach. It uses fixed hand positions - where the same finger always plays the same string and the hand is anchored on the strings - to learn damping, co-ordination, and how to create a good tone without buzzing. It also starts to explore adding supporting bass notes to enhance the harmony arising out of the tune. Thumb slides are introduced, along with the idea of expanding the fixed position with the thumbs playing more than one note, and sharing the same note between both hands.

Everything is playable on a 19 string instrument starting on G below middle C.

Seven exercises lead onto Fair Molly, noted by Bunting as the first tune taught to harpers, two new tunes by Karen, and three more familiar pieces to play.

CONTENTS

Preliminary Exercises 1 (A-E) / Preliminary Exercises 2 (A-E)  / Exercise 3  /  Exercise 4 / Exercise 5  / Exercise 6 / Exercise 7 / Fair Molly   / Signs of Spring  (K. Marshalsay) / Times Marches On  (K. Marshalsay) / Ca the Yowes  / Ally Bally  / Wo Betyd thy Wearie Bodie  / Further study resources

More info here.