I am delighted to announce the publication of my first book of Traditional Irish Music for harp. This is a book of arrangements for small harps of 20 and 26 strings. It is the culmination of my work teaching harp to beginners, many of whom begin on small harps. It is a fabulous way to begin learning the harp and you will soon know whether or not you would like to eventually move on to a larger harp. Indeed, many experienced players (myself included) enjoy playing a smaller harp in addition to a full size harp as it is much more portable and therefore suitable for taking out and about to play in sessions and with friends.
This is an ideal resource for teachers to use with beginner-lower intermediate players. The range of tune types also makes it a useful resource for preparing pupils for graded exams in Irish Traditional Music. The tunes and arrangements included in this book are suitable for grades Step-Grade III.
Each tune includes a 20 string and 26 string arrangement, with just slight changes in the accompaniment to make best use of the strings available. Simple ornamentation is also included in the 26 string arrangements. I have omitted ornamentation from the 20 string arrangements as it is a good idea to learn the basic tune first, adding ornamentation as confidence and fluency develops.
To accommodate harps without levers, all of the arrangements in this book can be played with the harp tuned in G Major (with the exception of the 26 string arrangement of Elizabeth Kelly’s Favourite which has an F natural in the accompaniment).
‘Traditional Irish Music for Small Harps: Arrangements for 20 and 26 string harps’ by Katy Bustard is available to purchase in paperback or PDF on the shop page of my website.
Sets of books for harp schools and teachers are available at a trade price discount. For more information, please get in touch via the contact page.
Causeway Harp School 