Irish Music for 16 Strings
This is a book of traditional Irish music for the small harp or lyre. Each tune may be played on either a 16 string lyre or small harp, tuned to C Major. I have included two arrangements of each tune, one for lyre and one for harp. They are of course interchangeable on either instrument, but the lyre version is somewhat simpler in style.
I have included Irish traditional tunes of different types to suit the late beginner/ early intermediate player.
These are tunes that I play and teach myself at Causeway Harp School. I find that they are enjoyable and accessible to late beginner/ intermediate players and they sound delightful on these charming little instruments.
Traditional Irish Music for Harp & Lyre is available on Etsy.
Relaxing Celtic Harp | Irish Harp Airs
Sometimes it’s nice to play harp to relax, or to help others relax. Relaxing Celtic Harp | Irish Harp Airs is a collection of our favourite tunes to play at Causeway Harp School. This book is suitable for intermediate level players and includes pieces included on Trinity College London Lever Harp Syllabus for grades IV & VII.
This is an ideal resource for players hoping to expand their repertoire to include enchanting Celtic airs, suitable for playing at weddings and events and in health and wellness settings. This is a collection of haunting Irish airs to help you relax, or to help others relax.
My arrangements include some melodic variation and ornamentation, which may be omitted or altered to suit ability and playing style. I have also tried to keep left hand accompaniments relatively simple and pattern based, making the arrangements easier to grasp and memorise.
Many of the pieces are from the collections of Edward Bunting, collected at the historic Belfast Harp Festival of 1792. This was a heroic attempt to preserve the 1000 year old harping tradition in Ireland that was in rapid decline at the time. I have also included songs from Thomas Moore’s Irish Melodies. Both these collections of music reside in the Special Collections of Queen’s University, Belfast and so have a special significance to harpers in the north of Ireland.
Relaxing Celtic Harp | Irish Harp Airs is available on Etsy.
Irish Music for 20-26 Strings
Traditional Irish Music for Small Harps is the culmination of my work with beginner players on small harps. This book is ideal for beginning-lower intermediate harp players who can already read music and who already know basic technique.
Traditional Irish Music for Small Harps contains a wide variety of Irish traditional tune types: Carolan , marches, airs, jigs, slip jigs, polkas, Irish hymns and slow airs. I have selected tunes that sound especially beautiful on the small harp and that my pupils thoroughly enjoy playing.
There is a 20 string and 26 string arrangement of each tune, with the 26 string arrangements including some simple forms of ornamentation. To accommodate harps without levers, all of the arrangements in this book can be played with the harp tuned in the key of G Major (with the exception of the 26 string arrangement of Elizabeth Kelly’s Favourite, which has an F natural in the accompaniment).
Although not a method book, this is an ideal resource for harp teachers and for those looking for quality and authentic Irish traditional repertoire for the small harp. It is also a fabulous resource for harp groups of late beginner to lower intermediate level.
Traditional Irish Music for Small Harp is available on Etsy.
Causeway Harp School 