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Music Suggestions

I really enjoy discovering new repertoire, putting together interesting programs, and picking a piece that is a perfect fit for a student. Many people frequently ask me for music suggestions, in part because it can be difficult to navigate the online world of harp music. Below you'll find a list of some standout pieces, music that I come back to time and again in my teaching. These are pieces that I think are composed well, suit the harp admirably, and help develop a student's technical skills on the harp.

I've organized these by the same system that I (aspire to) use with my physical music: difficulty level, and then alphabetized by composer's last name. (Note: Each of the categories below contains a range of pieces within that difficulty level, so there is some variation within the level.) Most of the piece are linked to a corresponding video, primarily from my Inspirational Videos for Young Harpists YouTube Series, which is another way that I offer repertoire suggestions to student harpists. You can find more of these videos and a lot more on my YouTube Channel. Feel free to subscribe!

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Beginning Music​

All of these pieces are suitable for lever harp, but could be easily played on the pedal harp as well. Each one has a clear focus and is enjoyable to listen to and to play.

Bernard Andrès

Bernard Andrès

Bernard Andrès

Marcel Grandjany

Ruth K. Inglefield

Ruth K. Inglefield

Susann McDonald

Samuel Milligan

Samuel Milligan

Betty Paret

Betty Paret

Jane Weidensaul

Beginning/Intermediate Music

These pieces could also be considered late beginning pieces or early intermediate pieces. (Different harp publishers and harp stores categorize their music differently and use different terms. Some just use a three tier system - beginning, intermediate, advanced - while some have more gradations.) All of these pieces are playable on lever harp, but again could easily be played on the pedal harp as well. 

Bernard Andrès

Bernard Andrès

Bernard Andrès

Bernard Andrès

J. S. Bach, arr. Pearl Chertok

Alphonse Hasselmans

Ruth K. Inglefield

Ruth K. Inglefield
Marcel Grandjany

Susann McDonald

Susann McDonald

Samuel Milligan

Betty Paret

Mary Kay Waddington

David Watkins

Jane Weidensaul

Intermediate Lever Harp Music

The intermediate level is a really fun level, as there are so many great options for music. Frequently this is when students make a switch from a lever harp to a pedal harp (if they choose to make this switch at all). As before, all of the below pieces are written specifically for the lever harp, but could be played on the pedal harp as well. (Note: the Lyra edition of the Grandjany Barcarolle includes an optional pedal harp introduction, and there is a separate version of Bach's Prelude in C available specifically for pedal harp.)

Bernard Andrès

Bernard Andrès

Bernard Andrès
J. S. Bach, arr. Samuel Milligan

J. S. Bach, trans. Jacqueline Pollauf

arr. Louise Charpentier/Odette le Dentu

arr. Louise Charpentier/Odette le Dentu

Charles Gounod, arr. Samuel Milligan

Marcel Grandjany 

Marcel Grandjany
arr. Marcel Grandjany

Nancy Gustavson

George Handel, arr. Samuel Milligan

Samuel Pratt

Henriette Renié

Intermediate Pedal Harp Music

This music is highly specific to the pedal harp and cannot be played on the lever harp. Again, there are many beautiful pieces of music here, including pieces written by harpists who have an excellent understanding of what suits the instrument.

C. P. E. Bach, trans. Dominique Piana

J. S. Bach, trans. Jacqueline Pollauf

Gottfried Kirchhoff, trans. Marcel Grandjany

Marcel Grandjany

Marcel Grandjany

Marcel Grandjany

Alphonse Hasselmans

Susann McDonald and Linda Wood

Susann McDonald

Henriette Renié

Henriette Renié

Henriette Renié

Carlos Salzedo
John Thomas

Marcel Tournier

Linda Wood

Linda Wood

Intermediate/Advanced Pedal Harp Music

This is just a small sampling of all of the lovely works that could be included in this category.  Many represent different times periods. Also transcriptions, as opposed to original works, become a larger part of the repertoire here.

J. S. Bach, trans. Marcel Grandjany

Benjamin Britten

Claude Debussy, trans. Henriette Renié

Sophia Giustina Dussek

George Frederic Handel, trans. Carlos Salzedo

Alphonse Hasselmans

Alphonse Hasselmans

Alphonse Hasselmans

François-Joseph Naderman

John Parry

Ottorino Respighi, trans. Marcel Grandjany

Carlos Salzedo

Marcel Tournier

Marcel Tournier

David Watkins

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