The Fifth Steps Course is the last of Beginner Harp Series. It is designed for those who have taken the First Steps Courses
1 - 4. The Beginner Series courses are an in-depth curriculum of harp lessons, encompassing the essentials for a foundation level of harp study. They are designed for beginners (ideally in conjunction with in-person lessons), for those who would
like to refresh their understanding of what it takes to play the harp,
and for teachers of beginning harp students.
The course includes more than 2 hours of short videos, arranged together
in the format of eight lessons. The
participant can view these at any time and they can be revisited as
often as wished as they never expire. They can be a useful resource to refer back to, to
refresh basic concepts, or to deal with fundamental tension issues. Although the videos are pre-recorded, the participant can ask questions at any time.
The numerous close-up videos and photos are an ideal supplement for visual learners.
This course covers: Four-note chords and arpeggios; Grace-notes; Glissandi; advanced Oscillation and Harmonics; Thumb slides; information on Levers and Pedals; Extended techniques of xylophonic sounds, aeolian chords and whistling sounds. This is done through explanations, exercises and a range of repertoire.
The Beginner Series Courses are all suitable for lever or pedal
harp. A fully levered harp is recommended for this course.
Music used is from the AMEB Series 1 Grade 4 and Level 1 Technical workbook and Milldred Dilling's Old Tunes for New
Harpists
(links to
purchase are included in the course information). If
you don't have the music you will still be able to follow the playing in
the videos, as in the previous courses.
You can move at your own pace: choose to watch just the exercise
and one piece to understand and practice the new technical concept;
watch and learn the additional pieces to spend more time getting
comfortable and leaning more about the concept; watch the explanations
of harmony and how a minor key works, or skip ahead if this is something
you know already.
The Course is currently set up for one person per enrollment use only. The First Steps Bundle is also available as a monthly payment scheme, for teachers who wish to share with their students.
To include a One-on-one Lesson to complement this course, enroll in the Skype/Zoom Lesson Course as well.
All prices are in US$. This course is also available as part of the Complete Beginner Level Bundle or the Steps 2 to 5 Bundle.
Your Instructor
Alice Giles AM is one of the world’s leading harpists, and also a dedicated and inspiring teacher. Winner of the prestigious 8th Israel International Harp Contest, she performs extensively as soloist and gives master-classes word-wide. Australian born, she studied in the US and spent many years living in Germany before returning to her roots, where she lives in rural New South Wales. Always ready for an adventure she has even performed on Mawson Station in Antarctica. She is Director of the Seven Harp Ensemble and Artistic Director of the non-profit company Harp Centre Australia. See more about Alice: www.alicegiles.com