Contemporary Etudes for Harp

Explore these 24 contemporary etudes for pedal and lever harp. The performance-ready harp etudes include contemporary techniques suitable for lever and pedal players with intermediate to advanced capability. These etudes span a variety of difficulty levels and help you master and apply a variety of contemporary practices. This group of studies is composed by some of the most internationally acclaimed harpists, hailing from all around the United States, Mexico, and Europe—all of whom studied at Berklee College of Music. Audio and video demonstrate the techniques.

You will learn:

• Contemporary scales, harmonies, and progressions
• Rhythm practices, such as multi-meters and swing vs. straight feels
• Hand independence and stamina
• Improvisation skills, comping patterns, and bass lines
• Muffling, slides, and articulations
• Timbral effects, such as the splat, xylophonic effects, gong, and slap bass sounds

Etude composers include:

• Amy Ahn
• Màiri Chaimbeul
• Emi DeLia
• Olivia Fortunato
• Maeve Gilchrist
• Stina Hellberg Agback
• Abby Lim-Kimberg
• Juana Luna
• MarieMarie
• Eléonore Niubo
• Charles Overton
• Piper Pichette
• Felice Pomeranz
• Pia Salvia
• César Secundino Mendez

Harpist Felice Pomeranz is a performer, recording artist, teacher, entrepreneur, and author. She is the professor of harp at Berklee College of Music, where she founded the harp program in 2002.

Author royalties from the sales of this book fund a Berklee scholarship fund to support harpists.

“This compilation of studies for lever and pedal harp is an invaluable and unique tool for expanding and consolidating a firm rhythmic foundation for both jazz and classical harpists. 

“There are a myriad of styles to learn, and it’s also a real insight into harmonic progressions as well as teaching some cool harp techniques. 

“I thoroughly recommend this book for personal advancement and even more importantly for great fun!” 

—Professor Skaila Kanga, FRAM, LRAM; Professor Emerita of Harp, Royal Academy of Music, London, U.K. 

“This unique collection of contemporary etudes is in a class by itself. The variety of styles, rhythms, and scales make each etude unique. Whether you play lever or pedal harp, you’ll find plenty of music to inspire and challenge you.”

—Sylvia Woods, Sylvia Woods Harp Center, Hawaii

“Wow. Felice Pomeranz has created a new, important, and refreshing harp etude book that is so much more than a book of studies! By including multi-genre music for both pedal harp and lever harp, this book of etudes is for every harp player. Informative, friendly, well explained, current, diverse, and flowing with fantastic new compositions, I can’t wait to share this book with my students and colleagues. Bravo Felice!”

—Sharlene Wallace, Lever and Pedal Harpist, Composer, Arranger, Recording Artist, Educator

“Contemporary Etudes for Harp is a wonderful addition to the etude book catalog. The twenty-four studies are of many different styles and approach different techniques, harmonic challenges, and rhythmic examples in a fresh, new way.

“There are etudes that show how to improvise, play with a drum track, become the bass player, and more useful techniques.

“Felice and her former students have written the etudes with a modern approach, and every studio should have a copy.

“This etude book will be a staple for all harpists, lever and pedal, who want to become proficient at new styles for harp.  I highly recommend it.”

—Ann Hobson Pilot, Former Principal Harpist, Boston Symphony Orchestra

“Felice Pomeranz has nurtured countless great names in jazz harp. Since its beginnings in 2002, her class at Berklee College of Music has become renowned as a hotbed of talent, innovation, and creativity. Felice has also been instrumental in making jazz study accessible to harpists all over the world, and to both pedal and lever harpists alike. 

“These new contemporary etudes form another vital contribution to the serious study of jazz and improvisational harp. It is also inspiring that the ground-breaking collection is a collaboration by many of those great harpists who all once studied at Berklee. I congratulate you on this beautiful work, and I wish all current harp students much joy exploring these styles, rhythms, and colours.”

—Jakez Francois, President, Camac Harps