40 O'Carolan Tunes for All Harps (Midmarch Arts Books) [Spiral-bound]

Sylvia Woods (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1987

Arranged for beginning and advanced harpers, this book contains 40 of the best tunes by O'Carolan, the most famous of the Irish harpers and composers who lived from 1670-1738. Each of the 40 tunes has two arrangements: an easy play version and a more difficult version. Each tune includes chord indications that can be used by harpers or other instrumentalists.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Sylvia Woods' harp music books are among the most popular books for harpists at any level. They are playable on lever harps (also called Irish, Celtic, or folk harps) as well as pedal harps (also called concert, grand, or orchestral harps). Her multi-level books are easily accessible for both beginners and advanced players. In these books, Sylvia has created two arrangements for each piece: an easy version, and one that is more difficult. Beginners can start with the easy version, and work their way up to the harder one. The two versions can also be played back to back to make a more varied arrangement. More advanced players and pedal harpists can add extra notes and chords to the harder version, making their own unique arrangement. The two versions can also be played together as a duet

From the Author

Whenever I perform for weddings or other events, I always play a lot of music by O'Carolan. His tunes are varied (some are slow and mournful, and some are fast and happy), and are always popular with audiences. They're also fun to play!

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Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 112 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation (May 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0960299084
• ISBN-13: 978-0960299089
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #590,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Irish harp music of O"Carolan beautifully arranged!, February 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: 40 O'Carolan Tunes for All Harps (Midmarch Arts Books) (Spiral-bound)

40 O'Carolan Tunes for All Harps by Sylvia Woods.

If you have Sylvia's Teach Yourself Book, or are planning to get it, then this book is a natural to follow. The arrangements of 40 of O'Carolan's more popular harp tunes are on two levels so that the book can be used by players of different proficiencies. I was fortunate to have had access to Sylvia's books early in my learning to play the harp and I still play many of the pieces in this book on a regular basis.. Although Turlough O'Carolan lived in another era (1670-1738) he wrote much of the music played by Irish musicians today. The favorites in this book will delight you!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book for harpers, October 6, 2003

By 

David James Trapp "author of Dog Days in Bedl... (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 40 O'Carolan Tunes for All Harps (Midmarch Arts Books) (Spiral-bound)

Sylvia Wood's book on 40 Carolan pieces is an excellent book for harpers of any skill level. The book gives easy and advanced versions for each piece. Fingering suggestions are also given. The melodies themselves are beautiful. Carolan pieces are subtle and tricky, but are worth every moment to master.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hours of Playing Pleasure, January 9, 2007

By 

Valerie Hawkes-Howat - See all my reviews

This review is from: 40 O'Carolan Tunes for All Harps (Midmarch Arts Books) (Spiral-bound)

This is a great book, with every tune arranged two ways: One for the beginner (that's me) and one for advanced players. I like to learn the easy version of each tune and then try the more difficult one afterward.

Even though I can't yet play most of the advanced stuff, I have fun trying it out and I am constantly learning - I can go back and forth between the two versions, incorporating additional harmonies or rhythms as I am able to pick them out, which helps me gain a more in-depth knowledge of the instrument and the music. Furthermore, the easy arrangements do not stray too far beyond the 29 strings of my folk harp.

I also recommend Sylvia Woods' book of Christmas music, which is set up the same way and kept me happily occupied throughout this year's holiday season.