Play the Harp with Charlie the Kitten by Isabelle Frouvelle

Introduction taken from the Book: 

This method has been specially written for young beginners.

Gradual learning of notes and rhythms is designed to go hand-in-hand with general musical training For this reason, the selected exercises and pieces are based around middle C, progressively extending to other areas in keeping with the majority of current music learning methods.

Technical progress for the students follows these key parameters. Polyphony is only introduced into these small pieces during the later stages of this book by means of a variety of technical exercises involving contrapuntal motifs.

The method has been deliberately made as playful as possible and is based around the adventures of the young kitten, CHARLIE, using a mixture of very short exercises and pieces that change frequently.

The exercises always involve independent use of the hands in order to focus on individual technical difficulty, work on technique and ease the student into good practice habits, an approach essential for continual development.

These key rudiments of technique are presented and developed especially for small hands.

At the end of the book, you will find the following:

• 18 exercises of different degrees of difficulty; these are designed to be used as desired, and to be played together by teacher and pupil where lesson time allows.
• Some very simple duets
• Some duets to be played by teacher and pupil
• Note-reading exercises designed to strengthen areas of weakness
• A little musical theory for the guidance of parents.

Many thanks to Micaela Hobbs and my pupils who have helped make this method possible.

Isabelle FROUVELLE