I finally got my hands on Elaine Gould's Behind Bars. This notation manual definitely lives up to the hype!

While most harp writing resources are viewed as comprehensive, Gould focuses in on the notation elements of harp composition. The categories include general notation (my favorite section!), the tuning mechanism, note spelling, pedal settings, and more. And like the other orchestration manuals, focus is given to extended techniques, but again with the perspective on the notation rather than the writing.

I particularly appreciate her section on distributing notes between the staves. Gould says, "Notes should be placed on the staves to show the musical sense as clearly as possible - more like a score than a keyboard part." The focus is on musical continuity rather than indicating which hand plays which notes.

While this book is not a comprehensive harp writing or notation guide, it offers clear guidance on harp notation and it definitely should have a place in your library!

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