“Baroque Continuo: A practical manual for harpists.”

This is an educational manual designed to accommodate both amateur and professional players. By providing a foundation for further studies in Baroque continuo playing on the harp, my dissertation encourages historically informed performances from any harpist interested in learning the basics of continuo. Included in the dissertation are a brief history of continuo playing, instructions on learning how to read and harmonize figured bass, the basic rules of good counterpoint, an introduction to the general concept of Baroque style, detailed examples of how to prepare for a first performance, a variety of chapters demonstrating the use of harp and continuo in the Baroque era using examples by Handel, Lawes, Purcell, and Monteverdi, advice on instrument selection, and learning how to tune by ear. Each chapter is followed by a short list of pertinent suggested readings. For private distribution only.