Several years ago now I began to teach children who specifically wish to learn only the alphorn how to play this unique and wonderful instrument. As there were no beginners pieces that met their requirements at the time, I became creative. From one lesson to the next I would compose a new song or little exercise for my pupils, and you have now before you the collected results of my endeavours.
At my courses, which are still always open to beginners, I have noticed that adults, too, show close interest in this collection. As they, like the children, have suffered from the lack of suitable repertoire for their level, this little book may be able to fill that gap, too. Thanks first and foremost to my pupils Anne Sophie, Joana and Annina, without whom this collection would never have come into being; to Andrea Kisch, who gave me no peace until it was released; and to Hans-Jürg Sommer, who transcribed my handwriting into a legible music notation. I am also grateful to Mirko Schacht and Gerhard Höfer, whose drawings give this booklet its attractive appearance, and to Norbert Clément and Dimitri Ashkenazy for the editing and corrections of the French and English editions, respectively.