The motivation behind the ?layered solos ensemble effect? came from very successful learning and performing with the BegEnz harp books series.The idea is that the student harpist firstly learns a solo at level one. Then there are two versions of the solo, increasing in difficulty, and some parts which are accompaniment or harmonisation when they are played together. Harp one fits onto a fully levered 26 string harp (lowest string is C below middle C) and harps 2 and 3 fit onto 34 string harps.The first solo is always just a clear tune and single note accompaniment arrangement, so by the time they have successfully learnt this, and probably played it in the group, they know exactly how the piece sounds, and the structure of the arrangement. As they improve they can play a more challenging version, and/or stick to the easier part if playing in a group feels trickier. It?s all about having the confidence to take the next step up!The best thing about layered arrangements is that there is a good chunk of each version that can be used as a solo so you are practicing something that you can play without needing other harps to fill out the parts, but when you bring it all together you are still practicing very important ensemble skills ? listening to others, staying in time, being in tune, and being adaptive as a musician in a group.

Your audience?s memory of this Eighties rock anthem by Journey will be playing along in their head?from the original album, a live performance, The Sopranos, Glee, karaoke, or all of the above. But they?ve never heard it before on a harp.

This arrangement makes good use of the double-strung by using both sides for repeated notes and letting the accompaniment hand overlap the melody. The result is beautiful but still ballsy.

Range and key: F major (one flat). 23x2 strings. C below middle C through D.
Lever changes: None.

Good for: Weddings, parties, performance, therapeutic settings.

Double-strung effects: The LH accompaniment frequently overlaps the RH melody range. Finger placements are suggested for playing echoed notes with alternating hands to work around or emphasize ringing strings. Since the alternate-hand echoing is not required, it?s a great piece to learn this technique on.

Characteristics: Arpeggios and a syncopated melody. The RH never places more than an octave spread; the LH places 1-9 twice. There are a few four-note chords (LH 1-3-5-8); the rest of the chords are three notes, usually not inversions. The RH has almost no chords. There are two bars of sixteenth notes that can easily be substituted for eighths. The LH has two long-run patterns (1-5-8-9-10 and 1-5-8-9) which can be played with cross-unders or a wandering thumb. The RH has only two cross-overs.

Finger placement: Finger number suggestions are provided for key phrases. Numbers above the notes are suggestions for the RH (marked with ?R? or ?R#? when they occur in the bottom staff). Numbers below the notes are suggestions for the LH (marked with ?L? or ?L#? when they occur in the top staff). To see what I mean, view the PDF of finger placement examples in ?Don?t Stop Believin?: www.EnjoyTheHarp.com/s/dont-stop-believin-notes-enjoy-the-harp.pdf

Notation: Chord symbols and lyrics are provided. Treble clef in both staves. To avoid switching between bass clef and treble in the accompaniment, 8vb lines are used for the low Cs, Ds, and Es (which means that you play an octave below what?s written). Low Fs use 8vb sometimes, so if you see a lot of low ledger lines, don?t worry: it?s that F below middle C. Instead of counting the lines, you can look at the chord symbols to confirm.

Length: 6 pages. 106 measures. 4:00?5:00 minutes, depending on tempo.

Page turns: If you are printing, double-side pages 2-3 and 4-5 to minimize page turns. Line breaks have been made with printed or single-page-tablet turns in mind; you can pick up some accompaniment notes in the RH to turn with the LH.

Analysis and performance notes at www.EnjoyTheHarp.com/dont-stop-believin