My wife has been an accompanist since her high school days and has always said her job is to support the soloist(s) and make them sound better. She prefers staying in the background. Because of that, she's always in demand.
I would say #6 is "eye contact" which kind of falls under Balance at 07:50 with confidence or 15:00 and is also more than that. Because a good piano accompanist will indicate rehearsal marks, rhythms, sections, acceleration and retardation, and so many other conductor-type things, with their eyes, and their chin nods, or even chromatic notes with their shoulder-tipping shrugs. So also, for this to work well, the accompanist should be able to tell the other players where they should be standing on stage before starting, in order to be able to ensure eye contact can be made with all the other musicians or with the soloist. Especially to the trumpet players 🎺
In college (voice major) I used to draw little coffee mugs on my accompanist's score. He knew it meant "I'm going to take such a big breath here that you'll have time to nip out to Starbucks for a latte", LOL!
Sir, do you have any instructional videos on techniques for accompanying one's own songs on piano? I'm a songwriter and would love to learn more about this subject. Thank you!
These ones may be of use... th-cam.com/video/WT-doh9qvVU/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/EP_flmJkdeQ/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/UGnTJAjhqvo/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/rLnulFEM11A/w-d-xo.html Thanks
Thanks for the valuable insights. I am a latecomer (approaching Grade VIII - aged 80!) accompanying my grandson’s violin (Grade V passed). He has played in a few orchestral groups, so I am on my mettle to learn to accompany him well.
awesome video! i teach piano at a studio and have been given more and more opportunities to accompany the string players. its been challenging but has forced me to grow so much as a player
Firstly thank you so so so much. Such a great teacher and kind person. Secondly may i ask you to make a series of lessons that foucs in a concentrated form on classical music composition . Be safe and thank you once again.
That’s a big agenda but we have loads of relevant material on the Music Matters TH-cam channel and at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme.
The piano part as accompaniment can contain the melody line. Some arrangements such as a piano with a violin or cello, the pianist does the lower notes so it's in the background all the time. Other arrangements the pianist also plays the melody note alongside the solo instrument. Both needs to play at sync. When the soloist starts to get off track, the pianist can act as a guide to bring the soloist back on track.
I'm an amateur... I played the song and they sang along. But finally when they were on stage they sang way more than I expected so I reduced my playing so they would come out way more in their solo. Trick is: I would like to know on forehand how much show they finally are going to give so I can adapt in my accompanying playing...
@@MusicMattersGB Right. Thanks. Another thing I did for two other songs... I switched to the Hammond organ instead of the piano. Because the choir gives ritm. And my piano playing might be different. I don't want them to adapt to me. The choir leader is capable enough to get ritm out of the different choir voices and soloists. With just organ chords and bass notes from the pedal they feel greatly sustained. And can do what they like. It was fun and worked great.
My mother was a top tier professional accompanist, and I didn’t know how spoiled I was until I got to university and would be assigned a piano major to accompany me for masterclasses and juries. So often I felt like I was the obligato even though I was definitely playing the melody line and they were playing chords or a running part that just supported the melody line. I won’t even get into duo sonatas. As a teacher I’ve learned the hard way that I need to have the final say on a student’s accompanist. If I don’t students can all too often end up with the nice old piano teacher down the street or a sibling-both who’ve never done any accompanying in their life! As a judge I’ve seen far too many performances ruined by the wrong accompanist. Might I also add that a good accompanist doesn’t get offended if the soloist or their teacher/professor nicely makes suggestions regarding how they can play more sensitively, match articulations better, be more musical at a certain point in the music during rehearsals? Of course, if the soloist or their teacher/professor is rude and unreasonable that’s another thing all together. As a recording and freelance musician I’ve had to learn to accompany others often on the spot, so I understand the pressures that an accompanist is under. I often end up accompanying my own students on the piano when an acceptable accompanist can’t be found or isn’t interested in taking time to do the work properly or refuses to take gentle instruction. Frankly, I’d rather not because piano isn’t my main instrument. When we start having festivals and competitions again (after Covid) I plan to send this video to both my students and their accompanists so that we all begin on the same page. Thanks so much for your excellent videos.🎵
And what a guitar accompanist should do? :) Am I also going to find out how to be a good accompanist regardless of the instrument I play? Have a nice day, Music Matters Team!
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. If you value this channel and would like to help us continue to share and develop the content please consider supporting us as a level 1 Maestro by clicking here th-cam.com/channels/8yI8P7Zi3yYTsypera-IQg.htmljoin Alternatively you can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.
Some smart composer or conductor should invent a new word for this, visit with a local linguist, because probably the worst vocabulary word in music, is "accompaniment", so hard to pronounce, jazz players don't even say it at all (they just say, "comp" and cause even more confusion).
@@MusicMattersGB I could suggest many though it doesnt mean it would catch on. One concept is foreground instrument vs background instrument, some instrument harmony parts were long ago called the ground (bass, I guess), so perhaps the piano person could be called "the ground", short for the background, "play the ground", the verb would be "that pianist is grounding in this piece", which would compare to the vocalist who is the Foreground. Even though it isnt perfect either because a piano may play up high which isnt like a grounding bass tone. At least calling someone the "ground" can be pronounced easily and less than 2 syllables.
An interesting possibility. Of course the accompanist doesn’t always play a subservient role. Often there’s interaction between soloist and accompanist as they move between predominant and subservient roles.
@@MusicMattersGB To create a music term for "accompaniment" it would probably better to go back to greek roots or latin roots and form a completely new word, maybe something from 'partner' then, it would take a lot of consideration, that's why a linguist should be involved in the effort. Music theory has long stopped being innovative in creating proper terminology, even centuries ago, for no particular reason. It is verrryyy difficult to describe anything about music in words, which is strange in itself, since music is as old as speech, maybe predating speech, in human civilization, and exists within the creative arts. Even the term for the instrument of piano itself (short for the literal translation, "soft-loud") is a fairly ridiculous music term. "Hey, what instrument would you like to play today? Would you like to play the soft-loud?" Uhhhh.. wut? It is very, very un-creative.
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My wife has been an accompanist since her high school days and has always said her job is to support the soloist(s) and make them sound better. She prefers staying in the background. Because of that, she's always in demand.
Excellent. Good accompanists are a rare find.
I have sooooo much respect for accompanists!
Absolutely
I would say #6 is "eye contact" which kind of falls under Balance at 07:50 with confidence or 15:00 and is also more than that. Because a good piano accompanist will indicate rehearsal marks, rhythms, sections, acceleration and retardation, and so many other conductor-type things, with their eyes, and their chin nods, or even chromatic notes with their shoulder-tipping shrugs. So also, for this to work well, the accompanist should be able to tell the other players where they should be standing on stage before starting, in order to be able to ensure eye contact can be made with all the other musicians or with the soloist. Especially to the trumpet players 🎺
😀
Your videos are always so timely for me. Thank you 😌
A pleasure. Glad it’s helpful.
In college (voice major) I used to draw little coffee mugs on my accompanist's score. He knew it meant "I'm going to take such a big breath here that you'll have time to nip out to Starbucks for a latte", LOL!
😀 See www.mmcourses.co.uk for much more including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme.
Sir, do you have any instructional videos on techniques for accompanying one's own songs on piano? I'm a songwriter and would love to learn more about this subject. Thank you!
These ones may be of use...
th-cam.com/video/WT-doh9qvVU/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/EP_flmJkdeQ/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/UGnTJAjhqvo/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/rLnulFEM11A/w-d-xo.html
Thanks
Thanks for the valuable insights. I am a latecomer (approaching Grade VIII - aged 80!) accompanying my grandson’s violin (Grade V passed). He has played in a few orchestral groups, so I am on my mettle to learn to accompany him well.
That’s absolutely brilliant
Thanks Sir.
A pleasure. See www.mmcourses.co.uk for much more including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme.
Hi Gareth, thanks for this! It was very helpful!!! Blessed New Year to you and your family
That’s great. Happy new year to you too.
awesome video! i teach piano at a studio and have been given more and more opportunities to accompany the string players. its been challenging but has forced me to grow so much as a player
That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Firstly thank you so so so much. Such a great teacher and kind person. Secondly may i ask you to make a series of lessons that foucs in a concentrated form on classical music composition . Be safe and thank you once again.
That’s a big agenda but we have loads of relevant material on the Music Matters TH-cam channel and at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme.
The piano part as accompaniment can contain the melody line. Some arrangements such as a piano with a violin or cello, the pianist does the lower notes so it's in the background all the time. Other arrangements the pianist also plays the melody note alongside the solo instrument. Both needs to play at sync. When the soloist starts to get off track, the pianist can act as a guide to bring the soloist back on track.
All true. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme.
A lot of musical wisdom. Thanks
That’s most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme.
I'm an amateur... I played the song and they sang along. But finally when they were on stage they sang way more than I expected so I reduced my playing so they would come out way more in their solo. Trick is: I would like to know on forehand how much show they finally are going to give so I can adapt in my accompanying playing...
One necessary feature of a sensitive accompanist is flexibility - the ability to adapt to the moment.
@@MusicMattersGB Right. Thanks. Another thing I did for two other songs... I switched to the Hammond organ instead of the piano. Because the choir gives ritm. And my piano playing might be different. I don't want them to adapt to me. The choir leader is capable enough to get ritm out of the different choir voices and soloists. With just organ chords and bass notes from the pedal they feel greatly sustained. And can do what they like. It was fun and worked great.
My mother was a top tier professional accompanist, and I didn’t know how spoiled I was until I got to university and would be assigned a piano major to accompany me for masterclasses and juries. So often I felt like I was the obligato even though I was definitely playing the melody line and they were playing chords or a running part that just supported the melody line. I won’t even get into duo sonatas. As a teacher I’ve learned the hard way that I need to have the final say on a student’s accompanist. If I don’t students can all too often end up with the nice old piano teacher down the street or a sibling-both who’ve never done any accompanying in their life! As a judge I’ve seen far too many performances ruined by the wrong accompanist. Might I also add that a good accompanist doesn’t get offended if the soloist or their teacher/professor nicely makes suggestions regarding how they can play more sensitively, match articulations better, be more musical at a certain point in the music during rehearsals? Of course, if the soloist or their teacher/professor is rude and unreasonable that’s another thing all together. As a recording and freelance musician I’ve had to learn to accompany others often on the spot, so I understand the pressures that an accompanist is under. I often end up accompanying my own students on the piano when an acceptable accompanist can’t be found or isn’t interested in taking time to do the work properly or refuses to take gentle instruction. Frankly, I’d rather not because piano isn’t my main instrument. When we start having festivals and competitions again (after Covid) I plan to send this video to both my students and their accompanists so that we all begin on the same page. Thanks so much for your excellent videos.🎵
An excellent commentary. Thank you.
interesting informations thank you
That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
And what a guitar accompanist should do? :) Am I also going to find out how to be a good accompanist regardless of the instrument I play? Have a nice day, Music Matters Team!
Nearly all of the same issues apply.
Compilmentary
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. If you value this channel and would like to help us continue to share and develop the content please consider supporting us as a level 1 Maestro by clicking here th-cam.com/channels/8yI8P7Zi3yYTsypera-IQg.htmljoin Alternatively you can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.
Some smart composer or conductor should invent a new word for this, visit with a local linguist, because probably the worst vocabulary word in music, is "accompaniment", so hard to pronounce, jazz players don't even say it at all (they just say, "comp" and cause even more confusion).
@@RonSwansonIsMyGod I guess pianists don't like the term "sideman" 😂 🤐
Is there a better word that anyone can suggest? Collaborative has merits because it’s very much a musical partnership whatever the genre.
@@MusicMattersGB I could suggest many though it doesnt mean it would catch on. One concept is foreground instrument vs background instrument, some instrument harmony parts were long ago called the ground (bass, I guess), so perhaps the piano person could be called "the ground", short for the background, "play the ground", the verb would be "that pianist is grounding in this piece", which would compare to the vocalist who is the Foreground. Even though it isnt perfect either because a piano may play up high which isnt like a grounding bass tone. At least calling someone the "ground" can be pronounced easily and less than 2 syllables.
An interesting possibility. Of course the accompanist doesn’t always play a subservient role. Often there’s interaction between soloist and accompanist as they move between predominant and subservient roles.
@@MusicMattersGB To create a music term for "accompaniment" it would probably better to go back to greek roots or latin roots and form a completely new word, maybe something from 'partner' then, it would take a lot of consideration, that's why a linguist should be involved in the effort. Music theory has long stopped being innovative in creating proper terminology, even centuries ago, for no particular reason. It is verrryyy difficult to describe anything about music in words, which is strange in itself, since music is as old as speech, maybe predating speech, in human civilization, and exists within the creative arts. Even the term for the instrument of piano itself (short for the literal translation, "soft-loud") is a fairly ridiculous music term. "Hey, what instrument would you like to play today? Would you like to play the soft-loud?" Uhhhh.. wut? It is very, very un-creative.