Accompanying At The Piano

Accompanying

Accompanying is the act of playing along with another musician, most frequently a singer or choral ensemble (though it can just as easily be with another instrument). Though the term has gained a sort of stigma that implies background music, this is in no way the case. Modern bands that contain vocals also contain accompaniment; the band is considered to be accompanying the singer. The fact that they are playing the music for the vocalist to sing to does not at all diminish their importance. Accompanying a musician is simply adding another layer to the song. What, after all, would the song be without the band accompanying the vocals?

Accompanying is found frequently in choral groups. Choral instructors are often accompanying their students on piano during rehearsal; a new pianist is brought in for the performance. A piano isn't the only thing necessary for accompanying a choral ensemble, however. Full orchestras are often used, especially for theater performances. Consider a Broadway performance. We think of the orchestra as just another part of the song, a vital part at that. That orchestra is accompanying the singers and performers on stage.

Accompanying an instrument, vocalist, or choral ensemble requires great skill on the part of the musician performing the accompaniment. A solid background in sight reading is a must, as is the ability to adapt to the other musicians' style -- though accompanying a modern musician requires far less of a style adaptation than it used to. In earlier days of accompanying (the Baroque period, to be exact), the accompanying musician used a type of notation called basso continuo to perform the accompaniment. Basso continuo was not full sheet music, however; it only gave the accompanying musician the bass line and general notes to be played above it. The style and specific changes of the piece were up to the accompanying musician to work out with the lead. Now, however, accompanying musicians are usually given full sheet music with copious notes as to the intended style. But even with the full sheet music, accompanying musicians must understand the style of the other musicians and be able to follow their lead, making accompanying an art all of its own.

Free video on playing "Joy To The World" on the piano using rhythm and chords

I thought you might like to know that there is a free short video on playing "Joy To The World" on the piano using rhythm and chords and all sorts of exciting arranging techniques.

You can watch it at Video on "Joy To The World"

Beethoven's "Fur Elise" & How It Was Written

One of the best-loved of all classical pieces is Beethoven's Fur Elise.

Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most famous classical composers of the western world. Beethoven is remembered for his powerful and stormy compositions, and for continuing to compose and conduct even after he began to go deaf at age 28.

Beethoven scholars are not entirely certain who "Elise" was. The most reasonable theory is that Beethoven originally titled his work "Für Therese", Therese being a gal named Therese whom Beethoven intended to marry in 1810. However, she declined Beethoven's proposal, which no doubt contributed to his depression.

The piece begins with a trill-like melody flowing into an arpeggiation of Am and E7 -- the I and V7 chords in the key of A minor. The next section uses the same theme -- or an approximation of it, but in C major and G major. At the end the minor theme returns.

For details on the piece and how it was written, go to:

Fur-Elise

Christmas Carols Galore

Here are some familiar old carols that can be played on the piano (or guitar0 with just a few chords:

Silent Night
Away In A Manger
Joy To The World
Deck The Halls
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
O Come, O Come Immanuel
Star Of The East
The First Noel
The Holly And The Ivy
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
O Christmas Tree
Angels We Have Heard On High

For a quick way to learn how to do that, go to:

Christmas Carols for those just starting out

Music Scales -- A Ladder Of Notes

If you were anything like me, you hated to practice scales when you were a kid taking lessons. I couldn't see any possible use for playing scales, or even knowing them.

Boy was I wrong!

Without scales I wouldn't have a clue how to form chords, improvise, make up fills and riffs and so on. Plus I wouldn't have the technique to play what I need to play.

So thank heavens for my teachers who drilled scales into me.

If you need to brush up on your major or minor scales, please go to:

http://www.playpiano.com/101-tips/Scales-Major-Relative-Minor-Special.htm

Christmas Carols By Ear

If you enjoy playing Christmas Carols, check out the free sample videos by Jermaine over at http://www.playpiano.com/christmassongsbyear.htm.

Pretty taste stuff!

Previn & Peterson together playing the blues

Two of my favorite pianists play the blues: the great Oscar Peterson and Andre Previn together.

Dig!

What fingers should I use?

Lots of people have asked me over the years what finger to use on such and such a piece of music.

I can usually suggest a workable fingering, but people's hands are so different, that it is hard to generalize.

I have a very small hand, so I can't reach things on the keyboard that people with big hands can. So I use a different fingering than they do.

For some general principles of fingering, please click here.

Playing Songs On the Black Keys Only

When I was in high school I had a wonderful friend who played the piano, but mostly just using black keys. I was just the opposite -- at that point in my learning experience, I tried to avoid the black keys -- the dreaded sharps and flats!

But he got a great sound out of just the black keys, and in time I found out that he was playing the pentatonic scale -- a 5-note scale used a great deal in Asia and in Africa. Of course you don't have to play the pentatonic scale on black keys -- you could play it on any major scale just by leaving out the 4th and 7th degrees of the scale; for example in the key of C the notes would be C, D, E, G, and A -- leaving out F (the 4th degree of the scale) and B (the 7th scale degree).

Here are a few melodies you can play using a pentatonic scale:

Swing Low
Amazing Grace
I'm Just a Poor Wayfaring Stranger
Deep River
Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
This TrainAmen (1 white key)
Kum Ba Ya (1 white key)
Were You There?
When the Saints Go Marching In

What can you play on just the black keys?

Yesterday I wrote an article about the pentatonic scale, and mentioned that the 5 black keys on a piano form a pentatonic scale (penta=5). A student of mine sent me a YouTube video which illustrates this perfectly. Here it is: