piano Accompanying

[bonjing]

I am an undergrad senior and started my internship as an accompanist in my school last week. I accompany every week for vocal majors (their rehearsal and Vocal Studio). I've already told the Vocal professor about giving their music sheets to me a week before the rehearsal. She told everyone about it but most of the vocalist are so lazy and they always handed their sheets at the very last minute. I accompany 3 or 4 people every week and some of the notes are very challenging to play and it needs more time to practice. This is my first time accompanying by the way. I don't know how to stand up for myself sometimes. Some people say I need to be more assertive. I really don't know what to say to those people. This gives me a lot of stress, plus I'm also taking piano lessons and I barely practice my pieces.

[quantum]

I started out accompanying somewhat similar to what you are doing.   Sadly it is common for vocalists to give music the last minute or to change their mind on which piece to sing last minute.  Something that accompanists must put up with.  Just keep insisting on timely delivery of scores.  Perhaps you could explain it to them like this:  it took you 4 weeks to learn this song, do you think giving me 1 day to learn the piano part is acceptable?   

If you are just accompanying for lessons, don't worry about playing to the same degree of detail as your solo piano rep.  Just focus on the basics, solid rhythm, state all their cues clearly, balance, communication, etc.  I've seen many professional accompanists simplify the piano parts for complex music.  Ideally we would learn the music as written, but given the circumstances compromises have to be made. 

[aintgotnorhythm]

I agree with quantum. I accompany my kids a lot and don't always have time to learn the accompaniment. I focus on keeping a steady tempo and staying in the right key even if it means missing out some of the notes in the more difficult sections. It's meant to be fun not a stressful ordeal and I don't see any problem simplifying the accompaniment to achieve this.

[jimbo320]

Turn the situation around. Tell them to vocalize to your playing........

[birba]

Welcome to the club.  I remember once I was called to accompany some auditions for the orchestra at the last minute.  It seems the pianist who was handed the music excused himself to go the bathroom and never returned!!  I kid you not!  when I got there I saw why.  Almost every instrument had a Hindemith sonata to play.  It was nerveracking.  It was useless to complain to the organization that music of this sort requires a minimum of preparation.  An accompanist is only a juke box.  Sorry, that's the way it is.  If you keep at it, you'll develop a good sight-reading ability and gradually learn the repertoire.  The vocalists tend to have easy music with them, unless there's some soprano singing the Zerbinetta aria.  So, just look at it as part of your learning process.  But you do have to be assertive in this business or they'll walk all over you.  Just remember:  As a rule, you know much much more about music then any singer ever will.

[m1469]

Just remember:  As a rule, you know much much more about music then any singer ever will.

I find this an interesting attitude.  Generally speaking, I find the whole perception of the singing world to be an interesting attitude, both by singers and "non-singers" alike.  From what I can tell, singing is thought of as the most fundamental musicianship, and something that every instrumentalist aspires to or wishes they were (if not as a vocalist, as an instrumentalist).  Yet, singers somehow are not expected to be something of "musical genius" ... they are not actually expected to play any other instruments (whereas, oftentimes, a pianist will play one or several other instruments quite well), in some ways singers aren't expected to understand all that much about music theory, general music history, they aren't even expected to be that rhythmically accurate (not that it's preferrable not to be, but they are nearly expected to be inaccurate), they aren't expected to really know the great symphonies, they aren't even expected to know the full score of the operas they may be singing nor are they expected to really know the accompaniment in other cases, they aren't necessarily expected to know the evolution of singing itself and the forms that are involved, and in some cases, they aren't necessarily even expected to understand the actual words they are singing (though that is more or less changing).  Singers are not expected to also be composers, etc., etc., etc..  On top of all of that, they are expected to mature much later than all the other lesser musicians of the world.

hmmmmm ....

[birba]

I knew that comment would raise a little uproar among the aspiring singers here!  I, too, feel the voice and singing are of upmost importance in a pianist's training.  I was speaking from professional accompanist's viewpoint.  Gerald Moore, the king of the accompanists who collaborated with all the greats (Schwarzkopf, fisher-dieskau, etc.) wrote a wonderful book entitled "Am I Too Loud?"  It recounts his experiences in the world of accompanying.  There are the art song singers and there are the opera singers.  The former are usually much more musically complete in their preparation and they really do "collaborate" with their pianist.  The pianist's role is much more important in song recitals and they will be the first to admit that their "accompanist" is much more than what that word literally means.  All you have to do is try to play Schubert's Erl Konig to get the gist of what I'm talking about.  On the other hand, we have the opera singers who only expect a supporting orchestral ACCOMPANIMENT who will follow their every whim during a concert.  But the most that can be said about those concerts is that you only notice the pianist when things DON'T go well.   A famous Italian pianist Giorgio Favaretto once accompanied Renata Tebaldi in a concert and his name wasn't even mentioned on the programme!!!!! 
I, myself, have learned a lot from many singers.  ONe Russian tenor, Gregorian, taught me everything I know about the Rachmaninov songs.  The concert we did together will remain as one of the most significant events in my life.  I've also accompanied lots of bitchy divas and very idiotic tenors.  Young singers who's only concern was their god-given voice.  But I'll go along with them.  They're the ones that are calling the punches and providing the food-ticket.  But you can be sure that they listen to what I have to say and take my musical advice!

[m1469]

I knew that comment would raise a little uproar among the aspiring singers here!

I actually was quite certain you expected some sort of response .  I have my own reasons for posting what I did and thought I saw a nice opportunity in response to your comment .

I, too, feel the voice and singing are of upmost importance in a pianist's training.  I was speaking from professional accompanist's viewpoint.  Gerald Moore, the king of the accompanists who collaborated with all the greats (Schwarzkopf, fisher-dieskau, etc.) wrote a wonderful book entitled "Am I Too Loud?"  It recounts his experiences in the world of accompanying.  There are the art song singers and there are the opera singers.  The former are usually much more musically complete in their preparation and they really do "collaborate" with their pianist.  The pianist's role is much more important in song recitals and they will be the first to admit that their "accompanist" is much more than what that word literally means.  All you have to do is try to play Schubert's Erl Konig to get the gist of what I'm talking about.  On the other hand, we have the opera singers who only expect a supporting orchestral ACCOMPANIMENT who will follow their every whim during a concert.  But the most that can be said about those concerts is that you only notice the pianist when things DON'T go well.   A famous Italian pianist Giorgio Favaretto once accompanied Renata Tebaldi in a concert and his name wasn't even mentioned on the programme!!!!!  
I, myself, have learned a lot from many singers.  ONe Russian tenor, Gregorian, taught me everything I know about the Rachmaninov songs.  The concert we did together will remain as one of the most significant events in my life.  I've also accompanied lots of bitchy divas and very idiotic tenors.  Young singers who's only concern was their god-given voice.  But I'll go along with them.  They're the ones that are calling the punches and providing the food-ticket.  But you can be sure that they listen to what I have to say and take my musical advice!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences!  You have a wealth of it, I can tell!

[becky8898]

hi bonjing. I do all kinds of accompanying with singers. My School, church, Community place house, etc.  Some kids, older kids, and adults.  I found that the better the singer the bigger dimwad they can become.  Really Really vain. Anyway i found what seems to work pretty good.  Convince them that if you dont sound good, they wont.  Works great usually.  If they think your playing with mistakes will reflect poorly on them they become a lot easier to get along with .


Cheers, Becky

[fleetfingers]

Sorry, that's the way it is.  If you keep at it, you'll develop a good sight-reading ability and gradually learn the repertoire.

I was going to say the same thing. My first experiences with accompanying were overwhelming and stressful. It does get easier to play things that are just handed to you, even if it's not perfectly played as written. Your sightreading will improve as you're being exposed to so many pieces of music. Accompanying skills will improve with practice, too. For example, you will learn to simplify the music and to discern, at sight, which notes to play and which ones you can leave out. The most important thing is to keep going and stay with the singer, even if you are skipping things along the way.

It would help to be more assertive. Or, you could be sort of passive-aggressive, and nonchalantly tell people that the sooner you get the music, the better you'll be able to play it. Don't let them blame you if there are mistakes due to being put on the spot. And don't feel bad about it, either. I will say, though, that if they give you the music ahead of time you should practice and be well-prepared when it's time to rehearse/perform. After you become good at 'winging it', it can be tempting to think that you don't have to practice. If the singer is decent enough to give you music ahead of time, show them the courtesy of preparing a good performance.

[jimbo320]

Everybody quit the bickering! Jeez!
Sing if you want to sing. Play if you want to play. Anybody not willing to harmonize for the best collective sound that they can produce is defeating the purpose. Singers aren't better than instrument players and players aren't better than singers. Just different. But everyone is needed...

[ladypianist]

There are times even under the most favorable of circumstances when you simply wont get the music you need in a timely fashion. Times when events are beyond everyones control.  A good accompianist must learn to adopt. It takes work , but  it can be done.   

[quantum]

Had a choir rehearsal last week.  Our organist / director wanted to try out some new music.  She basically sight read an 8 part polyphonic choral piece in open score without a piano reduction - didn't miss a beat.  It pays to practice your sight reading skills.