How the heck do you play chamber music?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

So once upon a time, I accompany this guy for his trumpet Jury.

And apparently it went well, so he was like, 'yo I need you to play this for my composition jury thing by Monday'

And being me, I say yes without hesitation. 

So I'm given a day to learn the music because we have rehearsal the day after.

I learn it...

one day later...

It was a complete DISASTER!!!  I can't play with people!!!  And we gotta perform it on Tomorrow!!!

So how the heck do you play with other people?  Because I can't. 

I hate myself...

[chicoscalco]

So once upon a time, I accompany this guy for his trumpet Jury.

And apparently it went well, so he was like, 'yo I need you to play this for my composition jury thing by Monday'

And being me, I say yes without hesitation. 

So I'm given a day to learn the music because we have rehearsal the day after.

I learn it...

one day later...

It was a complete DISASTER!!!  I can't play with people!!!  And we gotta perform it on Tomorrow!!!

So how the heck do you play with other people?  Because I can't. 

I hate myself...

You have to be able to play this piece backwards, with only one hand, blindfolded 
Just kidding, but you have to know the work inside out and play it very easily without having to look at your hands. In chamber music, since you can't speak, the only way to communicate with the other musicians is through your sound and, mainly, your body movement and eyes. You have to look them, exaggerate your movements so they know where you're going, etc... Is no easy task, it requires a lot of practice with who you are going to perform it with.

[Bob]

Find a recording on youtube to get an idea of it, if you don't already.

Don't worry about interpretation so much.  No one will probably care.

You follow the soloist.  They're right, even when they're wrong.  You still follow them.  And try to make their mistakes sound correct.  If there is anything for interpretation, just go with whatever they do.


They know, or should know, that it takes some time to prepare the piano part.  A day probably won't cut it, but you'll great it you do.  What you can do -- Cheat.  Drop notes, simplify, etc.  Nobody cares (depending on what it is).  Very few people will notice, even the performer.  Who will notice?  The professor, but... What do they care?  They're focus is on the soloist.  Ditto for juries.  The judges might notice you tripped up on something, but... What are they going to do?  What's anyone going to do?

Everyone knows accompanying others probably isn't your greatest focus.

What it will impact -- Whether you get called back.  The soloist and their professors who decide that.  I remember one situation where a professor just said, "Don't use x person."  That was it.  No one in that studio used x person as an accompanist anymore.

Just make the soloist sound good. 

The soloist should cue you in.  With a breath or nod or both.  It should be that obvious.  They will probably cut you off on a long note too, although that might be listening more.

Make sure they're positioned so you can see them.  Not every soloist knows what they're doing so well.

Before they perform, they should tune.  Ask what pitch or chord they want to tune to.  They play.  You play.  They adjust to the piano.  It's up to them to tune their own instrument.   If it's trumpet, they'll probably want a Bb or C.   I heard somewhere that a minor chord makes it easier to tune.  I'm not sure how true that is, but I've seen people doing that.  And they really already be in tune.  The actual onstage tuning is more of a, "Yep, I'm still in tune," situation.  They shouldn't, but if they look to you for tuning you can give them a subtle cue (eyebrows up/down).  (If they're asking you about tuning... ouch.)

Other than that, just act confident.  Polite, etc.  On-the-job personality.  Thank them.  They should thank you too (and pay you, unless you're doing it for a tuition waiver).  For walking onstage/offstage, the soloist goes first.  Bow when they bow. 

Make sure you or the soloist will find you a competent page turner too if you need one. 

When in doubt ask, but you could say, "How do you want to handle ____?"  instead of saying you haven't accompanied before.

It might be a little odd, but probably not bad if you asked for a recording -- a real one, and one of them, or just record the rehearsal.

Otherwise, for accompanying, you need to be able to play your part with a steady tempo.  You need to be able to follow someone cuing you in, pausing you, restarting, etc.  Adjusting to the soloist -- If they skip a bar, you have a jump ahead.

Music-wise, you need to be able to play your part and follow their part along.  Ideally.  It is possible to just have both people start and end together and perform at the same time.  Ideally, you've learned their part well enough you can adjust to them better.

[Bob]

Haha.  Actually.... Your soloist might be an idiot.  Bad planning.

Their jury is on Monday?  And they're just getting an accompanist now?  Maybe they're a freshman. 

Even if someone else bailed on them, they should be looking for the type of accompanist who can step in with a day's notice.  ($200+)  If they're getting someone who hasn't accompanied much, they might be that desperate. 


If it's tomorrow... Simplify the part so you can perform it up to tempo.  Then just watch for whatever cues the soloist gives.  Wait to tune when you walk in.  Wait for them to tell you (give a nod) to start the piece if you start it.  Figure out ahead of time how they will tell you to start the piece (but a turn to look at you a nod is probably fine when it's obvious it's time to start).

Be supportive.  If it's tomorrow and they just got an accompanist this weekend, they might be freaking out.  That's not your fault if they planned bad (or didn't plan at all).  If you can stay out their way and be pleasant, that's what they'll remember -- Maybe not the best accompanist, but this guy helped out with just two days notice.  As opposed to -- I ended up with this accompanist at the last minute and they couldn't play their part.  Some people focus on accompanying more for money, so these types of situations can be quick cash.  Stressful, but... $200+ for a day or two of work and then if you're lucky and already know the piece... easy money.

Dresswise, even if it's a studio class or jury, I'd dress nicely.  Business casual.  Maybe a suit for a jury.  Even if the soloist isn't.  Don't overdress to them, but look nice.  People will remember you're a potential accompanist for the future -- other students, professors esp., professors who are judging the juries.

Otherwise, after this thing is over, if you really want to be a better accompanist, accompany more.  Find easier music.  Lower performances.  Or do duets with someone.  Studio or literature classes can be good (more work for the pianist to prepare really, but sight-reading and adjusting things for a quick performance can be fine -- People aren't really focusing on the accompanist so much for that stuff.)

[awesom_o]

Chamber music is for professionals!

You have to be able to play the piano without looking!

To be able to play 'hands-free' in these situations (without looking down at your hands) requires you to have perfect technique!

[j_menz]

You have to be able to play the piano without looking!

To be able to play 'hands-free' in these situations (without looking down at your hands) requires you to have perfect technique!

I haven't seen my hands on the keyboard for years, but "perfect technique" is rather overstating matters. If only.....

[awesom_o]

Well of course, we never reach perfection 100%.... 

But it would be quite boring if we ever did....there would be nothing left to improve.... so because of that, it's okay to be only 99% perfect.

[hfmadopter]

Lesson learned, now you know another weak spot and if you want to do more of this that you need to work on it far in advance. Duets are good practice. As to the soloist and the performance this time, it's a good lesson to that person as well and really their own fault if it doesn't go well. This should have been worked out way in advance,  days if not weeks in advance.

Meanwhile hold back on your part, under state it, let the soloist come through and shine. If you miss a note or a chord here and there it isn't going to matter as long as you don't derail the soloist. Stay in time what ever you do.

[Bob]

How did it go?

[cabbynum]

Well of course, we never reach perfection 100%.... 

But it would be quite boring if we ever did....there would be nothing left to improve.... so because of that, it's okay to be only 99% perfect.

I feel like the jump from 99% to 100% is pretty huge.

[awesom_o]

As long as you can be 99% 100% of the time.

Either that, or you can be 100% 99% of the time.

At any rate, our goal as an artist is to have a compelling point of view.

The goal isn't to be a robot!

[Bob]

You can cheat and hold down the pedal so 99% sounds like 100%.


For this type of job, a robot will work.  A robot would get a lot of what's expected done and would get called back for this type of stuff.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

How did it go?

Everything was fine until the end of the last movement.

It was sooooooooo bad!!!

And it was embarrassing trying to get my music together between movements because I was the only one not ready.

[timothy42b]

Everything was fine until the end of the last movement.

It was sooooooooo bad!!!

And it was embarrassing trying to get my music together between movements because I was the only one not ready.

It's embarassing to lack those skills, but it's really not your fault.

Would you feel bad if you tried to play organ and didn't know how to work the pedals with your feet?

Piano is just one of those instruments that doesn't get taught to play with others much in the early stages.  Your trumpet, clarinet, trombone all do from the beginning.

You can learn those ensemble skills, just have to work on it.

[hfmadopter]

Everything was fine until the end of the last movement.

It was sooooooooo bad!!!

And it was embarrassing trying to get my music together between movements because I was the only one not ready.

Ever had a page turner who neglected to turn a page for you, distracted or what ever ? You play as far as you can nodding your head for the turn of the page and it doesn't come. Been there done that ! It goes down in the memory book that's all. So even with the page turner to handle you pages it can still fail !

[j_menz]

Ever had a page turner who neglected to turn a page for you

Haha. Turning two at once is probably worse - especially if you don't know the piece.

[timothy42b]

Haha. Turning two at once is probably worse - especially if you don't know the piece.

I ended up sitting behind the piano at a recent choir concert.

The young accompanist had a page turner, but the more experienced one did her own page turning.

Turning a loose page she slipped and dropped it.  There was no detectable break in the music, as she covered with the left hand and retrieved the page with the right hand.  She did not appear to be rattled or frustrated in the slightest.   If I hadn't seen it happen I could not have noticed. 

I was VERY impressed. 

[Bob]

Singing in a choir might be an easy way to pick up more about working with an ensemble, conductor being like the soloist in that case.

[timothy42b]

Singing in a choir might be an easy way to pick up more about working with an ensemble, conductor being like the soloist in that case.

I think every musician should do that.  There is a huge variety of skills involved in doing this correctly, most of which transfer to other applications. 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Singing in a choir might be an easy way to pick up more about working with an ensemble, conductor being like the soloist in that case.

I'm already in a choir.

[outin]

I'm already in a choir.

Is your voice as pretty as your hands?

[richard black]

Answer to original question - you listen. You don't need a particularly extraordinary technique for most chamber music (I play lots of chamber music and my technique is inferior to many conservatoire undergraduates), but you need to listen. And if you can't listen you'll never be a good pianist anyway, so it's an essential discipline to acquire.

[ahinton]

Answer to original question - you listen.

Indeed. Vital.

You don't need a particularly extraordinary technique for most chamber music

Maybe not, but you do for enough of it for it to be an issue, methinks; leaving aside less well known examples such as the three Sorabji chamber works including piano, a pianist needs some fairly well-honed equipment to bring off his/her part in, say, Schubert's E flat Piano Trio, Brahms's C minor Piano Quartet and Schmitt's Piano Quintet, for example.

I play lots of chamber music and my technique is inferior to many conservatoire undergraduates

Er - pardon? This from someone who's given one of the most impressive accounts of Ronald Stevenson's hardly unchallenging Passacaglia on D-S-C-H in years? Yeah, right!...

but you need to listen. And if you can't listen you'll never be a good pianist anyway, so it's an essential discipline to acquire.

Of course - every great pianist of the past and present has been / is a fine chamber musician; it's an essential part of what pianists do, as is evident from the sheer quantity of chamber music from all eras that involves the piano.

Best,

Alistair

[richard black]

every great pianist of the past and present has been / is a fine chamber musician

This is worth repeating as it's something often overlooked. The truly greats are all good at (and show every sign of greatly enjoying) chamber music, it's only the so-so talents that only ever perform solo!

[shortfingers]

So once upon a time, I accompany this guy for his trumpet Jury.

And apparently it went well, so he was like, 'yo I need you to play this for my composition jury thing by Monday'

And being me, I say yes without hesitation.  

So I'm given a day to learn the music because we have rehearsal the day after.

I learn it...

one day later...

It was a complete DISASTER!!!  I can't play with people!!!  And we gotta perform it on Tomorrow!!!

So how the heck do you play with other people?  Because I can't.  

I hate myself...

Oh man, don't hate yourself! You were given one day to look at the music before rehearsal, and only 2 before performance? It is not your fault if you cannot learn it in one day (who can?) - they should have given you the accompaniment part at least a week or more ahead of time ... This experience does not mean you are not good at chamber music, perhaps it means you are not a super extraordinary sight reader (but few are ...) - don't be so hard on yourself. So much is expected of pianists - and other instrumentalists can often treat them like they should be able to sight read anything. NO! We need time to practice our part just like they do theirs. Next time, only agree to accompany if you get the music at least one week in advance. Also depends on the accompaniment's difficulty... there are some monster piano accompaniments that are just as hard/harder than the soloist's part, and others that can be sight read ... of course, people don't always consider this when asking a pianist to learn it in x number of days unfortunately :/ 

[Bob]

Ditto on the time.  A day is nuts.  High pressure situation.

Other ideas...
Accompany for some really simple music.  That might not be at a college though.  And high school students (or younger) are still learning how to lead, so they might not be great at it.

Check with the concert bands.  Some of the music they play uses a piano.  Those piano parts aren't that difficult (and usually not quite written for a piano, more like 8ves, percussive effect, and simple arpeggios in the stuff I've seen).  But you get to follow a real conductor that way.