Piano Accompaniment

[josh93248]

So, I've been thinking a lot about piano accompaniment lately...

I would love to embark on some projects where I sing the vocal part and play the piano accompaniment to various lieder and arias etc.

Obviously this is for the purposes of recording and thus I may be able to one day share the results on here.

So basically what I'd like to talk about is people's thoughts on the combination of piano and voice, what each part's roles are, what some pitfalls can be, what musical considerations should be focused on and what you think leads to the best results when combining voice and piano.

I also don't mind if people want to share their experiences, even about accompaniment of instruments apart from voices.

Oh and by the way I'm a dramatic/helden tenor

[iansinclair]

Good luck.  I, at least, have always been able to sing while playing -- one of the things a choral conductor simply has to be able to do -- but I have never been able to give full justice to the interpretation of either the vocal line or the piano (or organ) accompaniment.  Indeed, I honestly can't say that I've ever known anyone who could.

Particularly for something like lieder, it is important to realise that one is not really dealing with a vocal line with an accompaniment -- such as might be found in a folk song (something which I have been able to do successfully!) -- but two instruments which are genuinely equal, and must be equally virtuosic.  Not that that is always clear on recordings or even recitals (one tends to hear about the singer, not the accompanist), but it is clear in the music, and if it is not true the result is either a catastrophe or simply horrible.

[dcstudio]

Good luck.  I, at least, have always been able to sing while playing -- one of the things a choral conductor simply has to be able to do -- but I have never been able to give full justice to the interpretation of either the vocal line or the piano (or organ) accompaniment.  Indeed, I honestly can't say that I've ever known anyone who could.

Particularly for something like lieder, it is important to realise that one is not really dealing with a vocal line with an accompaniment -- such as might be found in a folk song (something which I have been able to do successfully!) -- but two instruments which are genuinely equal, and must be equally virtuosic.  Not that that is always clear on recordings or even recitals (one tends to hear about the singer, not the accompanist), but it is clear in the music, and if it is not true the result is either a catastrophe or simply horrible.

I must agree that when it comes to classical repertoire I have never met anyone who pull off both at the same time.   I sing and play--Jazz and some other stuff, too---It is incredibly difficult but classical rep--IDK if you succeed they should cast you image in bronze because that is one tough combo.  I really would like you to try though... why not... at the very least it will help your playing quite a bit.  Singing and playing made me a much stronger pianist.

[michael_c]

This is a great skill to learn, particularly if you want to work as a vocal coach with opera singers. When I started out as a pianist in an opera house, singing and playing at the same time seemed impossible: my right hand would just try to play the line I was singing. With practice it all slipped into place and now I can easily coordinate singing whatever vocal line is needed while continuing to play the piano part, a boon when working on a role with a singer who needs to get used to hearing the different cues that he or she will hear on stage.

I've never dared to perform lieder like this, though, even though technically I could. Somehow, I'd feel something is missing: the intimate communication through music between singer and pianist. Maybe I'm wrong.

In any case, I think you have all to gain by doing this. It should help not only your playing, but your singing.

[dcstudio]

I've never dared to perform lieder like this, though, even though technically I could. Somehow, I'd feel something is missing: the intimate communication through music between singer and pianist. Maybe I'm wrong.

it just wouldn't feel right... I hear you.     that's awesome... I have known a few vocal coaches who were decent pianists... but never a pianist that was a technically proficient classical singer... WOW.