The Benefits of Performing with Accompaniment
The majority of time one spends learning a solo piece, they spend alone in the practice room! However, what we hear when we practice by ourselves is not necessarily how the piece was written or intended to be performed. The accompaniment is an important part of a piece, and can make a performance feel complete!
What are the benefits of playing with accompaniment?
Elevate the sound of the piece: Students typically learn the melody of a piece, but without the full harmonies and countermelodies provided by the accompaniment part, the piece can sound very different than what you may hear on a recording. The accompaniment can change the mood, character and feel of the piece, and give the performance a more full and complete sound!
Learn to keep a steady tempo, wait during interludes, and anticipate entrances: When playing by yourself, it isn’t always obvious when you’ve accidentally fluctuated the tempo or missed rests. However, the accompaniment forces students to pay closer attention to these details, since the soloist and accompanist need to stay together! The accompaniment teaches students to listen to not only their individual part, but the piece as a whole.
Learn ensemble skills: Playing with an accompanist is playing a duet! Students learn to cue, to find the correct balance (playing louder in certain sections and softer in others), and to stay together. They learn when to lead and when to follow, and how to collaborate with another musician.
Why do we require that you attend a rehearsal to perform with accompaniment?
In order to best prepare our students and set them up for success, we require students to attend rehearsals with the accompanist prior to the performance. Playing with accompaniment is very different from playing by yourself. It can be incredibly distracting when playing with the accompaniment part for the first time, and can make it feel like a completely different piece.
An accompaniment rehearsal beforehand not only gives the student the opportunity to hear what it will sound like on stage, but also to practice rehearsal collaboration!
How can you prepare for the accompaniment rehearsal?
Listen, listen, listen! Listening to a recording of your piece with the accompaniment part is crucial in preparing for the rehearsal and performance. If you know how the accompaniment goes beforehand and how the solo part fits in, it won’t be a surprise when you play with the accompaniment the first time.
