Accompany Yourself or Others

Learn how to accompany yourself or others with confidence in this comprehensive course on piano accompaniment. Whether you're a vocalist looking to enhance your own performances or a pianist supporting a singer or soloist, this course will teach you essential techniques for comping and arranging. You'll explore a variety of accompaniment styles, chord voicings, and rhythmic patterns to create dynamic and expressive performances.

The lessons cover everything from arranging ballads to mastering different blues accompaniment patterns, including New Orleans, country, boogie, and funk styles. You'll also develop a strong foundation in comping, learning how to create effective introductions, endings, and turnarounds. By applying these techniques, you'll be able to provide seamless harmonic and rhythmic support in any musical setting.

This course is perfect for pianists who want to expand their versatility and become more confident accompanists. Whether you're playing for yourself, a vocalist, or an instrumentalist, these lessons will give you the skills to enhance any performance with tasteful and professional-sounding accompaniment.

Mastering Piano Accompaniment: Playing with Confidence

Being able to accompany yourself or others is one of the most valuable skills a pianist can develop. Whether you're singing and playing at the same time or supporting another musician, strong accompaniment skills allow you to create a full and engaging sound. The Accompany Yourself or Others course is designed to help you build the techniques necessary to comp chords, add rhythmic variety, and create expressive arrangements.

The course begins with an in-depth lesson on arranging ballads, using "Stella by Starlight" as an example. You'll learn how to structure an accompaniment to support a melody, whether it's a vocalist or an instrumentalist. From there, you'll explore different blues accompaniment patterns, giving you the tools to play in a wide range of styles. The final lesson provides a complete accompaniment toolkit, breaking down key concepts like introductions, endings, and comping strategies to make your playing more polished and professional.

By the end of the course, you'll be able to confidently accompany in various musical settings, from solo performances to ensemble playing. You'll develop the skills to create rich harmonies, adapt to different musical styles, and support a melody with effective rhythmic and harmonic choices. If you're looking to improve your ability to accompany yourself or others, this course is the perfect step toward becoming a more versatile and expressive pianist.

Is this course only for pianists who sing?
No, this course is designed for both vocalists who accompany themselves and pianists who play behind singers or instrumentalists.

Will I learn how to comp in different styles?
Yes! The course covers various accompaniment patterns, including ballad, blues, New Orleans, country, boogie, and funk styles.

Do I need prior experience in accompaniment?
Some basic knowledge of chords is helpful, but the course breaks down accompaniment techniques in a way that is accessible to all levels.

Can these skills be applied to other genres?
Absolutely! The techniques taught in this course are useful for jazz, blues, pop, and other contemporary styles.