Ensemble and Accompaniment
Listen across the room.
Cue the Entrance
- Goal
- Start together without counting aloud.
- Level
- Beginner
Steps
- Rehearse an eight-bar excerpt with a partner.
- Give a visible preparatory beat before entering.
- How to check it
- Both of you begin together.
- Next
- Switch who leads.
Balancing the Melody
- Goal
- Keep the tune on top.
- Level
- Beginner
Steps
- Play melody and accompaniment together.
- Keep the melody clearly in front.
- How to check it
- Record it and check that the tune stays clear.
- Next
- Swap melody and accompaniment roles.
Shared Subdivision
- Goal
- Lock two different note values to one beat.
- Level
- Beginner
Steps
- Set the metronome to 72 bpm.
- A first player plays quarter notes and a second plays eighth notes.
- How to check it
- Both parts line up on the common beat.
- Next
- Switch parts without stopping.
Phrasing Together
- Goal
- Breathe and finish as one.
- Level
- Intermediate
Steps
- Play a four-bar duet.
- Agree on one breath and one phrase ending.
- How to check it
- Releases and pacing match.
- Next
- Repeat without eye contact.
Following Rubato
- Goal
- Follow a partner's flexible timing.
- Level
- Advanced
Steps
- A first player shapes a short lyrical phrase.
- The other follows without forcing a fixed tempo.
- How to check it
- Harmonic arrivals stay together.
- Next
- Swap leader and follower.
Accompanying With Restraint
- Goal
- Support a melody without covering it.
- Level
- Intermediate
Steps
- Accompany a melody for eight bars.
- Play sparse chords on beats 1 and 3 only.
- How to check it
- No important melody note is covered.
- Next
- Add one well-placed anticipated chord.
Tuning a Third
- Goal
- Tune a sustained interval with a partner.
- Level
- Intermediate
Steps
- Tune a shared unison first.
- Sustain a major third together at a comfortable volume.
- How to check it
- Listen for beating and agree on a tuning that suits the ensemble.
- Next
- Compare it with a minor third.
Recovering Together
- Goal
- Rejoin after a mistake using an agreed cue.
- Level
- Intermediate
Steps
- Agree on a restart cue.
- Simulate a missed entrance in rehearsal.
- Restart together from bar 9.
- How to check it
- You restart on the agreed cue, not by guessing.
- Next
- Practice a recovery from bar 17.
Shared Crescendo
- Goal
- Arrive at a dynamic peak together.
- Level
- Beginner
Steps
- Mark a four-bar crescendo in every part.
- Perform it as an ensemble.
- How to check it
- Everyone reaches the peak at the same moment.
- Next
- Make the peak a quieter arrival.
Following the Score
- Goal
- Enter on a cue from another part.
- Level
- Intermediate
Steps
- During a rest, follow another instrument's eight-bar line.
- Enter on its cue.
- How to check it
- Your entrance follows the right event in the other part.
- Next
- Practice with a different cue instrument.
Other chapters: Pulse and Rhythm · Pitch and Intonation · Ear Training and Listening · Technique and Coordination · Phrasing and Expression · Sight-Reading · Harmony and Improvisation · Composition and Creativity · Performance and Feedback
Sing in a comfortable octave, rest between repetitions, and stop if anything hurts.
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