Piano Fact

Piano Accompaniment
Although the piano makes for a great solo instrument, it has many other uses as well. One common use for the piano is for accompanying singers. Here’s a simple suggestion for piano accompaniment.

First and foremost, remember that when accompanying a singer, the piano player should NEVER play the melody. The melody is the singer’s domain, and singers often resent piano players who “play on top of them.”

So what’s the formula for accompaniment? A good basic rule to remember is to use your right hand to play chords, and use your left hand to play the root of the chord.

Extra effect: Stretch the left hand out to double the root of the chord (play the root twice). Use your left hand thumb to play the top root and the little finger to play the lower root. Experiment with different locations in the lower keyboard register until you get the sound you want.

Extra: This configuration is useful if you’re playing piano in a band as part of the rhythm section.

For further information see Praise! and The Season.

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