This definitely sounds like an interesting challenge. I’ve downloaded the “Autumn Leaves” tracks to see if I can come up with something. And @gregb, I think you have a great idea, and I’m with you when you say:
In fact, if Lyndol has more examples, it would be really fun to try those as well. I love the idea of playing with a singer and working on my accompanying ability, but there’s no way I would join the current workshop because I don’t even sing in the shower.
heres a bass line i record in sync with @Lyndol singing
but the thing, is we are playing with a click , and we can hear that
next step will be to do it without a click … another big challenge for comping (even more a live simulation )
heres piano and bass
a first one without working or thinking about it ( interesting to hear ourself on this non preparing exercice)
ps i will try to put some more interesting bass and piano later
Yay! This is so fun and such perfect timing! I had 2 students in the Singing Pianist Workshop who are solely interested in accompanying. And yes, it is very different to accompany yourself, verses a singer. (Though if you do sing a little bit, it can give you good insight.)
These tracks are a great place to work on accompanying. It’d be awesome if you guys shared your recordings as Pierrot did. Either just add piano, or if you want to build out your own tracks with bass and instrumentation. Seems we have quite a few pre-recorded songs to work through. And it’s possible to do them in a variety of ways - with metronome, with out. With drums but with out bass (you play the bass line). I recorded some versions rubato for an uber challenge. You really have to be in the moment with me, following my cues. If you decided to do one, record it on the first take. See how well you can listen and follow me. It means being totally present with me, as well as super flexible in your playing. Each time you attempt it, you’ll get better and better at it, as well as more and more comfortable.
BTW - Just beautiful Pierrot - your playing was so delicate and creative from your ‘on the fly version’. And the bass line you added is super cool. I’m going to reverse the exercise and practice singing along with it.
And I’m SO thrilled to record more. Happy to take requests for that.
Also, a student from the Workshop had the best idea; he’s posting particular moments from performances when he felt an accompanist did an excellent job. He’s wondering how and why. He would love help analyzing + feedback on what techniques are being used and why it’s working so well.
I’d love to invite the same from anyone else who might want to analyze a comping performance + add your ideas and opinions + your own references for successful comping.
Right now, we are working through those on the Vocal Workshop Group Thread, but it’d be good to combine here I think. I’ll work with Hayden on figuring out the best way to go forward.
Super excited about this! Happy to try to organize and facilitate in whatever way I can.
This was a lot of fun for me and I look forward to accompanying Lyndol (virtually) on some more tunes!
I agree iReal pro backing track is a little boring but I didn’t have enough energy or knowledge to try and put together Lyndol’s vocal only + Pierre’s bass line. Maybe next time!
Edit: figured out how to get rid of the initial count-in, and corrected a Johnny Mandel quote.
I’ve been experimenting with a new backing track app today - https://www.sessionbandapp.com/ - it sounds a little less repetitive than iRealPro.
Here are 2 more play-a-longs. They are still a work in progress but coming together:
There Will Never Be Another You - 130bpm 4 repeats (2 chorus solo)
My Funny Valentine - 75bpm 2 repeats
Autumn Leaves using SessionBand backing track:
Yes you’re right they are fun to play with… I’ve been jamming along today and I’ll share some recordings soon.
I’m working out a few details for the new forum section in the screenshot below.
I feel it would make sense for each play-a-long to have a dedicated thread which contains the downloads, notable recordings, related lessons etc… and we can add 2 or 3 new songs each month to keep it fresh.
Way cool Gregb! I like your swing! And was that a TV Theme Song quote in there, in your solo? Can’t quite place it, but sounded familiar.
Lots of energy and I like the long, beautiful lines you lay behind my singing. IT works! And I like your 5.6.7.6 rhythmic figure added in at the end of phrases. Fun!
Looking forward to hearing more, and I’m taking requests. So feel free to let me know one or two you’d like to accompany me on.
The bass and drums are more interesting for sure. I’m excited to see what accompaniment comes forth.
Every 2 weeks sounds perfect, to drop more tracks.
And I encourage all the pianist here to post any recordings they’d like to share. Doesn’t have to be perfect. And it’s not about comparison. But I’m realizing today, just how educational this will be; to hear how different pianists comp and solo to the same vocal recording. Wonderful!
There is so much that we can learn from each other. And maybe best of all, so much we can inspire in each other.
Finally, if you have any song requests, please let me know.
My request is for a tune I used during Tuomo’s voicings class from the Wizard of Oz, If I only had a brain. Can’t remember why I used this tune (probably Tuomo suggested it) but while putting together an arrangement I came across a very cool version by Tierney Sutton:
That version is actually pretty different from the arrangement I eventually used (below), so there’s two different ideas for a vocal version!
(this was also shared in the voicings classrom but is only accessible to the folks who were in that class).
P.S. Quote is both television and movie–think Alan Alda and Donald Sutherland–Theme from MASH. Ahmad Jamal and Bill Evans have nice instrumental versions.
What a great arrangement. I’ve been a fan of Tierney Sutton for some time. I’m also a fan of her pianist, Christian Jacob, who is notably missing in action on this clip.
I apologize to you and everyone else on this thread if I’m overstepping here, but I want to share two videos that, for me, are among the finest examples of a pianist accompanying a vocalist. The first is Tierney Sutton with Jacobs; the second is Kathleen Grace, accompanied by Larry Goldings, another of my all-time favorites. I hope you enjoy.
Love it! This song (If I Only Had a Brain) hit me hard today, love the lyrics. The first arrangement is super cool with the bassist and snaps in the particular (to my ears) Your arrangement is so beautiful though! I’ll play around with both and see what I can come up with. I’ll also check out the Ahmad Jamal and Bill Evans versions too.
Excited to work on this song. Thanks for the suggestion.
Hi Scott, you are always welcome to chime in! - love what you add the conversations and these songs are no exception.
Beautiful Love would be a great tune to make a recording or do an analysis on. And Tierney Sutton is fantastic. I know very little of her, but enjoyed both these pieces (If I Only Had a Brain also)
Cool to hear the interplay between her and Jacobs, you can hear how comfortable they are with each other. The intro is nice. And his voicings are so full, especially as she starts the lyrical form.
And I find this 2nd song - Kathleen Grace and Larry Goldings to be exquisite. I love how the piano is so full and busy compared with the slow and sparse vocals she lays on top. It’s advanced accompaniment that becomes a true duet. In my opinion, they are listening and trusting each other so much that they follow each other it seems, rather than just pianist following singer. They make this interplay sound easy, but they are walking a razors edge with timing and note placement. Love this!
Here’s some trax of Beautiful Love. I recorded this in the original Key, Dmin since it was the song of focus for Vocal Workshop #2. Though this is not the best key for my voice, and you can hear me flipping octaves to compensate for that. I also get a little rock and blues at the end, but it was my honest expression in the moment.
But what I like about these are that they are not perfect. It’s more similar to playing live with musicians than the perfect trax computer generated.
For advanced players, I’d pick one with out the metronome and record your first take.
Others might want to try it with the metronome first, then record a version when you’re comfortable. Please share here when ready!
It’s in several versions here…
With Bass, Drums and Metronome
With Bass, Drums and no Metronome
With Bass, Drums and Guitar - for the extra challenge of finding your lane when accompanying with a guitar too!! One with metronome and with out…
For your reference, here is the chart I used + link to the video analyzation from Workshop #2 on Beautiful Love…
Ho Ho Ho - Hope you guys are doing well during this Holiday Season.
Here’s a Holiday Play-A-Long for accompanist of all levels.
I picked Santa Baby by Joan Javits and Tony Springer, originally released in 1953 by Eartha Kitt with Henri Réne and his Orchestra. I sang it in C, so that’s it’s easy to sight read and totally accessible for beginners.
Plus I think it’s pretty fun, as far as holiday tunes go.
Chart below has a rough outline of the melody and chord changes.
The bass line doesn’t necessarily follow it exact, as it plays more of a Dmin7 at times, instead of a D7. But that could always work as an Alt chord.
1st Version is Bass + Drums + Vocals
2nd Version is Vocals + Drums - so you can add your own bass and get more wild with Harmony substitutions.
3rd Version - Voice only with metronome - if you’d prefer only piano with my voice, or to build your own arrangement.
Should want another other combination, such as the metronome on 1st or 2nd version, just let me know.
Hoping this will be something fun to do over the holidays. Any recordings or videos are welcomed here. Use your ears to decide what sounds good to you.
And if you’d like the live simulation challenge, don’t listen before you try to accompany.
Here it is, as requested, If I Only Had a Brain - a show tune written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. It became popular in the 1938 Movie Wizard of Oz, but the tune itself was originally written for a Broadway play.
For this play along, you’ll find the following… References, PlayAlong Trax with descriptions and then finally a chart.
References: I’ve already shared the Harry Connick Jr on the Vocal Performance thread, but I’ll list it again here for ease of viewing. It’s solo ballad piano with singing.
This is the original version from Wizard of Oz, just to share it’s origins and context…
Up a few posts in this very thread, Gregb shared some great versions - a vocal arrangement with Tierney Sutton and an instrumental by Greg himself. Check those out, I really didn’t find any I liked better.
But I did enjoyed this instrumental version which has a similar Left hand to Harry Connick Jr’s
Play Along Trax: For the following play alongs, I sang it in Bb, because it can be a challenging melody in spots and I needed to find the right key for my voice. (FYI - some melodies I can do in any key, others need to be placed precisely in my range, every song is different)
I recorded AABA form at 100 bpm and went thru the form 3 times. Vocals in the 1st and 3rd, then a middle form for soloing with a light vocal accompaniment for the last A of the 2nd section.
Warning - I did my own version to keep you guys on your toes. So the references above are just to give inspiration for your accompaniment, but the feel of my recordings are quite different.
Vocals with and with out metronome for solo piano.
With Drums
Chart in Bb - this chart is just like a lead sheet, and I didn’t indicate the intro nor ending. I just approximated the break I take at the end of each B section. The metronome plays thru it, which might make it easier. It’s some what notated on the chart but it’s a good challenge to figure out by ear and just follow my lead - a small challenge to assimlate a live performance.
For the Bass - I’m working on a bass line version for the drums, but didn’t want to hold this up any longer, especially since a lot of you guys would like to create your own bass lines.
Yeah plz
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But now i am waiting yours eagerly
