Accompanist Predicament Options

[Anniejane]

Can I ask people's opinions on something?

Supposing that a year ago you had been asked to accompany two siblings for Grade 6. It's apparent from the first that there is absolutely no chance of them passing - mainly because the rhythm is so bad. You do what you can to help, while trying not to tread on the other teacher's toes. Nevertheless you take the view that you have been booked as an accompanist, and that supporting the pupil to do their best in the performance and sorting out rhythms in so far as they fit in with the accompaniment is as far as your responsibility goes. As expected, they both fail.

A year later you are asked to accompany them for Grade 7. You are now more involved with the family because you have started teaching the piano to one of the children. You have your first rehearsal, and your worst fears are realised - things are just as bad. You don't know anything about the instrumental teacher involved. What would you do? (Bearing in mind that I'm a coward who hates confrontation!!)

[Barry Thain]

I'd ask the parents why they are taking grade 7 when they failed their grades 6. These are not cheap exams - especially accompanied.

Best wishes

barry

[JohnS]

Now you've got a relationship with the parents (because of the piano teaching), you are not now purely an accompanist. You need to tell the parents about the big possibility of them failing again and why. They trust you! That's what I would do. It's not an easy situation.

[harmony2]

Not an easy situation, but I would be honest with the parents, especially as you now know them on a different footing now. Say that all of the problems that arose in the failed grade 6s' are still there and that you feel they will do badly again.

The closest I have been to this situation is having to be brutally honest with a few parents about their child's ability to pass a particular grade. I always emphasise that music isn't just about taking exams, and that more can be gained from playing for enjoyment. With these students I usually find that progress is much more apparent when the pressure of exams if taken away.

[sbhoa]

But is it ok to say you don't think they will pass when presumably the teacher thinks they will or wouldn't have entered them......?

[Anniejane]

But is it ok to say you don't think they will pass when presumably the teacher thinks they will or wouldn't have entered them......?

This is what worries me! They also have another 4 or 5 weeks to practise. But to be honest it's not just a worry about whether they will scrape through - I do a lot of accompanying and in every aspect Grade 7 seems to be completely beyond them. The basic rhythm bears no relation to what it should be - accompantying them is like being on a roller-coaster! There's no way I can sort it out in rehearsal - there's just too much going wrong! Also intonation (it's violin - which I don't play - perhaps violin teachers can help me out here) - am I correct in thinking that in the lower grades intonation is not such an issue, but by the time you get to Grade 7 it should be much better? Most of the notes are so out they bear no relation to what I'm playing - it actually makes them very difficult to follow!

Also I take on board what John said about them trusting me - thanks, I hadn't thought of that, but you're right, and it does make a difference.

[BerkshireMum]

How are you getting on teaching the child piano? Presumably her sense of rhythm is no better for that? By grade 7 a candidate needs a very good sense of rhythm - or how on earth will they manage the sightreading?

Do have a word with the parents; it must be very difficult for the children to keep failing, and won't help their confidence at all. It does sound as if their teacher hasn't prepared them very well (although people on the forums are very sensitive to criticism of teachers, so perhaps I shouldn't say that!); sometimes teachers just play along with the child, and don't realise that the child is just following them without getting their own sense of rhythm or intonation.

Actually, there is a big step from playing alone to playing with accompaniment, and I'm now wondering whether this may be part of the problem? I remember the first practice with the accompanist when my son did grade 7 clarinet - I couldn't believe he was the same boy who had played so well that morning, because everything just fell apart. Up to that point I'd accompanied him myself in exams, so I'd thought he'd be fine, but he was completely overawed by having a really good pianist there. Fortunately, after a few rehearsals he was OK, but could there be something similar happening for these children?

[Anniejane]

How are you getting on teaching the child piano? Presumably her sense of rhythm is no better for that? By grade 7 a candidate needs a very good sense of rhythm - or how on earth will they manage the sightreading?

Do have a word with the parents; it must be very difficult for the children to keep failing, and won't help their confidence at all. It does sound as if their teacher hasn't prepared them very well (although people on the forums are very sensitive to criticism of teachers, so perhaps I shouldn't say that!); sometimes teachers just play along with the child, and don't realise that the child is just following them without getting their own sense of rhythm or intonation.

Actually, there is a big step from playing alone to playing with accompaniment, and I'm now wondering whether this may be part of the problem? I remember the first practice with the accompanist when my son did grade 7 clarinet - I couldn't believe he was the same boy who had played so well that morning, because everything just fell apart. Up to that point I'd accompanied him myself in exams, so I'd thought he'd be fine, but he was completely overawed by having a really good pianist there. Fortunately, after a few rehearsals he was OK, but could there be something similar happening for these children?

Piano we've started from the beginning - very basic rhythms are OK, but she has problems with dotted rhythms, semiquavers etc. - it's not so much her sense of thythm, but she doesn't seem to have learnt how to work out rhythm patterns for herself. We're working through things, but obviously not up to Grade 7 level!

As to your other point about being used to the piano - yes, that could well have something to do with it as they haven't played their pieces through with a piano before - perhaps I should wait until we've had a few rehearsals and see if things improve. (Although I have to say we had lots of rehearsal last time, and things didn't improve much).


I've just realised that here I am complaining about another teacher - precisely what in the past I've had a go at other people for doing! Apologies, everyone, for being so self-righteous!

[harmony2]

Just another thought - have you had a rehearsal with their teacher present? I usually accompany my own flute students up to grade 6, then use a first study pianist for grades 7, 8 and diploma. I always attend at least one rehearsal, usually two. It's much easier to iron out silly problems with me there - I can also demonstrate any tricky bits with the accompanist. I ALWAYS ring the accompanist when they have had a rehearsal without me, just to see how things went, and if anything in particular needs to be looked at in the next lesson. Perhaps you should speak to their teacher and say you are having problems with rhythm and feel it would be helpful to have her/him there at a session.

I do a lot of accompanying and in every aspect Grade 7 seems to be completely beyond them. The basic rhythm bears no relation to what it should be - accompanying them is like being on a roller-coaster! There's no way I can sort it out in rehearsal - there's just too much going wrong!

With these concerns I would have no hesitation to speak to both the parents and the teacher. Do get the teacher along to some rehearsals. Last term I had a particularly rhythmically challenged student take grade 8 - a very confident player, lovely tone, but a bit erratic when under pressure - she was about to leave school and really wanted the exam under her belt. Having spoken with the accompanist I use, we decided that she would just 'go with the flow' and I gave her a couple of bottles of wine afterwards! I knew she would pass because everything else was in place and she plays musically - we all knew that she was likely to make some unpredictable moves, but being prepared for it, and laughing it off, helped all round.