I will soon be accompanying my woodwind pupils for their grade exams. I know I will be able to muddle through on the day, but is that enough? I have simplified many of the piano parts and the students are used to playing along with them. I know that I am not the one that is being examined but do I have to be note perfect? Help!

PS I promise not to drop any ‘howlers’...

QUOTE (OkThen @ Mar 22 2005, 07:28 PM)

I have simplified many of the piano parts and the students are used to playing along with them. I know that I am not the one that is being examined but do I have to be note perfect? Help! PS I promise not to drop any ‘howlers’...

Accompanists have to be competent enough to support the student/soloist. None of us are perfect and I'm sure the odd wrong note won't be a big problem as long as it doesn't distract the soloist. I have never heard of accompaniments being simplifed though, I assumed they had to be played as written.

Thanks for your reply noodle

Usually I would get an accompanist in, but had no choice this session.

I was under the impression (now dashed methinks) that as long as the accompaniment was generally consistent with the original part (I always re-arrange with care), that this would suit for the exam. I come to piano playing from an improvisational background. A lot of the music my students play in assemblies and concerts have no written accompaniment and I am more than happy to make one up if needed. I also have fairly small hands and have always re-arranged difficult stretches as part of the course.

I do know a couple of teachers for whom the piano is not their first second or third instrument and I know at least one other tutor who simplifies the accompaniment and says she gets away with it. If it is the case that the piano score needs to be exactly as written, then I definitely won’t be using myself as an accompanist in the future! However, for this session it’s too late, as the exams are this week.

Just a thought - it's important for the candidates to be used to their accompanist and what their usual accompaniment is like - even if it's not strictly by the book. It may be better than playing with someone who is note perfect but not familiar to them.

I wouldn't worry. Having you there will give them confidence. Having practised together is worth quite a bit - they 'll know exactly what to expect.

Good luck

Maggie

yeah dont worry. i am accompaying some exams tomorrow and am looking forward to it!

Don't worry - I've been accompanying my pupils for years and have never hesitated to simplify accompaniments where necessary. Some of the higher grade accomps can be really beastly, and no way could I have played them as written! It doesn't affect the marking at all - the examiner is marking the soloist, not you.

QUOTE (OkThen @ Mar 22 2005, 08:27 PM)

I was under the impression (now dashed methinks) that as long as the accompaniment was generally consistent with the original part (I always re-arrange with care), that this would suit for the exam. I come to piano playing from an improvisational background. A lot of the music my students play in assemblies and concerts have no written accompaniment and I am more than happy to make one up if needed.

That's a really useful skill to have.

QUOTE

I also have fairly small hands and have always re-arranged difficult stretches as part of the course.

'I'm sure there's no problem with that.

QUOTE

I know at least one other tutor who simplifies the accompaniment and says she gets away with it. If it is the case that the piano score needs to be exactly as written, then I definitely won’t be using myself as an accompanist in the future! However, for this session it’s too late, as the exams are this week.

Apart from Baroque pieces where the composer only wrote the melody and bass lines and some editor has provided the realisation I've never deliberately simplified the accompaniment to an exam piece, but other people obviously have. It might be interesting to ask the Board if there's an official attitude to it. A lot of the pieces in the early grades are arrangements anyway, but with recently written original music for the instruments I would be more wary of changing the accompaniments.

I'm sure working with your simplified versions in lessons will make it very easy for your students to work with the full accompaniment another time and it doesn't sound as if you have any viable alternative to using them this time. Some teachers don't seem to make any attempt to prepare their students in that way - as an accompanist I often find myself having to explain how to deal with bars' rest, and demonstrate what to listen for in the "gaps" in the solo part. Other teachers use their imagination and produce adaptations of piano accompaniments for their own instrument to help their students to understand the music as a whole.

Thanks for all your encouragement and advice.

We are always telling our students to ‘enjoy themselves’ in exam situations, and I aim to practice what I preach! Here goes {breaths deeply}...

I agree with Jo-clarinet. Some accompaniments can be quite a challenge and the main aim is to keep going and provide support (musically and otherwise!) for the candidate. You're not playing a duet - you're accompanying!

I've recently started accompanying my pupils. I simply the parts e.g. for chords if there are four notes in the right hand I'll just play the important ones! Also some piano parts have both chord symbols and a part. For that I use the chord symbols and make up my own. My clarinet teacher has always simplified the piano parts and never had any comments made.