BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
12275 / 18210 · Workshop 99 — Accompanying Another Musician: Following a Singer, Leading Without Controlling, Recovering from Unexpected Changes, and Making the Piano Behave Like a Listening Partner← prev⊞ allnext →

99.1The first major change

When playing solo piano:

you control:

  • tempo
  • phrasing
  • form
  • cadence timing
  • dynamics
  • reharmonization
  • ending

When accompanying someone:

some of that authority is shared.

That requires a different mental posture.