Accompaniment

A musical part which supports or complements a melody

"Accompaniment" pertains to the musical underpinning offered by one or more instruments or voices to complement and amplify a central melody or vocal line. It enriches musical compositions by introducing depth, harmony, rhythm, and texture, augmenting the primary musical element and contributing to the holistic auditory experience.

Accompaniment operates as the supportive bedrock for musical renditions, usually encompassing chords, harmonies, rhythmic motifs, and instrumental or vocal passages that accompany the principal melody or soloist. Its function lies in cultivating a harmonious and harmonized musical ambiance, heightening the listener's engagement.

The manifestation of accompaniment can vary based on the musical genre and setting. It may involve orchestral instruments like strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion, or it could emanate from instruments like piano, guitar, and others. Moreover, vocal harmonies and background vocals also play a role as accompaniment to a lead vocalist or main vocal line.

In ensemble performances, accompaniment typically constructs a firm rhythmic and harmonic foundation, providing a platform for soloists or main melodies to shine. It possesses the capacity to infuse dynamics and texture, enhancing the emotional resonance of the music.

During solo performances, a vocalist or instrumentalist may elect to perform with self-accompaniment, employing an instrument or technology to generate a complementary backdrop to their primary execution.

Example of Accompaniment

Schubert - Serenade (piano accompaniment)

Tutor's Video (Kent Chan)

Frankie Chan

Frankie Chan

California Baptist University (US), Hong Kong Baptist University
Master
Violin, Western Music Theory
Ho Nam

Ho Nam

University of Alicante (ES), Hong Kong Baptist University
Master
Classical Guitar
Scarlett Ng

Scarlett Ng

Hong Kong Baptist University
Bachelor (Current)
Piano
Thomas Hui

Thomas Hui

The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Bachelor
Piano
Shania Chan

Shania Chan

Hong Kong Baptist University
Bachelor
Saxophone, Western Music Theory
Andy Sir

Andy Sir

Hong Kong Baptist University
Bachelor
Piano, Piano Accompaniment, Western Music Theory
Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer, the predominant musical figure during the transition between the Classical to Romantic eras. He occupies an unprecedented dominance in the history of Western music history, and has been widely regarded as the greatest, most influential and most popular musician who ever lived.

Beethoven's music inherited the artistic atmosphere of Haydn and Mozart, penetrated the desire for dignity, vented the anger tortured by fate, and demonstrated his determination to fight with fate.

Compared to other musicians, Beethoven is effectively to interact the philosophy of life with audience through music. Although he was not a romantic, he had become the object followed by other romantics.

As a musician, Beethoven suffered from ear diseases. However, he was unwilling to succumb to fate, vowing to take fate by the throat, and continue to complete his career. In the last ten years of his life, without hearing any sound, his compositions influenced the development of music for nearly two hundred years.

G Song

G Song by Terry Riley

As an iconic American composer, Terry Riley (born 1935) is always considered as a minimalist. However, this kind of thoughts would be ignoring part of his creativity. In fact, Riley added plenty elements in his compositions since 1970s, especially when he started collaborating with the Kronos Quartet. Riley’s composing style is very extensive, including improvisation, polyrhythm and jazz. He adopted classical elements, such as instrumentation, musical forms, structure and tonality. He also combined the elements from different periods to create unique musical textures. This research focuses on Terry Riley’s String Quartet, G Song. The research will be divided into two parts. The first part introduces Riley’s life and the background of G Song. The second part focuses on music analysis, including the musical structure “Two forms in one work”; The harmony “Unresolved Dissonance”; The rhythm “Metric Modulation”; The baroque “Canon”; The modern “Pointillism”. The purpose of this study is to discuss how Riley combined classicism and modernism into a work, and discuss why the statement “Terry Riley is considered as minimalist” would be ignoring part of his story.
Jascha Heifetz

The Greatest Violinist: Jascha Heifetz

More than a century after his public debut, the name Jascha Heifetz continues to evoke awe and excitement among fellow musicians. In a performing career that spanned 65 years, he established an unparalleled standard of violin playing to which violinists around the world still aspire.

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