Jazz Singer Accompaniment

Intro to Vocal Accompaniment

Welcome to the first lesson in our vocal accompaniment course, where we focus on developing the essential skills required to support a singer in a jazz duo setting.

What You’ll Learn In This Lesson

• How to support a vocalist without overpowering them.
• Identifying the melody and letting it shine.
• Understanding word phrasing and how lyrics affect harmony.
• Playing less, but with more intention.
• Avoiding harmonic clashes with vocal lines.

"Fly Me to the Moon" Piano Vocal Accompaniment

Using the timeless classic “Fly Me to the Moon” as our case study, this lesson explores the foundational elements of accompaniment, such as voicings, rhythm, harmony, and interaction between pianist and vocalist.

Working With Jazz Vocalists

A central component of vocal accompaniment is building a strong musical relationship with the singer. The lesson begins with an introduction to singer Thalia who shares valuable insights from a vocalist’s perspective. You’ll learn how to create a comfortable environment for the singer through clear rhythm, steady tempo, and simple, supportive voicings.

Planning Intros, Outros, & Song Forms

We explore the importance of listening, communication, and even planning ahead with your singer — including discussion around intros, outros, and song form. Knowing the melody and lyrics of a tune is emphasized as a way to connect more deeply with the song and better support the narrative that the vocalist is conveying.

Simplicity & Space: The Role of the Accompanist

Throughout this lesson, the core principle is simplicity. As an accompanist, your job is to provide a clear harmonic and rhythmic framework. This means playing simple 3-note voicings, focusing on root or root-fifth bass patterns, and avoiding excessive rhythmic complexity that might throw off the singer.

You’ll hear examples of playing:

• Only when the chord changes
• Each chord on every beat in a simple, non-syncopated manner
• A bass-only accompaniment using roots and fifths

These approaches create space for the vocalist and allow for maximum interpretive freedom.

Jazz Vocal Accompaniment – Finding the Right Key

Choosing the correct key for the singer is essential. The lesson discusses how different vocalists have different comfort zones, and how the accompanist can help determine the ideal key, especially when working with less experienced singers who might not know their key preferences.

Understanding Melody and Lyrics

Another major theme is the importance of learning the melody and knowing the lyrics. This knowledge helps prevent harmonic clashes and allows for more musical interplay between piano and voice. As the accompanist, your voicings should support and never interfere with the melody, particularly when using richer harmonic textures in more advanced settings.

“Fly Me to the Moon” – Voicings For Accompaniment

We hear multiple versions of “Fly Me to the Moon” throughout the lesson, each demonstrating different accompaniment techniques:

• A simple melody-following version
• A more interpretive, instrumental-style version
• An exaggerated example of what not to do, with overcomplicated harmonic and rhythmic ideas
• A minimalist approach using only bass notes

These contrasting performances highlight the value of restraint, clarity, and awareness when accompanying.

Vocal Accompaniment Chord Voicings

The lesson closes with a preview of the next part of the course, where you’ll begin to explore voicings in more depth. Starting with 3-note voicings, you’ll gradually move into richer harmonic territory such as drop 2 voicings, while still maintaining clear support for the vocalist.

Practice Tips

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