Outside accompaniment pieces
Found in: Accompaniment
Megan F., Nebraska
I’ve recently started my first group with the Accompaniment program, and they’re eager to work on some outside projects. At what point do you introduce any accompaniment pieces outside of the curriculum and how do you select them? This particular group is made up of middle school age girls.
Leeanne I., Australia
I introduce extra pieces at the end of Foundation 1, so before we actually start Accompaniment 1. I ask my students what they want to learn. I find the sheet music and if the chords are appropriate to what they have already learned, we go with it. There are a couple of websites where you can buy digital sheet music and get a sneak peek at the first page, so you can check chords.
Gordon Harvey, Australia
Of course I must mention Elizabeth Gaikwad’s Songs for Children (and Songs for Everyone for older students)! They include lots of pieces using C F G so they can be introduced quite early in the accompaniment process, and then continue through I IV V projects and more advanced versions. I can’t stress to highly the importance of not moving too fast, and doing lots of simple pieces at the early stages.
You could use outside pieces, but most will include at least a few challenges that are beyond the student’s experience until they are well into the program. If you have a little knowledge, you could address those challenges by simplifying or removing chords. Sometimes a student might be particularly keen to tackle a certain song, including those challenges. In that case, it will be up to you to know if it’s worth putting the time into, or better to delay. If there are only one or two challenges and they aren’t too far beyond the student, you might be able to work out playing-based strategies. By that I mean coaching them through the playing of the task while avoiding any confusing theory-based conversations.
Leeanne I., Australia
Yes, I should have mentioned those too! I have all my students buy at least one of Elizabeth’s books in addition to Accompaniment 1. My extra pieces outside the curriculum are only as a reward at the end of each level and must be learned accompaniment style initially.
Joanne D., Australia
Depending on the age of the students, there is a book called “The Afternoon Pianist” which starts off with just C and F and then adds on more chords slowly as you progress through the book.
Jacqui G., Canada
Ask the girls what they would like to learn!