Hi Margy,

Thanks for your comments and I’m glad you enjoyed the vocal accompaniment seminars.

As a vocalist yourself, you should find it much easier to ‘test the water’ with the concepts that I cover in this lesson such as using chord alterations (b9, #9, #11, #5/b13) to add colour and interest to our voicings and accompaniment.

I’m fascinated by the software that separates out the vocal from the accompaniment in a recording. What a fabulous tool to learn how to accompany.

Yes the software is truly remarkable in its capabilities. In addition to studying these seminars, I’d highly recommend to compile a list of vocal recordings that you admire and want your own accompaniment style to sound like. As I outline in this seminar, we can use the StemRoller software to isolate the piano track, and then increase the volume to get a clearer picture of what is happening.

If you’re new to transcription and analysing recordings, our ear training exercises will help: https://www.pianogroove.com/exercises/ – try to spend 10 of 15 minutes each day on this and it will greatly help you to analyse and emulate your favourite records.

One of the tricky things with transcribing vocal accompaniments is that most often they are performed in non-standard keys, and also likely not the same key that matches your vocal range. This makes it more challenging and again the ear training exercises will help you to quickly identify the key when listening to your favourite records, and also help to ‘guide your ear’ when transposing melodies and chords into different keys.

As to the network you mentioned-a Canadian friend and Tuomo’s friend, I’m very interested in the idea of another seminar.

Yes leave that with me. Tuomo’s wife is a vocalist and I believe they perform together regularly so they would be perfect to create some instructions on accompanying vocalists.

The other musician is a singing pianist from Canada and she would be great to teach how to accompany oneself. We spoke a few years ago about creating a vocal accompaniment course which didn’t happen due to COVID so I will follow up with her and I’m sure she will still be interested.

I will keep you posted with developments.

I have more than I can digest with this seminar’s recording and Tuomo’s previous accompaniment seminar. At the moment no questions. Many thanks. Margy

Great – if you do have any theory questions don’t hesitate to let me know.

I’m just catching up on website comments and I see that you posted a comment to Tuomo and Jovino – I will forward to them now and make sure they answer you asap.

Talk soon,
Hayden