Rehearsal Accompaniment
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    It's useful when composing to add a rehearsal accompaniment to the bottom of SAB or SATB scores to give those who have trouble "hearing" the notes on a page.

    Do you agree, or disagree?
    Thanked by 2expeditus1 francis
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    I agree! I'm getting better at reading four+ lines at a time, but it takes all my concentration. My husband is a band director so it's no problem for him, but for myself, being a pianist first and foremost, two is my primary comfort zone. : )
  • donr
    Posts: 971
    It is better Noel.
    My wife really does not like having to read 3 or 4 lines separated with lyrics. The bottom accompaniment really helps out a lot.
  • expeditus1
    Posts: 483
    It would save me a whole lot of time. I've just spent the past couple of days doing my own.
  • lmassery
    Posts: 404
    Agree - I always look for editions with accompaniments.
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,295
    It is incredibly helpful.
  • mrcoppermrcopper
    Posts: 653
    Reluctantly, have to agree. Though it provides yet another path to introduce errors. Requires a good editor to verify that the reduction matches the choral parts.
  • donr
    Posts: 971
    Usually my wife takes the music and cuts it in very uneven pieces, leaving a big mess on the table and the floor. Then she makes scans and prints out the new music.
    Guess who gets to clean up the mess :-) Meeee
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,046
    If it's something I'm aiming at parish use, I do. If it's something for professionals, I often don't, simply because in that context, piano should be unnecessary and just gets in the way. I use the Finale plugin but end up having to edit quite a bit to preserve sustained notes. A lot of my stuff is contrapuntal enough that it doesn't lend itself to piano transcription, and often the piano parts border on a continuo realization. But of course, those are the cases where you most need the piano.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    FInale will automatically generate a piano accompaniment directly from the choral parts, eliminating errors...if you are consistent and keep the parts in different layers on their own staves, it saves a lot of time when you use the plugin. The best part is that then you can play it and discover errors on the choral parts that your eye has missed.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,150
    Generally, yes, although for 6 or more part complex (contrapuntal or otherwise) music, such vocal rehearsal accompaniments are rather poor, if not outright useless. Often, from the publishing standpoint, a rehearsal accompaniment can mess with the page layout, too ... such as not being able to fit two systems on a page of 6 or more vocal parts plus rehearsal accompaniment.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Sorry, you are absolutely right! Anything above 4 and 5 parts becomes like spaghetti! It's a real art to do those, for sure!
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • kenstb
    Posts: 369
    Noel,
    How do you like the Finale program? I've been looking for a decent one for composing.
    Which version are you running, and would you recommend it?
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    I am running 2012, recommend it very highly - everyone who works here uses it.

    However, make sure you get a religious or educational discount and also seriously consider buying a lesser version - I believe that Finale Notepad is still free - a very good introduction to using the program.

    Also, the free trial is also useful to figuring out whether it is right for you.
    Thanked by 2JulieColl kenstb
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 944
    Sibelius also does reductions. They're not bad as long as there aren't too many interweaving rhythmic complexities.

    My current position is the first where not only do we sometimes use reductions for rehearsal, but I also have a rehearsal accompanist. It saves more time than I ever would have thought (it doesn't hurt that she's a crack pianist).
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    SIbelius has gotten some bad press during the last year - some management changes and issues with the new owner, but no one should count it out - it remains a force in the industry.
    Thanked by 2Andrew Motyka Patricia Cecilia
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    The trick to making a reduction is NOT to use the pluggin in Sib. Assign each voice to a different number. S=1, A=2, (both wind up in the treble staff) T=1, B=2 (both wind up in the bass staff). Then, simply paste them into the grand staff. You will have a perfect [COPIED with no errors,] reduction. (see my website for examples - www.myopus.com)

    For more than four voices, you will have to assign lines to voice 3 and 4 and you will have to tweak the placement of notes, but this is not too difficult.

    Attached is a sample of my transcription of Bach's Ricercare A6 for organ using this method.

    For more than six voices, don't bother. If the choir can't sing it on their own by holding their respective parts, an accompaniment won't help them much. Choose a simpler piece.

    NOTE: I always use the 'small staff' option as accomps for rehearsal only, (also called an ossia, but this usually refers to 'alternate' performance passages and is displayed above or below the immediate staff concerned with only the altered matter.
    Picture 1.png
    1282 x 467 - 114K
    Thanked by 2noel jones, aago Andrew Motyka
  • advocatusadvocatus
    Posts: 85
    When I'm leading a rehearsal myself of very complex or multi-voiced polyphony (such as would make a piano reduction look like spaghetti), I often play a light "basso seguente" accompaniment. A written-out realization might be helpful for a choir accompanist who is not able read and analyze the open score and translate vertical harmonies into a keyboard-style realization while following the lowest sounding part. Maybe that's too much work for an editor to do for rehearsal alone, but in some styles it could be part of a performance practice option.
    Thanked by 5noel jones, aago kenstb CHGiffen Adam Wood Patricia Cecilia
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    So I hear no votes for piano reductions of the 40-voice works of Tallis and others?

    Thanked by 2Gavin Andrew Motyka
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    The Tallis works.

    Chris, you know that it's not the number of voices, but the troublesome heavy mix of dissonant intervals, which translate into Advocatus' spaghetti and meatballs of neighboring notes on the page!
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Yes, Noel, I know. I was just having a bit of fun.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    I guess I was just tossing...meatballs!
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