WHAT YOUR ACCOMPANIST CAN + CAN’T DO
🎹 Your accompanist is not a mind reader. If you want it played your way, write it down.
✅ Safe changes we can usually do:
Change the tempo
Add a repeat or vamp
Change dynamics
Add a fermata
Add a final chord or button
Swing the 8ths or 16ths
⚠️ Medium-risk moves that really depend on the accompanist:
Changing lyrics or vocal melodies
Using lead sheets or chords only
Loosely rewriting piano rhythms
Telling us to “jam”
🚫 High-risk asks to avoid at all costs:
Asking us to change the key
Changing the musical style
Asking us to improvise missing parts
📝 Want it played right? Make your sheet music right. Clear, complete, and legible. Because in the room, we play what’s there… not what you *meant* to write.
