Opportunities For Collaboration: How Pianists Can Work With Other Musicians?

Although piano playing is considered to be a solo affair, much of the repertoire of a pianist is, in fact, collaborative. There was a time when aspiring musicians were encouraged to specialize in the area of their expertise when it came to music making. This was for them to develop a selling point that is unique to them. 

Today, young musicians are encouraged to be more flexible and engage with all aspects pertaining to performing as well as teaching. So how does this affect an aspiring pianist?  Unlike in the past, today being a pianist is not limited to being a part of a solitary practice such as, the trajectory that follows playing in a recital which is then followed up with solo touring. 

There are very less solo performers that manage to sell out stadiums as compared to scores of others that work as pianists in schools, conductors, accompanists, and so on. 

Pianists are a regular sight in almost every institution such as schools, in universities where they are part of numerous auditions, recitals, and choir practices. The choices are plenty for someone who is willing to welcome the many opportunities that they get as a pianist. This is the reason why we see outstanding performers being a part of summer music fests who go on to play with other outstanding performers from all around the world.

Although playing solo can be just as fulfilling making music with other musicians is much more rewarding and it is these experiences that really help a musician grow. 

Benefits of collaborative practice to the soloist

For a pianist, collaborating with other musicians is highly beneficial as it helps them to be more musically fluent which is often difficult to achieve as a solo player. 

• Helps you make original music

One of the best reasons for playing with other musicians as a pianist is that it helps you with establishing your songwriting skills. As a musician being able to create original music is a likely goal that also goes hand in hand with making it big in the music industry. 

Collaborating with other musicians means you are getting constant feedback which furher makes you more aware of where you are lagging and where to make improvements. Basically, it just speeds up the process of making an original piece of music that has more polished melodies, tempos, and chorus. 

Performing together gets better feedback

Collaborating with other musicians helps you to ascertain and experience the entire musical piece when it is played all together with all the other instruments and the vocal parts added. Playing together helps you to get valuable feedback which eventually helps you to ascertain what’s missing, and which instruments to remove or add which again helps you to streamline everything in a better manner.  

Collaborating gets you more gigs

Playing with other musicians also helps in getting more exposure which leads to more opportunities to play. If you are just starting out as a pianist it is a good idea to pair with other musicians that have been playing for a while as they might have more contacts which can help you get more opportunities at performing at venues and competitions. 

Doing this will get you noticed by people so that they know who you are and may book you for future events such as parties, etc. 

Chance to improve your piano skills

When you are collaborating with other artists you get more opportunities to play which also helps you work on your own weaknesses. You get to practice more which greatly improves your motor skills and aids you in recalling songs in an easy manner without consulting the sheet placed in front of you. 

How pianists can collaborate effectively with other musicians

For an aspiring pianist to become an outstanding one experience matters a lot. While being a solo pianist might work for some in that regard collaborating with other musicians is a great way of getting experience. 

As a collaborative pianist, there are different scenarios where you might be required to work in, such as working with solo vocalists to playing in a group. You may be playing at an event that is casual or formal where the styles may range from classical to modern genres. 

Being a collaborative pianist requires you to be flexible when it comes to the setting or the genre which also helps you to learn more from the other musicians and be a better performer and composer. 

Be good at sight reading 

As a pianist being able to sight read is a valuable and required asset because it helps you with learning new music much faster which further helps in making practice sessions much more streamlined and less time-consuming.

 Another reason why a pianist should develop the skill of sight reading is that there can be many situations where they are required to fill in for someone for a performance at very short notice. 

In such situations being able to learn a piece of unknown music quickly and playing it can be beneficial by helping you get more gigs and opportunities.

Must have a strong sense of time

As a collaborative pianist, your job is to complement the other musicians. In order to do that having a sense of time and tempo is greatly required. You need to learn to set the tempo as per the piece that is being played which will greatly increase your chances of getting hired for more gigs.

Be more flexible 

Being a collaborative pianist means that sometimes the schedules can get very unpredictable. In such situations, musicians need to be flexible with their time and be available when they are called. Along with being flexible they also need to be reliable such as when called to a venue they should reach there in advance if not early.

Communication is key

For a wholesome and fulfilling career as a collaborative pianist, it makes sense to get to know the other musicians and the people that are part of it in a better way. This creates a comfortable environment for everyone which helps the entire process to run much more smoothly. 

Collaborating with other musicians or vocalists is surely more rewarding than being a solo performer for many reasons. Most pianists would rather collaborate than perform solo and it is easy to see why. The foundation of being a collaborative pianist sits on having open communication filled with mutual respect with the ones that you are collaborating with.

Collaborating can also introduce you to various styles of music to work with the your given set of skills. You may also get a chance to learn another musical instrument on the way.