How to Read Open Score Workshop
Most of us don’t train to become a choral accompanist; we fall into it because we can play the piano. However, choral accompanying goes beyond playing the notes on an instrument; it is a specialized skill that takes years to develop, usually “on the job.” There is no Choral Accompanying School or degree program; in fact, there are very few resources dedicated solely to the choral accompanist.
This is why I created the How To Read Open Score Workshop. I want to share with you secrets of the trade that I have learned in over 30 years of choral accompanying, things that have helped me to work more efficiently and better serve the choirs I have played for.
If you currently play for a choir, you have the skills to read open score. You are a capable pianist who can read intermediate- to advanced-level music and you have foundational knowledge of music theory and technique.
Why, then, does reading open score seem foreign, difficult, even impossible at times?
Let me suggest that it has less to do with your ability to play and more to do with your ability to see and prioritize what to play.
You explain the priorities of an accompanist so clearly, and it was helpful to have a guide to reading open score for the first time. - Sophie
Do you remember Bob Ross, the painter on public television who taught us how to turn painting mistakes into “happy little trees”?
It is possible to make sense out of the dense forest of open score, the multiple voices on different staves, the cross-voicings, tricky rhythms, and unexpected accidentals.
It is a matter of learning how to see and prioritizing what to play.
Join Me for an Online Workshop
Rated “extremely valuable” by past participants
Here's what we cover in the workshop:
- What to look for in a first reading
- How to “triage” a score in real time
- Practice tips to help you get comfortable with open score