Editing Accompaniment (section)

==Definition==<!--[[Accompanist]] redirects directly here-->
[[Image:Mozart k545 opening.svg|thumb|290px|Mozart's ''[[Piano Sonata No. 16 (Mozart)|Piano Sonata, K 545]]'' opening. The right hand plays the melody, which is in the top stave. The left hand plays the accompaniment part, which is in the lower stave. In the first bar of the accompaniment part, the pianist plays a C Major chord in the left hand; this chord is [[arpeggio|arpeggiated]] (i.e., a chord in which the notes are played one after the other, rather than simultaneously). {{audio|Mozart k545 opening.mid|Play}}]]
An '''accompanist''' is a musician who plays an accompaniment part. Accompanists often play [[keyboard instrument]]s (e.g., [[piano]], [[pipe organ]], [[synthesizer]]) or, in folk music and traditional styles, a [[guitar]]. While [[sight-reading]] (the ability to play a notated piece of music without preparing it) is important for many types of musicians, it is essential for professional accompanists. In auditions for musical theater and orchestras, an accompanist will often have to sight read music.

A number of [[European classical music|classical]] [[pianist]]s have found success as accompanists rather than soloists; arguably the best known example is [[Gerald Moore]], well known as a [[Lied]]er accompanist. In some American schools, the term [[collaborative piano]] is used, and hence, the title "collaborative pianist" (or collaborative artist) is replacing the title accompanist, because in many [[art song]]s and [[contemporary classical music]] songs, the piano part is complex and demands an advanced level of musicianship and technique. The term ''accompanist'' also refers to a musician (typically a pianist) who plays for singers, dancers, and other performers at an [[audition]] or [[rehearsal]]—but who does not necessarily participate in the ensemble that plays for the final performance (which might be an [[orchestra]] or a [[big band]]).

===Accompaniment figure===<!--[[Accompaniment figure]] redirects directly here-->
An '''accompaniment figure''' is a musical gesture used repeatedly in an accompaniment, such as:
* [[Alberti bass]] and other [[arpeggio]] figures
* [[ostinato|Ostinati]] figures (repeated lines) or, in popular music, [[riff]]s

Notated accompaniment may be indicated [[obbligato]] (obliged) or [[ad libitum]] (at one's pleasure).

===Dialogue accompaniment===<!--[[Dialogue accompaniment]] redirects directly here-->
'''Dialogue accompaniment''' is a form of [[call and response (music)|call and response]] in which the lead and accompaniment alternate, the accompaniment playing during the [[Rest (music)|rests]] of the lead and providing a [[drone (music)|drone]] or silence during the main melody or [[vocal]].<ref>[[Peter van der Merwe (musicologist)|van der Merwe, Peter]] (1989). ''Origins of the Popular Style: The Antecedents of Twentieth-Century Popular Music'', p.320. Oxford: Clarendon Press. {{ISBN|0-19-316121-4}}.</ref>