accompaniment

Accompaniment provides harmonic, rhythmic, and textural support for a lead melody or voice. The most common accompaniment instrument is the piano, which can provide bass, harmony, and rhythm simultaneously. Guitar, orchestra, and keyboard instruments also serve as accompanists. Good accompaniment is an art in itself — the accompanist must follow the soloist's timing, breathe with the phrase, and adjust balance moment to moment. Gerald Moore, the legendary piano accompanist, titled his memoir Am I Too Loud? — the eternal question. In song recitals, the piano part is often just as complex and musically important as the vocal line.