Accent on Achievement, Book 2: Piano Acc. (Instrumental) Book

This accompaniment book gives your pianists real work to do alongside the full band. Rather than playing stock chords, they're supporting arrangements of genuine repertoire and world music selections, which means they develop both their collaborative skills and their ability to read and respond to an ensemble.

Purposeful and collaborative. You're part of the musical architecture rather than an ornament to it. The repertoire spans classics and world music, so you encounter genuine variety across the 72 pages, keeping engagement high over a full academic year.

Band directors who have pianists in their rehearsal space and want to integrate them meaningfully into the daily curriculum. Piano students who want to develop their ability to accompany and support ensemble playing rather than always performing as soloists.

• Balance your left hand voicings so the band can hear their own line; the piano supports but never covers the primary melody.
• Watch the conductor closely during the full band arrangements, as your comping provides harmonic foundation and rhythmic stability across the ensemble.
• Use the rhythm and rest exercises as preparation for more complex accompaniment patterns; they teach the precision you'll need when accompanying chorales and scaled passages.
• Adjust your dynamic level between pieces based on whether you're accompanying a solo instrument, small group, or full band—this flexibility is essential to the method's design.

Assign this to your pianist during regular band rehearsals so they progress through the method alongside the band. This ensures continuity and builds the pianist's ear for how accompaniments support different instrumental colors and voicings. The 11 full band arrangements become more rewarding when a competent pianist is providing harmonic and rhythmic foundation.

• Reading and playing harmonic progressions that support melodic lines
• Maintaining steady rhythmic foundation while accompanying ensemble players
• Adjusting dynamic balance and touch based on ensemble context
• Comping effectively through rhythm exercises, chorales, and full arrangements
• Collaborating responsively with a conductor and ensemble members