Selections from Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: Instrumental Solos, Volume 1: Piano Acc. Book & CD

Engaging and immediate. These are songs people know and love; whether you're accompanying a trumpet player on 'Honky Tonk Women' or comping behind a clarinet on 'Moondance,' the material has genuine musical personality and doesn't require apology or context to sound worthwhile.

Piano accompanists in band, orchestra, or solo contexts who want to build fluency backing up wind and brass soloists on music that actually resonates with students. This collection also suits pianists in mixed ensembles where instrumental parts are available separately.

• Pay close attention to the demo track on the CD before learning your part; these songs live and breathe in their grooves, and hearing the idiomatic rhythmic feel first will shape how you voice chords and approach accompaniment texture.
• Use the play-along track to internalize the harmonic progression in its proper tempo and dynamic context; rushing or dragging these songs changes their character significantly.
• Adapt your touch and pedal use to match the style of each song. A blues-based number like 'Soul Man' needs different clarity and sustain than the jangly brightness of 'A Hard Day's Night.'

Program these as solos with instrumental guests at concerts, or use them as collaborative repertoire when multiple instrumentalists need compatible accompaniment books. They work equally well in informal recital settings and more formal ensemble concerts, and they're engaging enough to motivate students learning to balance ensemble playing with solid accompaniment.

• Comping in rock and soul idioms
• Reading lead sheets and chord charts with contemporary harmonic language
• Rhythmic precision and groove awareness in non-classical styles
• Coordination with other instrumentalists and vocalists across tempos and dynamic ranges
• Voicing and reharmonization choices in popular music contexts