Lesson 30: Introduction to Ensemble Playing

• Keep your part in time with a second part.
• Start together after a count-in and keep going to the end.

Playing with someone else is half listening.

An ensemble is a group playing together. Learn each part alone first, then listen to both as you play; without a partner, record one part.

Try a duet

Record four count-in beats, then the lower part at a steady speed; use the count-in to start the upper part with it.

Both parts read in C major on alto.

Play: Frère Jacques as a round

Record four count-in beats and the full tune; play it back and enter after two complete bars, then continue to your ending.

The round reads in Bb major on alto.

Frère Jacques: Sarrazin (2016); four quarter rests, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

Now play these

Frère Jacques

Record the tune; start a second pass two bars later.

Bobbing Joe

Record the melody, then match its dotted rhythms as you play along.

Rufty Tufty

Record a short section, then play the same notes with it to check your timing.

When you can play one line of a duet against a recording of the other without either rushing or dragging, move on to Lesson 31.