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Krakatoa - Accompaniment Guidelines for the

Krakatoa Song-Building Class & Community Band Rehearsal

Whether you play a stringed, keyboard, wind, or pitched percussion instrument, are a vocalist or dancer and are joining us as a Guest Artist or regularly as a Member of the Accompaniment group, we are delighted you are visiting us and are appreciative of your time, creative energies, musical gifts, and talents. Thank you for being an integral part of an exciting musical journey with some talented new friends.

It is highly recommended that you read the section on Shows, particularly about the required Dress Rehearsals if you plan on participating in a Show (See Shows for ONLINE Videos & Pictures of typical Shows). It's also important to review the information about the Classes, particularly the sections on Attendance, Equipment & Supplies, Class Attire, Attentiveness & Respect, Instrument Role-Guidelines, and the Krakatoa Song-Building Class & Community Band Rehearsal. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask the Krakatoa Instructor by Contacting Us.

When:

Mondays 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm (later during Dress Rehearsals). Sign-in, setup, and tune at 6:15 pm. Additional rehearsals for the Accompaniment group and/or Guest Artists can be arranged amongst yourselves. An open jam occurs from 8:15 pm - 8:30 pm during the Krakatoa Drum Circle.

Where:

The Krakatoa Instructor's teaching studio near 22nd St. & Wilmot in Tucson. Click here for exact directions.

Fees:

Since half the evening you'll be using the tools provided by the Krakatoa Instructor to teach each other, the fee for the whole evening is only $3, so let your musician friends know this is an excellent opportunity to jam with others! See also Classes.

Instruction:

The Krakatoa Instructor is primarily responsible for providing the rhythmic guidance and orchestration for all the instruments, including vocals, so watch & listen carefully to him. It's a good idea to show up at 6:15pm so you'll have enough time to tune, establish the tonal Key, finalized the Chord Progressions, and discuss Melodic approaches, etc. for the desired Style, which is often chosen the week before so the musicians could do some research beforehand and bring this in to help others.

Accompaniment Role-Guidelines:

Review FREE Lessons - Instrument Role-Guidelines to understand the general approach for determining the function of your instrument in the Band. Songs are created via collaboration amongst yourselves as guided by the Krakatoa Instructor. There will also be opportunities to solo or "trade" solos - watch to be cued in! 

Generally, every Accompaniment Member or Guest Artist should be intently watching & listening to the Role 3 "Mother" Drums since they primarily illustrate the main Groove.  You either are going to help Support it, Embellish it, or Dialogue with it.  Nevertheless, there are more specific Roles that the different types of Accompaniment can play:

• Bass Guitar & low notes of Chordal instruments should mirror and tonally enhance Role 1's "Father" Drum: bringing out the Pulse-feel, reinforcing the Beat or Tempo if the Band needs it, adding Pick-up notes to signal the end of the Phrase-Cycle and lead to the restart on the Down-Beat, adding 1 or 2 note Set-ups for important Pulses, adding larger Build-up Phrases to signal the end of a larger Chord Progression/Phrase-Cycle and add intensity to the music, and of course, providing the "root" harmonic tones for the Chord Progression that characterizes that Style.

• Rhythm Guitar & the other notes of Chordal instruments should understand the Time-feel established by Role 2's Steady Time-Keepers.  If they are playing every Beat to reinforce the Tempo, then so should you.  If they are stressing the Back-Beats or Off/Up-Beats to bring out a characteristic of that Style, so should you.  If they are Subdividing the Beat into 2, 3, or 4 notes to give it a "busier" feel or to add momentum especially during a Build-up at the end of a Phrase-Cycle, then so should you - but keep it "clean" and "tight."  You should be tonally enhancing their Rhythms while helping to establish the Chord Progression that characterizes that Style.

• Melody instruments & Vocalists should Dialogue with others using an approach similar to that of Role 4's "Child" Drum (adding small Phrases that support but often counter Role 3 "Mother" Drums), Role 5's Advanced Time-Keepers (Phrasing that respects the Clave or other "Key" Rhythms, adding very Syncopated and sometimes Polyrhythmic patterns), and Role 6's Master or Solo Drums (engaging in a Call & Response Dialogue with other Roles & Soloists, complex Phrasing - countering or shifted, complex rhythms - Syncopation & Polyrhythms, and even mixing Time-feels: straight vs. swung vs. odd-time).  Of course, you need to also respect the Chord Progression that characterizes that Style.

• Dancers should coordinate their routines with the body movements of Role 2's Steady Time-Keeper's and along with them interact with the audience during the Show (See Shows for the making of a good Show).

Accompaniment Style-Guidelines:

In addition to understanding the above Accompaniment Role-Guidelines to follow within the Krakatoa Song-Building & Community Band Rehearsals, you should also see any "General Accompaniment Style-Guidelines" provided for each Style and then each "Song's Accompaniment Style-Guidelines" for the Key, Chord Progression Charts, any Lyrics, and other important notes.