Coach’s Corner: Part 6 – Tempo Tantrums

BY JOSHUA FINKEL

Fixing a tempo mid song. Let’s say that even though you set your tempo correctly, the accompanist did not

interpret it as such. NEVER glare at the pianist while singing. That makes the room think you are temperamental.

Instead “have no regrets” and take the reins. If you want the tempo to go faster mid song, accentuate the

consonants for 2-4 bars in the strict tempo you DO want to sing in. That will cue the accompanist of the tempo

change. Similarly if you want to go slower, accentuate the vowels in the new strict slower tempo you want to create.

The accompanist will listen and respond. But DO NOT endlessly syncopate the song so that you never square up

with the pianist usually on the beginning of a measure. You need to make sure you are together every 4 measures

or so, even in a jazz tune with lots of syncopation.