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.
