Skip to main content
accompaniment

accompaniment

9 5.1
A musical part that supports a singer or solo instrument
  • noun
  • /əˈkʌmpənɪmənt/
translation icon : acompañamiento
  • Many restaurants offer the perfect wine as an accompaniment to their gourmet dishes.
  • piano accompaniment
  • song accompaniment
  • melody with accompaniment

Musical accompaniment welcome, but let me choose the music, OK?

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • He played the piano as an accompaniment to her singing, creating a beautiful harmony.

  • There was hand-clapping and a rhythmic accompaniment of patting the knees and stamping the feet.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Musical accompaniment welcome, but let me choose the music, OK?

  • It's hard to know what makes a good accompaniment without hearing the melody first.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • One site even offers several styles of accompaniment from which students may choose.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The teacher can play examples of various accompaniments to give students an idea of the available options.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The festival spirit was uppermost, and many people sang in accompaniment to the music.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Five young singers in traditional ao dais serenaded us to the accompaniment of five musicians playing traditional instruments.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Students improvise short melodies, unaccompanied and over given rhythmic accompaniments, each in a consistent style, meter, and tonality.

    Academic text (2013)
  • The violin served as a lovely accompaniment during the performance, enhancing the melody of the flute.

Synonyms

backup
vsaccompaniment
89 3.1

A musical part that supports the main singers or instruments

is used more widely beyond performance or recording situations
support
vsaccompaniment
  • Specialized
32 4.2

A musical part that plays behind the main melody

is the broad term for that supporting musical role
musical accompaniment
vsaccompaniment
1 3.6

Music that plays quietly with a singer or main tune to support it

is the general label for this supporting musical part
obligato
vsaccompaniment
  • Specialized
1 9.9

An important musical part that plays with the main melody exactly as written

is a general supporting part not always required to follow exact notation
obbligato
vsaccompaniment
  • Specialized
1 9.9

An essential musical part that players must play as written to support the main tune

is a general supporting part that is not mandatory or fixed

Antonyms

216 2.1

A lack of someone or something that should be there

3 4.2

To play a musical part alone during a song or concert

Compounds

Music that plays quietly with a singer or main tune to support it

How Orchestrated

score
  • Specialized
331 6.5
orchestration
  • Specialized
4 6.7
arrangement
62 4.2
accompaniment
9 5.1
a cappella
6 5.8

Surface Forms

accompaniment singular

Morphology

accompaniment = accompany (transparent) = accompany + ment

Standard nominalization of the verb 'accompany' with '-ment'; the sense 'musical part that supports' is a direct derivation and should be clear to learners.

Etymology

Accompaniment comes from the same idea as companion, from old parts com- 'with' and panis 'bread', meaning someone you share bread with. So in music an accompaniment is like a friendly companion that supports the main voice or instrument.