In music,
accompaniment is the art of playing along with an instrumental or vocal
soloist or
ensemble, often known as the
lead, in a supporting manner. The accompaniment can be performed by a single performer—a pianist, guitarist, or organist —or it can be played by an entire ensemble, such as a
symphony orchestra or
string quartet (in the classical genre), a
backing band or
rhythm section (in popular music), or even a
big band or
organ trio (in jazz). It may be considered the background to the foreground
melody.