Comping piano pdf notes

Sustained notes and chords provide a welcome contrast to short rhythms. How to help your jazz ensemble pianist work with chord symbols and lead sheets. The comping rhythms, melodies, and voicings of the greatest jazz guitarists are delightful to listen to, with or without a soloist present. It functions best in a jazz or blues setting as a nice comping short for accompaniment chord. Mar 15, 2016 this pdf will be a big help to many jazz pianists and other instrumentalists who want to get better at voicing chords in their left hand. Apr 30, 2016 your goal while comping is to create variety in your rhythm unlike vamping. Download all rhythms, patterns, and lesson notation in the pdf file below. Many older musicians call this playing in two, or will say lets play in two for the first chorus. Comping rhythms for jazz piano now that you can walk a bass line, and know which notes to play for a nice 4note voicing sound with your right hand, lets talk about rhythm and give you something to practice.

Playing nonrepeating stabs this is more like comping as played by pros. Buy jazz piano comping piano book with online audio at. In this video i will go over a 3 step process where you learn some basic jazz blues comping and turn them into tools that you can use to comp more freely and develop your own chord vocabulary. Figure 2 offers another example of the same comping approach applied to a slightly different set of changes there are quite a few variations on the jazzblues progression, with a few substitutions employed and featuring some new, interesting voicings and rhythmic motifs. Chordvoicing is the process of choosing and arranging the notes of a chord in a particular the notes of a chord can be arranged in many ways as illustrated in the example below. The intervals between the notes are major or minor thirds. Your goal while comping is to create variety in your rhythm unlike vamping. Guitar solo notes and tabs world free sheet music pdf. It is relatively easy to play a chord in the left hand, hold it down, and improvise with the right hand. Comping in the range of middle c is challenging because lower interval limits can make voicings muddy and you have to use less notes and space them well. No comping just holding down chords once per symbol. Great lefthand accompaniment patterns for the piano or.

It is relatively easy to play a chord in the left hand, hold it down, and improvise with the. Complement the soloist rhythmically and harmonically stay out of the soloists way. Over 300 pages with complete chapters on intervals and triads, the major modes and iivi, 3note voicings, sus. Or add bass notes guide tones and one or two extensions if you are playing duo with a singer. Many players could benefit from having this reference sheet, which has most of the chords jazz musicians are likely to encounter. Youll play two half notes rhythms in each measure, thus the term two. They typically use voicings with or without bass notes and different string sets low, high, etc. Closed voicings or adjacent set chords are used for the fourth group. Even the bass solo gets a little comping behind it. F jazz blues comping jazz chords and concepts jens larsen. I learned how to comp on piano from the levine piano book.

Your piano jazz comping, pop and rock free piano lessons. Practically all comping structures used with vi can also be employed to harmonise i. You can get creative, and rhythmically displace the halfnote rhythm around the bar to create variety. Adagio slowly the jazz ballad is what is referred to in jazz as a halftime feel. Comping means accompanying or complementing a soloist by playing the chords and staying out of the soloists way. We will concentrate mainly on the piano keyboard, though the same principles apply to the guitar and, to a lesser extent, the bass guitar and drums. In the last measure we can highlight the notes of the solomelody by comping chords along with them. Some of my favorite chords to use in my left hand, especially in a solo piano context are shell voicings that contain only two yes i said two. The thirteenth in the voice is very dissonant, so avoid unless you. Comping is an art, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. However, because we are playing the root note of every chord as the bass note, the chord. Jim hall chords and comping techniques terence wright.

This type of odd grouping with your 8th notes is a great way to create interest and. Piano comping transcribed from the bestselling jamey aebersold jazz volume 42. It is also the action of accompanying, and the lefthand part of a solo pianist. Studypractice notes never throw your hands at the keys. Or add bass notes when there is no bass player on the gig. Comping to high on the keyboard can be nerve wracking and will distract the soloist. Because we are omitting notes each individual chord is ambiguous. Chordvoicing is the process of choosing and arranging the notes of a chord in a particular. As your solo gains in intensity, this is a great way to accent your solo notes. Piano comping practice tips cocktail piano lessons.

Before we can get into piano comping, we need to learn the chord voicings for the song. The following lessons introduce some of the basics of jazz guitar chords. Welcome to this lesson on open position rootless voicings. A horn section pattern lets pick a rhythm that imitates a big band born section. Play with or between the melody play on and off the beat play short and long notes. How to comp on piano like a pro making music magazine. By examining halls comping texture, voicing types, and specialized techniques in the transcription, the reader can develop a stronger understanding of the skills and vocabulary necessary when comping in the small group. All studies come in pdf format and will be emailed directly to you within 24h. See how soulful jazz master james williams negotiates the blues in all 12 keys, and youll be ready for anything.

Complement the soloist rhythmically and harmonically. Each of the above chords are examples of different voicings for a c major triad. Comping on the off beats is an effective tool which works well with the underlying bassline by accenting the up beat. We will concentrate mainly on the pianokeyboard, though the same principles apply to the guitar and, to a lesser extent, the bass guitar and drums. Two handed voicings are used when other players solo and during.

The most highly acclaimed jazz piano method ever published. Building a solid vocabulary of great jazz comping rhythms is difficult. I really want to transcribe some of the modern jazz pianists comping behind a soloist, but i find it impossible to hear all these notes. How to comp enliven your accompaniments with comping. Since many published jazz ensemble pieces already include suggested chord voicings for you, the focus of this sheet is not what notes to play, but what rhythms to use. You actually spend most of your time on a jazz gig playing behind others. Piano comping is primarily about grooving, and yes, it. The concert band notes look shockingly similar to the jazz band notes on the page. Now that lead me to think about the fact that there are very few comping transcriptions available, eventough in this modern age, we can easily record in midi, which you can later print out as a leadsheet. If you play all of your chords short or long, your comping will sound predictable. F jazz blues comping jazz chords and concepts guitar lesson playing the chords on a jazz blues is a great way to start your journey into jazz guitar. This approach works after 20 years of teaching i can humbly say this approach to comping has proven itself many times over.

First, he comps for, and interacts with, other players as they solo. Joining the jazz band as a pianist or any other rhythm section instrument is much di. Part one of two, created to tie in with my book, how to really. Rootless voicings at the piano cocktail piano lessons. Playing a steady rhythm lets play each chord in a steady pattern of quarter notes. It refers to the chords and rhythms an instrumentalist plays while the vocalist is singing or other musicians are soloing. In order to improvise you need to know and play every chord very well. You can even record midi with a regular piano, so i.

This information will be updated and improved as new knowledge emerges. Comping is the practice of using chords to accompany a melody j. Check out the article, how to comp on piano like a pro, by scott houston. Introduction to jazz guitar chords and comping styles by mike scott. Comping as opposed to playing an accompaniment which is more likely fully notated contains, therefore, an element of improvisation. Its a tough read and quite a lot of intellectual work, but once you get the concepts its really useful. This is definitely one of the more complicated aspects of playing the piano. Most jazz comping rhythms are simple and straightforward. This isnt an allencompassing resource, as a resource that. As pianists we need to be ready to accept 2 different roles. Harmony rules alter and substitute chords add ornamentals voicings rules pick appropriate register for. Youll play two halfnotes rhythms in each measure, thus the term two.

However, because we are playing the root note of every chord as the bass note, the chord progression in its entirety is actually less ambiguous. Using intervals is an easier way to leave more space for the rest of the band, so it also works well if you play with a piano player. These piano comping practice tips are meant to give you specific exercises to practices that will improve your harmonic understanding and help you learn the chords to a bunch of jazz tunes. Pdf a computermediated interface for jazz piano comping. For you to become successful at working with standard tunes and lead sheets, it will be essential that you understand the construction of 7th chords. Comping studies include different inversions, substitutions or variations. The best range for comping voicings is about d below middle c to f an octave above middle c. A great approach to jazz comping is to not only rely on chords but also use intervals as a way of conveying the harmony. Regular chords in tonal music have at least three notes.

One of the most important tools for your piano playing bag of tricks is a good supply of lefthand accompaniment patterns. Jazz piano comping how to comp the jazz piano site. You are comping for the soloist, youre playing behind the head. Youre job here is to support the soloist by providing a rich harmonic background for them to play or to sing over. All of these roles are considered in this lesson using a transcription of red garlands solo over the tune traineing in, the title track of john coltranes 1957 album with the red.

Comping rhythms 10 examples you need to know jens larsen. Therefore, he needs two different types of voicings. Vary the rhythms of these notes in response to the treble players and bass lines. In these pages you will find notes, observations, tips and exercises that i have developed over my musical journey as a piano student. This is characterized by a ryhythm of two beats in the measure emphasizing beats 1 and 3. Melody generally uses the notes of a chord or notes that return to it. Jim hall chords and comping techniques jazz guitar comping is an art form in its own right. That is a pretty simple definition of comping chords, but it works.

The fondamental drill is playing every chord and every inversion of each chord. The chords are played in rhythmic patterns that complement the bass and drums. One very important role is to provide harmonic support to the soloists. Bass vary the way you play the four notes in each bar, but dont lose the beat. Chord voicings to get started with chord voicings for any jazz standard at the piano, you must first learn how to form rootless chord voicings. Jan 28, 2019 sustained notes and chords provide a welcome contrast to short rhythms. This pdf will be a big help to many jazz pianists and other instrumentalists who want to get better at voicing chords in their left hand. This is known as comping which is short for accompanying. Any time youre faced with playing straight chords or even playing melodies from a fake book which pretty much just gives the chord names, youre left to your own resources to supply an interestingsounding. When playing with other jazz musicians, you will be required to perform different roles than when playing solo jazz piano. United states usa 1898 1937 252 sheet music 340 mp3 10 midi. How to comp chords comping chords on the piano this is definitely one of the more complicated aspects of playing the piano.

Introduction to jazz guitar chords and comping styles. Another helpful practice tip, once youve gotten quite familiar with the rootless voicings, is to simply open a lead sheet of any jazz standard and practice comping through the chord changes using rootless voicings. Steve also demonstrates the use of more randomlyplaced horn punches to create rhythmic interest and variety. Piano chord voicings for jazz combo the pianist has a few functions in a jazz combo.

One of the most important things to remember is that comping is shorthand for accompanying. Encyclopedia of lefthand jazz piano voicings learn jazz. This will not only get you more practice with the chords but serve as some great sightreading practice for chord comping. These voicings can have up to seven notes and are equally suited for the divergent tasks of harmonizing an improvised line, harmonizing a melody or for comping. Apr 06, 2016 these piano comping practice tips are meant to give you specific exercises to practices that will improve your harmonic understanding and help you learn the chords to a bunch of jazz tunes.