Newbie question: What is the difference between 'chunk, chunk' rhythm and 'comping'?

[Morpeli]

Hi,

I am going through a Jazz chords book. I am new to Jazz. What is the difference between 'chunk, chunk' rhythm and 'comping'?

Is the 'chunk, chunk' faster and more stacato and the 'comping' rhythm slower, gentler and fuller?

Thanks!!!

[darionapoli74]

Example of comping:
Jimmy Raney Doug Raney - Have You Met Miss Jones - YouTube

Example of straight rhythm:
Serge Krief - Django Legacy - YouTube

An in between example:
Bireli Lagrene-lesson 2 - YouTube

So in comping you don't necessarily stay on 1 2 3 or 4 but use syncopation and accent off beats.
Hope this helps,
Dario
Dario Napoli: Professional Guitarist

[voelker]

chunk chunk... is that the term the book uses? I would say that chunk chunk is more percussive, helps keep time, accenting the up beats, like a train, like in gypsy jazz. Comping would allow you to play the rhythm more i guess.

[Silence]

"Chunk - Chunk"; To me, when I think "Chunk - Chunk", I think Freddie Green style rhythm. Freddie Green typically playing four to the bar rhythms.

Comping, IMO, would be a more syncopated form of playing chords over a tune. That, and you can be more ambiguous with your harmonic choices which would (hopefully) lead to more 'color'.

Here are two books that would most certainly help you:

Amazon.com: Swing and Big Band Guitar: Four-To-The Bar Comping in the Style of Freddie Green (0073999951479): Charlton Johnson: Books

Amazon.com: Barry Galbraith - Guitar Comping: Barry Galbraith: Books


While the last book really only notates what is being played and does not really get into the nuts and bolts of "comping" (although it does give you chord symbols), I think the difference between the two styles would be obvious once you learned at least one tune from that second book and then compared it to something you would learn in the first book.

Hope that helps

[Banksia]

The difference also depends on the instrumental lineup. In a big band, you keep it simple and just count to 4. In a small combo, if you have a piano, then you may play very few notes. If you are comping during a bass solo, you might just play one quarter note per bar.

[Morpeli]

Ha ha, yes the book does call it 'chunk chunk'. I am going through Jazz Rhythm Guitar: A Systematic Approach to Chord Progressions by Roger Edison.

Thanks a lot y'all that all helps a lot!

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

What would you call this? Boom-chick?

YouTube Video

[EightString]

I thought that "comping" was a more general term that simply referred to rhythmic accompaniment of solo instruments or vocals, regardless of rhythmic form.

[matt.guitarteacher]

Originally Posted by EightString

I thought that "comping" was a more general term that simply referred to rhythmic accompaniment of solo instruments or vocals, regardless of rhythmic form.

Me too. In the strict sense, it's an abbreviation of "accompanying". In my mind, the style mentioned by the op would be just one example of comping, but terminology sometimes takes on a life of its own.