Comping "licks"

**bobheff** · 02-09-2026, 07:58 AM

Like everything else when it comes to learning to play jazz on guitar, learning comping involves a lot of work. Two common approaches for beginniners, like myself, seem to be:

Learn basic shell (root, 3rd, 7th) voicings then drop the root and place extensions, little melodies, etc. on top
Systematically learn drop-2 voicings and their inversions and try to apply them to tunes. Repeat with drop-3 voicings, etc.

Both of these approaches are great, of course, but require a lot of work before they pay off (approach 1 gives results a bit quicker than approach 2, maybe).

However, I was looking at this video on youtube by Frank Vignola:

where he demonstrates a fairly simple idea (so common as to be more-or-less a cliche). This is the sort of thing you can easily incorporate into your playing quickly, even while in the background you're working away at the more systematic approach.

There are lots of resources for single-line licks but I'm not aware of a similar resource (e.g. a book) that gives comping licks / cliches like this one. Surely such a thing must exist?

**grahambop** · 02-09-2026, 10:18 AM

Tim Lerch has published a book called ‘Melodic jazz guitar chord phrases’ which sounds like it might be similar.

**AllanAllen** · 02-09-2026, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by bobheff

There are lots of resources for single-line licks but I'm not aware of a similar resource (e.g. a book) that gives comping licks / cliches like this one. Surely such a thing must exist?

You are talking about turnarounds. This is why we learn tunes and harmonic theory, the tunes are full of different ways to get to the next chord and the real book tunes are someones take on that route, which we don't explicitly have to use.

Jimmy Bruno has a video on turnarounds to II.

All dominant 7 chords
I II III VI
I III IV VI
I VII bVII VI

One I like to use instead of a I VI II V is BVII VII I all major.

**pamosmusic** · 02-09-2026, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by grahambop

Tim Lerch has published a book called ‘Melodic jazz guitar chord phrases’ which sounds like it might be similar.

I have this and it’s very cool. Haven’t spent enough time though

**Mick-7** · 02-09-2026, 03:57 PM

Ted Greene's pdfs on comping -- TedGreene.com - Comping

And I've heard this is good (I have his other book, Chord Melody Phrases) -- Jazz Intros and Endings by Ron Eschete

**pamosmusic** · 02-09-2026, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by Mick-7

Ted Greene's pdfs on comping -- TedGreene.com - Comping

I do not have time to look through these right now, but every time someone links to this site, I remember what a freaking gift it is.

Ditto to Liarspoker and the Mick Goodrick material.

**bobheff** · 02-10-2026, 06:28 AM

Thanks for the suggestions.

I figured somebody would mention Ted Greene's stuff. Every time I try to work my way through anything off that site I end up getting stuck on some tricky hard-to-play voicing and end up giving up!

The Tim Lerch book looks as if it might be along the lines I was thinking of, although he's never been shy of difficult voicings either.

AllenAllen: does the chromatic walk up from the I to the IV in that Vignola video count as a tournaround? In any case, I think working on a bunch of turnarounds sounds like something that I'd enjoy at the moment so I'll look into that. The Jimmy Bruno video seems like a nice place to start.

**James W** · 02-10-2026, 09:17 AM

This book may be of use or interest -

Jazz Guitar Chord Creativity: A Complete Guide to Mastering Jazz Guitar Chords Anywhere on the Fretboard eBook : Pettingale, Tim, Alexander, Joseph: Amazon.co.uk: Books

**bobheff** · 02-10-2026, 09:23 AM

James,

Maybe? Can you say a little about the book?

I mean, I'm sure it's a good book but there are lots of good books about jazz guitar chords.

**James W** · 02-10-2026, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by bobheff

James,

Maybe? Can you say a little about the book?

I mean, I'm sure it's a good book but there are lots of good books about jazz guitar chords.

Ok, you got me. I've had the book for a while but never used it much - having just scanned it, I can see why I didn't spend much time with it. Up until half way through chapter 4 it's basically a case of 'here are lots of nice voicings for you to memorise'. Personally I prefer a more systematic way of learning chords such as the drop system. Still at half way through chapter 4 he talks about embellishing chords which is useful. The chapter on substitutions is alright. But like I say I prefer more systematic books such as 'Jazz Guitar Chord Mastery'. But it also depends on what level you're at - I mean, one of the reasons I'm not enamored of 'Jazz Guitar Chord Creativity' is I already know some of its content from books like Bill Hart's 'Solo Jazz Guitar'.

**AllanAllen** · 02-10-2026, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by bobheff

Thanks for the suggestions.

I figured somebody would mention Ted Greene's stuff. Every time I try to work my way through anything off that site I end up getting stuck on some tricky hard-to-play voicing and end up giving up!

The Tim Lerch book looks as if it might be along the lines I was thinking of, although he's never been shy of difficult voicings either.

AllenAllen: does the chromatic walk up from the I to the IV in that Vignola video count as a tournaround? In any case, I think working on a bunch of turnarounds sounds like something that I'd enjoy at the moment so I'll look into that. The Jimmy Bruno video seems like a nice place to start.

Yes, the inversion of the I7 walks up to the IV so it’s a turnaround to IV.

You can very quickly complicate this stuff beyond usefulness. So just learn a few that are easy to grab and use them until they feel stale. Then learn 2 more and repeat.

That’s how I’m doing it anyway. I’ve got to remember this stuff at the gig so limiting my tools is very helpful. Nobody cares if you repeat yourself, especially comping.