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I was asked to post examples of comping through a few tunes... the first was "Just Friends"... so I made two quick vids... these are not worked out they're off the top of my head examples.
I'll try and make a couple a day... the next tune is "Love For Sale",
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05-26-2014 09:28 PM
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Oh, these are great reg
I like how you emphasize harmonic movement with the changes and you dont seem to have the same volume of all the notes in the chords. I dont know if i'm saying this correctly but the bass notes are there like a reference and then the mid ranges are emphasized with some rhythmic accents. I can really see you staying out of the bass players domain. I could also see how this would work playing with a keyboard player as well . Thats my big challenge right now, grooving with a keyboard player.
These are great examples. Thanks for posting them. I can learn a lot from this.
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Thanks Michael... nice observations. I perform with many different pianist... I generally give pianist room and usually try and add to what their playing. If they're blanketing harmony... I'll rhythmically accent the groove or harmonic rhythm. Generally when pianist hear that I hear what their playing... their choice of chord patterns to fill in and create movement, anyway we usually then work together. There is only so much space to fill, Our space to fill with reference to ensemble. I also play accent or harmonic groove lines that again compliment what the pianist is playing.
I generally talk within the rhythm section... make sure we're on same page and working together. And really in the last 20 years, guitarist are melodic instrument. I play heads or with horn sections. Guitars are somewhat thin in sound and cut through well on top.
I'll try and keep posting more tunes, today was lazy musically.
I'm in nocal... SF area... are you in area, if so stop by one of my gigs... and we can BS.
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I'll def stop by if you PM me some dates.. I'm in southbay but totally willing to come to a jam session or gig for sure.
I play with a pianist who LOVES to substitute chords and 80% of the time we're fine but I'm really trying to get some tools together to cover the other times- if I'm not fast enough I can really hit some clunkers, lol. Its just the nature of the instrument I guess. Piano wins in the battle and it sounds like I hit the clunker it never sounds like he did, lol
Good stuff
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Reg - first of all many thanks for this as I have been meaning to sit down with your videos for some time now.
In relation to the first just Friends video I have three questions to start with:
1) You say that you are implying C lydian but C lydian is the fourth mode of G. Are you therefore adding F# to your chords to imply a C lydian flavour?
2) At around 1:25 you play some chords over the one chord and again you say you are implying Lydian. Over the Cmaj are you playing C-G-Am-Em chords?
3) Over the five chord (G) you thrown in a minor 7 flat 5 chord. Is this Bm7b5 as a sub for the G chord?
Apologies for the basic questions but I am looking forward to learning more.
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These are great, thanks so much Reg! I'm working through the Barry Galbraith comping book now, and one thing that this has in common is the great melodies you put on top! It really keeps things melodic and interesting while still making clear the harmony and rhythm. Very cool.
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When I say I'm implying Lydian... I'm talking about how I have a choice of what to play as the 1st chord, ( Cmaj7),
Originally Posted by Liarspoker
I could from analysis imply Cmaj as a Ionian or I type of chord as I did in the 2nd example. Or as I generally did in the 1st example... I implied for the Cmaj7 to be the IV chord, Lydian.
Yes I would accent the F# sometimes with the chord patterns I use to fill and create motion towards the 3rd and 4th bar, C-7 F7... what's a little tricky... the use of Cmaj Lydian is with reference to the Key of Gmaj...
At 1:25... I should be playing...Cma6/9, A-9/D, E-11 , generally all implying Gmaj. I play lots of BS... that's my style, I feel free to play with balance of tension. I rarely just play from one note collection or key area. Why it works for me... is because I try and keep that balance... It's a very subjective thing. I don't worry about notes lining up vertically. From my experience and understanding of jazz harmony, I take many liberties, the same tune one night with a group of players can be very different the next gig. That balance of strong and weak placement of changes and use of chord patterns is part of what creates your personal style.
Yes The B-7b5 is part of B-7b5 E7#9 which has duel function of being a diatomic sub for Gmaj... or can also function as approach to the Bb-7 Eb7. Depending on what I use as reference... I have choices of where to pull harmonically from for creating lead lines and voicings.
I generally try and play comping melodies and then arrange chords below that lead line. Different lines require different harmonies to help work and function with the setting.
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Thanks ... that's what I'm trying to do. Once in a while it works. Originally Posted by dingusmingus
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One more question, Reg. In the first video, you say "I alter a lot of chords on the weak side." Could you say a little more about what that means? Thanks!
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Great stuff, Reg. You're talent is tremendous and may only be surpassed by your generosity.
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Thanks for your reply above Reg.
I have made a short video of me comping over the first 16 bars of Just Friends keeping the Cmaj as the one chord.
Starts of sparse but gets busier at the turnaround.
I've made a few subs including the Dbm7b5 for the A7 as pointed out above.
It's a little loose alright but ignoring that what would be the next step in taking my comping further?
Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks
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Way cool reg! This is fantastic!! I've just seen the video you've put up playing love for sale.. What chart are you reading from? Killing playing as always.. Keep up the great work I find it very insightful
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Thanks... I'll post some the vids now, I made them late last night.
Weak side of beat... is any accent not either in the basic groove or rhythmic feel that I set up for tune, or just as rhythm has a starting accent pattern... so do the changes. The harmonic rhythm, not just the basic changes... the rhythmically implied groove of the changes. So when I say the weak side... that's what I'm implying, I'm playing around and inside that starting reference... I'm setting up and reinforcing my basic feel... creating new relationships and developing them.
So here's a few vids of Love for Sale... there are many approaches to playing this tune, both rhythmically and harmonically. I just starting playing and this version happened. It's loose, but if i was performing the tune, it would tighten up and develop as band performed. I like the feel. Check it out and I'll keep posting new tunes.
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Great stuff, such a great groove, you're the groove merchant.
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Yeah, baby! Rock 'n' Roll. Oooops, i mean Jazz and groooove, but that's all about the same anyway.
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Sounds great Reg, and thanks for the elaboration on "altering on the weak side." I see you're speaking mostly in terms of rhythm. I had misunderstood you as referring to a "weak" harmonic alteration, so I was wondering what that was all about.
It's always interesting to get a little glance inside the thinking of a great player.
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Hey, Reg, this might seem like a weird question, but in watching your right hand, it seems like there's a pretty steep angle in your thumb down toward the index finger. How do you get that? I mean, isn't your thumb (say, when shaking hands) roughly parallel to your index finger?
(This has nothing to do with comping; I'm just curious about thumbs....)
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wow... I should check out my vid posts a little more... I dug the comping feel... but the other two... they suck, sorry. I'll try and keep vids to a somewhat more professional level.
Mark... the angle feels and looks natural to me. If I pick something up with my thumb and index finger.. especially something thin... that's what I get..with either hand. That's pretty much how i came up with how I hold the pick. Not saying right or wrong... when I started... I tried to look at logical methods of holding the pick. Besides going to all the shows I could as a kid.
I agree when I shake hands... it's different... but I'm not sure there is a correlation between the two acts, when I grab a baseball... the angle is also different. Something to think about...
ding.... yes mainly weak side is rhythmically speaking, but one could use term for harmonic implications... strong side being with reference to tonal area and weak side would be outside of that tonal area. Not quite diatonic, but somewhat to the level of using target tonal areas. Example being a basic II V I, weak side would be harmony or chords which would use either the II or the V as target as compared to using the I chord... weaker would be the next level of targets... say using the chords that approach the II or V and making them tonal targets... example... say the II is D- my weak side chord could be Eb-, Eb7 whatever I decide to use... the next level would be ... say a Bb7 with reference to that Eb. And you can keep going from there... The trick is to be able to also keep the complete tune as the basic reference... for all your levels of using chord patterns etc... Becomes very standard after a while.
Liars... sure. try and make the chords ring a little more... try and hear a lead line. I'm not really a fan of traditional voice leading... why try and sound like your not playing... non resolved tensions are great... anything with parallel motion is great.
Rhythmically ... steady on the beat attacks... gets old very quickly. anything gets old with repetition. Try and see or hear a shape with regards to your rhythmical playing. Try and construct two, four or eight bar phrases of rhythmic patterns, create relationships... even simply using two patterns back and forth will help create feel... a little life to the performance.
Feel free to make me back up what I say or answer questions...
I'll try and post something when I get home later tonight...
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Well, maybe they suck in some technical aspect of guitar playing, or note choice, or whatever, I would not know, but clips were joy to watch and listen. I particularly speak about those where you say "it's a fun to play" and laugh a bit. As far as I'm concerned, that is what matters the most. Not what is played, not how it is played, but the transfer, how and what it speaks as a whole. Sorry, I can not see it as instructional video only. Originally Posted by Reg
Actually, clips from the first post, I enjoyed them less than those from the later one. Maybe they were too instructional?
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Thanks Vladan...
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Very interesting--I appreciate the elaboration. Originally Posted by Reg
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Thanks, Reg. It may just be that I'm not used to seeing my own hand, while I'm playing, from that angle, so it looks more different to me than it may actually be. Originally Posted by Reg
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This is really cool. Thanks so much for the videos! They are really inspiring, if you are taking any requests it would be great to see your version of twisted blues or lazy bird.. I've been trying to work on them both and would love to see your take on it. Thanks
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Sure this is what I did a few years ago and the monthly practical standards thread started... I will gladly play through any tune . I still need to post a funky tune and then I'll post lazy bird and a blues.
Please understand I don't rehears these vids... So don't expect too much.I have gigs so maybe not much until monday
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That would be wicked! Look forward to it cheers man
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