Comping for yourself

[Sam Sherry]

I wonder if anyone can recommend any exercises which might assist; normally I find it difficult to practice the switch back and forth between chords and single note lines and make it seem fluid.

I'm a fan of staring at the mountaintop.
Listen to this over and over until you feel like it's starting to rub off:

Wes combines just about every possible mix of single-note, octaves and chords.
And FWIW almost none of the punches are on "one," or even on the beat.

Then all you have to do is play like Wes Montgomery . . .

[pamosmusic]

I'm a fan of staring at the mountaintop.
Listen to this over and over until you feel like it's starting to rub off:

Wes combines just about every possible mix of single-note, octaves and chords.
And FWIW almost none of the punches are on "one," or even on the beat.

Then all you have to do is play like Wes Montgomery . . .

Just listened to this album earlier today. This solo is absolutely bananas. Another good one for this sort of thing is Impressions from the same album. So much riffing in that solo. He could've composed it.

[rpjazzguitar]

I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be with this, but I have been playing in a band where I'm the only chord instrument. Here's my approach, fwiw.

1. When soloing, I start sparse. What then happens, or so I think, is that the audience hears, more clearly, what the bassist and drummer are doing. Especially the bass.

2. I often play single notes, without much chording, but I make sure that you can clearly hear the changes in my lines. My harmonic palette is already pretty vanilla, so this is stuff like incorporating guide tone lines, not avoiding 3rds and so forth. Too simple for some tastes, but it can work.

3. I do chord stabs when I can and struggle a bit with making groove that way, but I also do double stops. When the audience is focused on the bass and a single note line on guitar, a double stop can sound really full. To cite a bad example for jazz, did anybody complain that Simon and Garfunkle needed a third voice?

4. Nearer the end of the solo when it needs to build, I don't have the speed for that. So, I tend to go to all chords. I find it easier than chord stabs. Different extensions, different inversions, harmonized scales and reharm (where I can figure one out) all help.

5. The idea is to make guitar trio as interesting as possible. But, that said, to me guitar is a somewhat limited voice for a trio. I once went to hear Jim Hall, (my all time fave) in a trio format and, by the end of the night I admit to getting bored.

6. Either the band is going to have another chord instrument or it doesn't. If there's no other chord instrument, if the guitarist wants to solo, he has to figure out how not to sound too thin. If there is another chord instrument, the guitarist has to work out coordinating the comping, which often amounts to staying out the kb's way.

With rare exceptions, those are your choices. I do know one local band where the leader doubles on keys and horn. Best of both worlds for the guitarist.

[equenda]

The example I was talking about in post #21 can be downloaded for free from this LINK.

To hear and see this example you can go to minute 4:30 of my YouTube video entitled: "The Jazz Guitarist's Biggest Mistake".

Alternating single note melodic lines with chords is NOT easy but I think the result is very interesting.

Soon I would like to make other videos where I delve deeper into this way of playing which, as far as I know, is not explained in books dedicated to Jazz guitar.

Ettore

[Reg]

I know I've posted years ago on this subject...

But generally you need organization as to why or how your using comping techniques while soloing.

Stab chords, are either reinforcing the harmony or harmonic development. They can be rhythmic, harmonic or melodic... Somewhat depends on what's implied, what is the Function of the chord(s).

Are they Tonic like, meaning the Harmonic Reference is already Implied. Even when they are SD or D types of chords...they still imply the Harmonic or Melodic Reference...Functional stabs.

Or are they used to change the Harmonic or Melodic Reference. Are you going somewhere else... more of a new Relationship with the Reference...

I like the chords below the melodic note approach... I use to expand the harmony with use of Chord Patterns below notes or improve.... Create more movement, tension release and develop more layers of implied harmonic references. Great technique for developing organized space... Forms within Forms etc...

The sustain technique is great for reinforcing Targets... I dig line cliches used with stationary Chords or Chord Patterns. Great for harmonic Markers. That old.... repeat or implying repeat.

I also just like using chord patterns with improve... just another tool to help with developing and expanding musical relationships. Helps the the boring thing.