Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Jazz Guitar
Comping Toolkit
Progressive Lessons for Jazz Chords and Rhythms
This document may not be copied in any way, shape or form, except for small excerpts for
the purposes of promotion or reviews.
[Table of Contents]
Introduction
Chapter 1: Shell Voicings
Chapter 2: Rhythm - Take One
Chapter 3: Shells for II-V-I
Chapter 4: Rhythms - Take Two
Chapter 5: Extending the Shells
Chapter 6: Rhythms - Take Three
Chapter 7: “Minor” Considerations
Conclusion and Recap
[Introduction]
Why I Wrote this eBook
More than ever, guitarists are looking to jazz music for inspiration. Many of you are
searching for ways to get started with or improve your jazz guitar comping. When you begin
to learn jazz comping, there is a lot of information. It’s a lot of work to filter out the best
chords from those GIANT chord books (ie “Encyclopedia of 55,000 guitar chords”) as you
develop.
This Toolkit is designed to propel you in the right direction by covering the essentials of jazz
chords in an easy-to-read format. If you want to get better, and if you’re keen to start playing
chords and comping like a jazz guitarist, then this eBook is for you.
Many beginner and intermediate players alike practice jazz chords like they’re trying to
memorize that entire GIANT chord book. Given the enormity of the task, results are often
disappointing. What you need are simple building blocks of jazz harmony and comping.
You’ll soon start creating your own comping masterpieces. When you fully understand and
integrate the content of this short eBook, I personally guarantee, your comping skills will
soar.
I urge you to go ahead and apply all this ideas to your playing. Don’t just read it, do it!
There is so much more to learn alongside comping. You can discover scales, chords, songs,
chord melody and more by visiting the JazzGuitarLessons.net website.
Shell Voicings are a very important tool for jazz guitarists. They work so well in jazz as they
contain the essential qualities of any chord you are playing. Using three notes -- 1, 3 and 7
of any given chord -- our ears can fully understand each chord and its harmonic context.
You can play full chord progressions using these easy-to-play Shell Voicings. Shell Voicings
are much more than easy voicings. They are gateways to new ideas such as chords
extensions (9ths, 11ths and 13ths), leading you away from traditional chord “grips” and into
new exciting musical territory. You will also learn to “break loose” from the root (the 1) of
many chords, allowing for more exploration. Understanding great guitarists like Wes
Montgomery might just a bit easier with these chords under your fingers.
Shell Voicings also teach a better knowledge and understanding of the guitar as a whole.
When you master these, you’ll really know your stuff!
For another view on Shell Voicings, watch our video here. Watch it again and again!
Use this Bb blues as your start point. Play along with the video, then afterward play by
yourself, at faster tempos. Try to play by memory! Next, see of you can play through a Blues,
in the key of F, using the shell voicings found around frets 6, 7 and 8.
Key Takeaway: Start comping on almost any jazz song by learning some fundamental
chord shapes -- Shell Voicings. Over time, Shell Voicings will provide a wealth of great
sounds to your playing. The Bb blues is an easy place to begin using these voicings!
TL;DR - Summary and Action Steps: Use easy 3-note Shell Voicings to get your jazz
comping skills up and running. Study the 3 shapes for the Bb blues, and get playing!
[Chapter 2: Rhythms - Take One ]
Rhythms, Take 1: “Four On The Floor”
Once you have the Shell Voicings under your fingers, you need to add some rhythm into the
mix. Which rhythm should you start with? Great question! We’re so often concentrated on
chord shapes and chord progressions that we forget the very vital rhythmic component. My
viewpoint is that you play your jazz guitar comping “from your heart” -- just let the rhythms
flow. Listen with focus to the music around you, and try to fit in.
Try this nice solid and trustworthy rhythmic idea. It’s called a “Four On The Floor” rhythm.
Key Takeaway: Rhythm is an important element of jazz guitar comping! We’re often so
fixated on the chord shapes and chord progressions that we forget that rhythm is a HUGE
element too.
Play these chords from left to right. This is your fundamental II-V-I chord progression in the
key of C Major. You probably recognize the G7 shapes from your work with the Bb Blues
earlier. :)
Variations
Variation 1: Maj7 chords might sound a bit dissonant, so it’s a good idea to learn the Major 6
shells alongside the Maj7. Replace the 7th degree of the chord with the 6th. Root, third and
sixth -- C, E and A -- CMaj6 (commonly known as C6). Simple, and very useful!
Variation 2: When you see a min7b5 chords, (also known as half-diminished), use the m7
chord shapes. Because there is no 5th (or b5) in the Shell Voicing, you avoid any potential
conflict!
Key Takeaway:
You can greatly expand your range of jazz guitar comping options to include the II-V-I by
learning the six Shell Voicings in this chapter. A slight variation in fingering will also give you
a bit more flexibility with Maj7 and m7b5 chords.
TL;DR - Summary and Action Steps:
Learn the six new shapes, then apply them to II-V-I chords progressions. Then move on to
playing your shell voicings over entire songs.
Becomes:
[Chapter 4: Rhythms - Take Two]
Taking the Charleston rhythm and moving it around a bar of music can create a goldmine of
rhythmic options. Discover more in our video about displacing the Charleston rhythm.
Practice individual chords using the Charleston rhythm. Move on to playing the Blues, then a
II-V-7 chord progression. Finally, use the Charleston rhythm on your favorite jazz tunes!
Key Takeaway:
Learning the Charleston is a very versatile rhythm that will enrich your jazz comping.
Here are two ways to broaden the II-V-I chord progression in C Major, using Shell Voicings
with added chord extensions.
It’s a straightforward exercise. Add the 13th to the chords with 6th-string root. Add the 9th to
the chord with 5th-string root.
A New Adventure
If you’re feeling good about your Shell Voicings, you can try to “go rootless”. You don’t need
to know anything new. Read on.
Go back and work on the Bb Blues from Chapter 1. Use the same Shell Voicings, but this
time remove the lowest note of each voicing. In other words, whichever notes you were
playing on either the 5th or 6th strings … don’t play them. Play only the remaining two notes.
What you’re now working with are the 3rd and 7th of each chord, comfortably laid out on
strings 4 and 3.
Next, try the same idea with jazz standards you also worked on earlier.
P.S. -- You can try to “supercharge” this idea. Add extensions on the top two strings, as
shown below!
OR:
Key Takeaway:
It’s a modest step to add chords extensions to your Shell Voicings. They’ll bring color and
excitement to your playing. No need to know all of the theory just yet, a few key chord
shapes will get you started.
Another solid rhythm you can add to your comping arsenal is the half note. A very accessible
rhythm, the half note provides for a buffet of new ideas. Here’s an example:
Simply play in half-notes, starting on beats 1 and beats 3 of each measure. This style of
playing is called “playing in 2.” Often used in more “traditional” situations, playing “in 2” can
be found during the first chorus of a song. The name of the rhythmic style literally comes
from what you’re doing -- playing two solidly-placed notes per measure. Thus, “in 2”!
You can get really creative with this rhythm. By starting the rhythm on the “and” of beat 4,
you create a very hip anticipation. Before you know it, you’re playing the “and of beat 4 AND
the “and of beat 2. Pretty cool stuff.
To learn more about this, here is a video about it to get you going ...
Key Takeaway:
Playing “in two” is a solid rhythmic idea that provides more rhythmic action in your comping.
Furthermore, getting creative with this rhythm also leads you to some pretty hip comping
ideas!
These diagrams are similar to Shell Voicings because they share either 6th-string or
5th-string roots. Learn these shapes, then put them to use the same way you have with the
other Shell Voicings.
Example 1:
Example 2:
Key takeaway:
There are some special chord shapes you can use in minor keys. They’re not quite the same
as your basic Shell Voicings, but they share some common ground.
My challenge to you:
Practice each day for the next 7 days. Each day, absorb one new tip from this eBook. On
Day 1, read and play Chapter 1. On Day 2, read and apply Chapters 1 and 2. Day 3 -- apply
the first three chapters. Do this until you reach Day 7, with seven tips to apply to your jazz
comping.
At the end of the week, you practice sessions will be transformed for the better. Honestly, I
can’t think of a clearer and easier fast-track to becoming a confident jazz musician.
- DAY 7 -
Recap your first week with this new paradigm. Keep your head up high.
And commit to …
Accept that ...
Congratulations!
Put this into action now, and I will see you soon on JazzGuitarLessons.net !
Don’t forget to take a look at Jazz Guitar Comping 101 to help you this that, that and this and
that.
Marc-Andre Seguin
JazzGuitarLessons.net