Jazz Chords: The 5 Rhythms You Want To Know

In this video, I am going to take a simple comping rhythm that you probably already know and show you some different ways that you can develop that and get some new material so that you don't always play the same rhythms and can start developing your own playing.

Remember: If you can comp, then you can work.

3 Levels of Jazz Chords:

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Content:
00:00 Intro - Jazz Guitar Comping
00:18 The Most Important Jazz Rhythm Known To Man
01:10 Adding an Extra note
02:04 Syncopated rhythm
02:32 How Do You Practice The Rhythms
03:10 Syncopated Upbeat (and a chromatic passing chord)
03:40 Tension with Rhythm
04:03 The Boogaloo Rhythm
04:37 Chromatic Boogaloo
05:19 How to Play Jazz Chords
05:26 Like the video? Check out my Patreon page!

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My name is Jens Larsen, Danish Jazz Guitarist, and Educator. The videos on this channel will help you explore and enjoy Jazz. Some of it is how to play jazz guitar, but other videos are more on Music Theory like Jazz Chords or advice on how to practice and learn Jazz, on guitar or any other instrument.

The videos are mostly jazz guitar lessons, but also music theory, analysis of songs and videos on jazz guitars.

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[JensLarsen]

How do you work on finding better comping rhythms?

[bumrecordingstudios]

I’m grateful for the video. Kind thanks. Lots of good things for me to learn and practice. Plus the word “boogaloo” is fun.

[RCSmiths]

Hey, rhythms are a huge foundation to soloing and composing! Cool my man!

[sgazzz]

Phenomenal content in just 6 minutes!!

[GJSsongsmith]

Ps .... I’ve watched every single lesson you have done ...I’ve learned so much and improved massively as a musician and guitar player even though I’ve been teaching others for 30 years ! I cannot thank you enough .., keep up the great work you are doing . I can see from all the comments that you inspire a lot of players . Long may it continue . X

[pickinstone]

I read somewhere that modern comping is more interactive and less about "driving the band"... And that 4 to the floor and modern comping were mutually exclusive. This is one example of many that disproves all of that. Erroll Garner had his 4 to floor to drive the ship, just like Wynton Kelly had his signature push that made the whole band jump. Rhythmic confidence. Easier said than done. I love this exercise, but I also say "take it off the instrument". Grunt it, squeal it, pat it on your knee--get it into your body and, more accurately, your inner ear. This year I realized I need to focus on the rhythms more than the notes and chords--wish I focused on that more in the past :) Rhythmic practice is WAY deeper than I originally thought. It's HOW ya play the rhythm, as odd as that sounds.

[GJSsongsmith]

Thanks Jens, rhythm is king in all music. ...I try to make my jazz solos as rhythmically interesting as possible too !

[etiloyon]

Excellent as always. A minor remark, my English is relatively functionnal (I am Fr.) but here you qpoke a bit quick. Now I have spending some time in KBVN. I remember the Danish devotion for coffee ! Thanks a lot anyway.

[felpa]

Hi Jens I just recieved you're Modern Jazz Concepts book today and it is really well put and helpful. My goal is to improvise freely so thx for everything you do

[arvh]

Awesome lesson Jens.. can see how comping... chord voicing... arpeggios and improv will all blend in with ur concepts and this is Just one more little piece in the puzzle that u have so elegantly expressed.. thank u

[krisskross]

I hope you can teach how to develop own style of music. Like every artist, one has it's own style of music. Thank you, wonderful lesson.

[leissMusic]

Great lesson as always Jens! Like many others, comping is probably my least practiced area of playing. I can't wait to sit down and shed some of these ideas when I have some time!

[terje]

Cool that you mentioned Lou Donalson Alligator Boogaloo.
I have the LP. Had forgotten than George Benson played on it.
There is another track on the LP that maybe a challenge to the beginner, One Cylinder, since it is in an odd and unusual time signature.In a band I played in we used it as test for potential new members whether they would play comfortably in that time signature.

[stuartarnold]

Hi Jens this is one of the least practised things I do so this has really made me think. I always do it in my head.
Probably one of my weakest points. So thanks for the tips.

[savagetofu]

I love ya!!! This is great. Gotta take notes...

[justinpaquette]

Do you play any funk? I would love you see you do a video on some advanced funk approaches on chord voicing and funk guitar soloing. I feel like at a place funk and jazz meet. I see a lot of videos teaching funk guitar on YouTube, but they often don't cover much of the jazzier side of funk

[khristenkoiv]

Спасибо! Очень познавательно, жаль в молодости моей не было таких уроков

[abelperez]

Que buenos videos tiene tu canal esta genial, pero seria bueno que tambien pueda estar subtitulado en español

[davidtardio]

Great stuff as always, but don’t you need to base how you comp at least partly on what the soloist is doing? I stick with certain rhythms more during bossa tunes but other times not so much.

[terje]

"You can comp you can work". 
That is good news in these covid19 lay off times.