Jazz Comping Rhythms

This Jazz Piano Tutorial is on Jazz Comping Rhythms.

Comping means ‘accompanying’ or ‘complementing’ a soloist by playing the chords. This involves playing the chords in a quasi-random manner, in order to insert some rhythmic variation into the harmony. This can be quite difficult at first, because you need to build up your hand independence.

In this video I discuss some widely used Jazz Comping Rhythms that you can use to practice comping. First learn the rhythms by themselves, then try comping for yourself with your left hand and playing the melody or improvising with your right hand. Try this with each of the comping rhythms shown in this video, and then combine them to create new longer rhythms.

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[arturribeiroce]

Amazing. Thank You for your videos. Because of your videos I started playing guitar again after 20 yrs.

[sallysigler]

Thanks so much for the simplistic breakdown! Been trying to make my standards swing for years! This helps!!

[olmos]

I never comment but this is one of the best tutorials I’ve ever seen.

[jgurtz]

Was a percussionist in my younger years and now back to learning the piano. This is a great approach to rythm I think and thank you for putting it out there for us.

[好思维BetterMind]

The one video that most systematically demystify the jazz comping rhythm.Solute.

[submeg]

Perfect! This is exactly what I was looking for! Once I get the patterns I can then add it to the voicings. Far out, so much to learn!

[alexhilberts]

This is a very clear explanation. From a classical piano training I've never fully understood the jazz rhythms to use with melodies. Thanks.

[dennislee]

This was incredible! I've taken the material from this video and made it into an exercise which I practice EVERY DAY and it has helped tremendously. What I did was I'd randomly select two of the rhythms you've listed and for each cycle (1 cycle = 1 whole note or 4 quarter notes), I'd play a chord from my chord progression And I use the metronome. So, if the pattern was: (1)(1+)(2+)(3+), I'd play each chord based on the pattern. Then, at the next cycle, I'd move on to the next chord in my chord progression and play that chord based on the pattern. I'd first play the chords to get the fingering right and then, I'd turn on the metronome (60) where each beep is a quarter note. Not only does this allow me to reprogram myself to jazz rhythm but I'm also learning this chord progression. It was stressful at first but after a couple of days, it became almost second nature. As for the chords themselves, it's up to you on the voicings but at first, I've been playing 4-note root position. So, 1-3-5-7. But you could do rootless. I think what I'll end up doing is going through all my voicings around this chord progression based on the rhythm pattern so that I'll learn all these different voicings. It's now root position 1-3-5-7, but next time it might be 3-13-7-9. Endless possibilities.

[christophemarois]

This is so comprehensive and approachable!

[harshavardhan-vvpp]

This tutorial is very useful. Thank you

[jwybecker]

I really love your no frills but well explained style. Best jazz channel on YouTube by far! I'm dipping my toes but can't wait until I can swim and dive like you.

[majoriveira]

Thank you for this great video. I am practicing playing a simple quarter note walking bass on the left hand while applying this comping rhythms with the chords on the right hand to the tune Fly me to the moon. Since i use passing notes on the bass, (I mean non-chord tones) on beats 2 and 4, I feel that the chords clash with those notes when I do the comping patterns on the right hand on those beats. How can I solve this problem. Do you have a video on that topic?

[eurivanbarbosa]

I'm learning from Brazil... Thanks a lot...

[Sam__]

Love your videos very good at explaining concepts keep it up

[geringonco]

With your lessons all the various clips I see melt together and make sense. I didn't know already what to do with all material a learn in other videos during the last week. :) Gracie

[snipperbesfelixje]

I swear it's quantum entanglement or something.... I was thinking of comping rhythm AND All Of Me just yesterday, and now you show up with your uncanny timing. Witchcraft! :D

[jirehtham]

i had to compose a jazz piece for my school exam, this video was extremely helpful. thank you so much

[BethanyLowe]

Such a good lesson! I can feel my brain growing while doing it. Can anyone recommend another song or two I could practise on - one chord change per bar at medium tempo?

[PIANOSTYLE]

I want to pass something on. Yesterday I learned some new licks and patterns using my Casio
CTK4200. They sound extremely jazzy. I tried them in a Grand Piano
and was disappointed. The sound of the grand did not give the sound
I wanted. It was just basically a Cmin to F and back, then just playing Blues notes. The grand..I think has to much built in sustain.
So now I practice on two different instruments..synthesized and natural. Just passing this phenomenon on. Thanks for the like.The best. Pianostyle100.

[krokojur]

Extremmally usefull as always. Thank you!