2 comping patterns I've never practiced before.

Reader,

Our Jazz Piano Comping course finally went up for sale this week (more on that at the bottom). As I put that course together, I encountered a gap in my own playing. Working through that gap, I discovered a simple exercise I've never seen taught elsewhere...

When it comes to comping, the hardest thing to learn is to be spontaneous, right?

In a jazz performance, the musical moment exists now, and then it fades away, never to be heard again. Every performance is unique and driven by the performers' feelings at that moment.

As comping musicians, we guide this moment by changing the energy in our playing and by complimenting the energy of the soloist out front.

But that begs the question... how do we practice being spontaneous?

Ironically, in my experience, we learn that through rigid, methodical practice.

The rhythms and voicings we play spontaneously are informed by the rhythms and voicings we drill in the woodshed. By drilling those techniques, they become part of our ears and hands. They come out in our playing without needing to consciously think about it.

This is where I realized I was missing something important.

When I teach comping, the first rhythmic patterns my students learn are the Charleston and its cousin, the Reverse Charleston.

Both of these rhythms emphasize the first two beats of the measure. This can sound monotonous over time, so I was looking for patterns I could teach that focused on beats 3 and 4.

There are many, but I started with the simplest option. I just shifted these Charleston rhythms over by 2 beats. (interestingly, shifting the Reverse Charleston causes the rhythm to shift over the barline)

As I vetted these patterns to include in the course, I put them through their paces in various tunes. To my delight, they work great. In fact, I hear them all over my favorite recordings now.

These are the moments that make me light up. The little "aha's" along the way that unlock new sounds I can play right away.

Get $20 off the Jazz Piano Comping Course

Honestly, I’m pretty proud of this new comping course. Members of our All Access Pass received early access this week, and their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

The course has 28 video lessons and over 2.5 hours of instruction. It also comes with a workbook and play-along practice exercises.

I would love to earn you as a customer. The course is a one-time purchase of $89, but if you purchase before Monday, you can get $20 off with coupon code “reversecharleston”.

As with everything we offer, there is a 30-day guarantee and you also get access to The Jazz Lounge community.

Thanks again for your support. I look forward to comping with you.

Josh