ER

JAZZ PIANO CaMPING

The Rhythm Section
The standard rhythm section consists of piano, bass, and drums. There are also many rhythm sections that use gui-
tar or vibes. Each of these instruments has a specific role to play in providing support for the soloists. Additionally,
they function equally well as solo instruments themselves.

Camping
Providing accompaniment for soloists (comping) is a primary function of the rhythm section. Comping provides
an improvised background involving both chordal and rhythmic components. This connection of rhythm and voic-
ings may be referred to as rhythmic voicings. When comping, a musician must support, complement, and give
energy to the soloist while providing rhythmic variety.

In terms of chordal textures, one should look to jazz pianists, vibraphonists, and guitarists for inspiration. The best
way to learn to comp is to listen to experienced pianists and guitarists.

When comping, musicians must remember to:

• keep a steady tempo,

• listen to the rhythm section,
• maintain simplicity and clarity,
• vary the rhythmic patterns,
• change or alternate voicings,
• make use of space, balance, velocity, and sustained sonorities, and,
• utilize chord substitutions.

Although comping is improvised, certain musical elements may be planned ahead of time. For instance, in order
to avoid potential harmonic conflicts, the soloist and rhythm section will sometimes discuss and agree upon cer-
tain voicings and extensions prior to the performance. Below is an example of a harmonic clash that could have
been averted through prior discussion. The D natural played by the saxophone conflicts with the played by the
piano.

Gm7sus4 C7 Fm7
-.I.....
tI I , I I l
Tl
Saxophone Tl

,
'-= )
r -
Tl
II

..
1 I
1 I
1 I
..::::=::::
..:
••.
rl'7 1 "':1
"-,,. II
Piano II
" II
L -.J

CHAPTER 9 117
The cla sh is avoided in the examp le below by selecti ng a voicing more appropri ate to the impro vised line .

Gm7 sus4 C7 Fm7

-'--
I I ,
Saxophone
r I
-
I
II I
\oj 1-: 1
Piano
L _ _ ...J

Simil arly, the soloist might have chosen to play the fo llow ing line , in order to match an agree d-upon on the C7 .

Gm7sus4 C7 Fm7

I
-
I I I ...,
Saxophone
4 r I I
I I
I I

.. I'fr I 1-: I t :::::=

::::
e: t
Piano
l __ ...J
"

Compin g is an art form as well as a cooperative effo rt. Music ians who co mp mu st use their ea rs in order to make
crea tive cho ices . How ever, when co mping chord s behind a so loist, it is also imp ort ant to "stay out of the way."
Initiall y, 9t hs, 11ths, and 13th s sho uld be avo ided, until it becom es clear in which dir ecti on the so loist is go ing to
go. For example, if the rhythm section plays a on a domin ant chord , then the so loist do esn 't have the freedo m
to playa natural 9 . It is not the place of the rhyt hm sec tion to limit the solo ist. Accordin gly, co mping should at firs t
be restri cted to the guide tone s (3rds and 7ths) of the chord s, until the solois t makes known hi s or her harm oni c
prefer ence s. Thi s may involve more tha n upper structures. A so lois t might choose to play a on a dom inant
cho rd, in which case the comp el' might choose to play it too , or to omit the 5th in his cho rd. In sum , expe rt cornp-
ing req uires careful and atte ntive listenin g to the so loist at all time s.

Voicings : W Wc h No tes To Avo id

MODE CHORD FUNCTIONS AVOID NOTE(S)

Major , Mi xolydi an Im aj7, V7 P4

Dori an , Aeo lia n iim 7, vim7 6 (13) , D6 (D13)

Phr ygian , Locri an iiim7 , viim7D5 D2 (D9)

Lyd ian IVm aj7 non e

Lydi an D7, Altered , Dimini shed ,
V7 , iim7D5 non e
Half-Dimini shed

118 JAZZOLOGY
Comping Examples
When compi ng , pianists, vibraphonists, and guitarists emp loy a myriad of rhy thms . The fo llowi ng exam ples illus-
trate some useful compin g rhythms in both swing and Latin contex ts. Th ey sho uld be practiced at a steady tem po
and com bined in vario us ways. Practice with a metronom e is reco mmended. In traditional jaz z swing situations
(this does not apply to Latin jazz ), do not repeat rhythmic patterns as yo u might when establishing a gro ove in
rock, R&B , or other styles. Compin g shoul d play a supportive role , add ing need ed harm oni c con tent and var ied
rhythmic accents in an ongo ing inte racti ve conve rsat ion, witho ut undul y drawing atte ntion away from the solois t:

Swing Comping Rh ythm s

r 3---,
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1. ;!r- /, £/ h=t=rJ
I- 55 £@ 1)£ _ .

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4. i / It / I £ / / I £ / I £ £ / /

s1IB £ . 11£13- 11- A£ £ @

£ - - £ -

CHAPTER 9 119
9.
t I J. 7 I
P- J 7 I
PJ

120 JAZZOLOGY
 I ZI 6 "H3J.dVID

_1'·6
4¥
.p=m H=AJ
L Lif L rl'L
4¥? Lif L¥ L H L(

4¥#( F¥t4 L@4

L -tl( (r. F€J1' r

L( 'R' f If l
. 1'<
_81p L
H I ' ·[
 ./1
J.

14.
&1 I
) 7 M 7 7 7 I
f=) 7 kt1
7

Jazz Waltz Comping Rhythms

,3---,
en= J))
1 &i I). e-v.kt==m I ) I ) I

)I

122 JAZZOLOGY
Tip s for Improving Left-H and Comping
I . Practice comping along to a tune using the left hand only. The Hal Leonard Jazz Play-Along series is highly
recom mended. Each volume includes CD audio with removable piano tracks so you can play alon g with the
rhythm section.

2. Left-hand voicin gs must be 100% secure. Try ju st playing the changes to a tune you are working on a few times
with a variety of left-h and voicings before you start trying to practice solos on it.

3. When comping for yourself, make it a rule that your left hand plays only when your right hand doe sn't. Thi s
will help to get away from ju st thumping chords in on the downb eat all the time, and ca n also help yo ur right-
hand phrasing. Once you are confiden t with this, you can start to put the left hand in elsew here.

4. Make sure that you aren't always playing the chord on the beat. Focus on anticipa ting the beat to give your solos
a sense of forward motion . As yo u get better at this, start to look at other rhythmic displacements. (Bill Evans
is an exce llent model.)

5. Don 't feel as if you need to play every chord change with your left hand. The profession als don 't. Listen to a
variety of styles and players and pay caref ul attentio n to what they are doing. All the answ ers are in your record
collection.

6. Remember that the primary role of the left hand when soloing is to accom pany and punctuate your ideas. Make
sure your compin g isn' t encroa ching on what your right hand is doing.

7. When learning how to comp, it is easy to get caught up in voicings and substitutions. The most dazzlin g ingen-
ious voicings will sound simply ridiculous if not connected to the conte xt of the music.

8. Pay attention to how the comp ing fits rhythmi cally with the rest of the musicians and with the soloist. Simplicity
is often the best approac h.

Lead Sheets
Jazz musicians, particularly students and young players, ofte n use lead sheets as a source for tunes with which they
are not familiar. A lead sheet typically contains melody, chord symbols, and lyrics. It is intended to represent the
general framework and form of a jazz tune. This non-specific formatting provides j ust enough informa tion for the
musicians' personal interpretations to take precedence. In the improv isationa l spirit of the ja zz idiom , this nota-
tional approac h also lends unbiased represe ntations of tunes that have had myriad variations performed and record-
ed ove r the last century.

Collections of j azz lead sheet s, known as "fake books," typically consist of the standard j azz repert oire and are
used by many musicians and professionals as efficient and useful charts for practice, rehearsal, and on-stage per-
formance. Many fake books are in violation of copyrig ht law, but the Real Book (Volumes I - Ill), publi shed by
Hal Leonard, present s a giant collection of fully legal and highly accurate lead sheets for an affordable price.

Another source for infor mation on j azz tunes is, of course, audio recordin gs. However , learning from recordings
poses some inherent problem s. It can be confusing or disorientin g to hear a tune reinterpreted by various musicians
with divergent styles, particularly when one is not intima tely familiar with the tune. Musicians often seek to make
a tune their own by finding unique harmonies and playing the melody in a perso nal way. Indeed , it sometimes
require s a bit of research to locate the original version of the tune the way the composer conceive d it. Therefore,
even with ample recordings available, lead sheets are very handy , if not esse ntial, to those who study or perform
j azz.

CHAPT ER 9 123
 Advanced pianists can not only "fake" by knowing the tune and listening, but can also play directly from chord
symbols. The following example demonstrates how a pianist interprets and fakes the chord changes from a given
lead sheet.

JAZZOLOGY By NOR EDDINE BAHHA

with BOB RAWLINS
,3---,
Medium Swing (n = .J»)
Am7D5 D7alt Gm7 C7 Cm7 F7

,
11if
BDmaj7 DD/B Fm7 BD7 EDmaj7 AD13#l1

Am7 D13#l1 BDm7 ED13#l1 Bm7 E13#l1

1. Place chords on beats 1 and 3.

2. If a melodic note is anticipated, anticipate the chord as well.
3. When the melodic line is active the accompaniment should be inactive, and vice versa.

Notice the voice-leading in the comping of the following example.

JAZZOLOGY By NOR EDDINE BAHHA

with BOB RAWLINS
,3---,
Medium Swing (J1 = .J»)
Am7D5 D7alt Gm7 C7 Cm7 F7
':l I I I I I I r-- T I
-I I

-.--
V r I •
< 11if
·· • 9-
•• 'J

It'

BDmaj7 DD/B Fm7 EDmaj7

':l I
- I"""""T
---
<
,v
"41)
• • V.-.--.' .,.
9-
..
---
-.--'" ..,-
-, h. ---
II!...
I
··
-.--
)
V
124 JAZZOLOGY
 Am7 BDm7
,......,D13#ll ED13#n
--, Bm7 E13#n

---
f} I 1'\

If:
f.
{
4

.
. fII-'
l'

I !-: -- JJ.1IIt.. 1IIt..---

---2-
-

In the abo ve exampl e, the comping avo ids interferin g with the melod y by playin g only the nece ssary guide tone s
(3rds and 7th s). It is, ho we ver , permis sible to play or doubl e the melod y in the upp er voicings . The next exampl e
shows more sophisticated voicings.

JAZZOLOGY By NOR EDDINE BA HHA

w ith BOB RAWLIN S
, ] --,
Med ium Swing (n = j )1)
Aml l D7alt Gm7 DD9D5 C9 Cm7 F7
I I i l
,-. .
I I
-
19- .... •
niff [lJ"f} 1'7

-
< I

l -"-':...
-=-' I

BDmaj7 D D/B Fm7 BD7 EDmaj7 AD8#n

I
f'J I - "liiiiiiiiOl T l ,-.
I
. -n-

.,. '-' "'T.

" r r' 9- "1

I
<

"'T.
'-'
tJ... ·

Am7 D13sus4D9 BDm7 ED13#n Bm7 E13sus4

In mea sure 1, has been reharmonized as Amll , which add s color whil e maint ainin g the function . In meas-
ures 3 and 5 the harmon y is outlined by the melody and the bass so there is no need to play chords . Thi s produce s
the effect of hidden or linear harmon y. The same pro cess is used in the first part of mea sures 7 through 9 .
CHAPTER 9 125
 The following example demon strates how to comp with a bassist. Comm on left-h and roo tless vo icings are qu ite
effec tive in this context.

JAZZOLOGY By NOR EDDINE BAH HA

w ith BO B RAWLI NS
, 3-,
Medium Swing (n = oJ ) )

Am7D5 D7alt Gm7 C9 Cm7 F13

I I I I I I I"""""" I "I - I

r I --- • -
<

·· ---
-a-: ..:::1-: -
.... i.. 2-
---

BDmaj7 Fm7 E Dmaj9

I'l I -
. .,- ,,-
- r I
,-.
,-.

.,-
@) •
<
L hq h·&-: I
··

Am9 D13#n Bm9

Notice how the voicings anticipate and conso lidate the rhythm used with in the melod y.

Though these exam ples are enough to get yo u we ll on the way to comping appro priate ly, there is much more to
learn when it co mes to comping in var ious substy les of jazz. Nume rous books are avai lable dea ling extensively
with voicing and comping in various contexts, such as swing, rock, and Latin , offering exam ples that have been
employed by ja zz ma sters .

. Chapt er 9 Ex erci se s

1. Play the rhythmic patterns included in this chapter in con nection with the vario us kinds of voicings given in the
appendix. Use a metronom e.

2. If at all po ssible, practice compin g with other mu sician s.

126 JAZZOL O GY