You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians - Killin' Comping That Anyone Can Do

Episode Date: July 22, 2021

Afraid that your comping skills are too weak? Peter and Adam provide some easy solutions to help spice it up.Get the free PDF for this episode right hereHave a question? Leave us a SpeakPipeWatch Live: YHI LIVE Mondays at 4pm ET on YouTubeWant more of Adam and Peter? Check out Open Studio Pro hereWoosh or No Woosh? Hit us up on Twitter and let us know which team you are onSupport the pod by spreading the word with the link youllhearit.com Interested in more music advice? Go here to browse our catalog of jazz lessons and courses available for purchase. And be sure to check out our All Access Pass - every course from Open Studio on every instrument.Let us know what you think by leaving a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review, or head over to our YouTube channel.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Hey, Peter. Hey, Adam. Do you have any idea of what we're doing today? Um, a podcast? I'll play and tell you what it is later. Hmm. I'm Adam Manus. And I'm Peter Martin.

And you're listening to the You'll Hear a podcast. Music advice coming at you. Coming at you today. Oh, Peter. What? Sounds good over there, man. That sounds really good. Don't stop it.

Who we brought by. Who we brought here by. We're brought to you by Open Studio. Of course, go to Open Studio. Jazz.com for all of your jazz lesson needs. Yeah. Peter, we got some new sounds here on the keyboards. Give him a little taste.

Can it just a little taste? Told them just a little taste. We're going to be here all night now. Yeah, they really show, you know, modulation. So those are our new keyscape sounds. Shout out to KeyScape. Can we get a KeyScape sponsorship to the podcast? I mean, come on.

If we do, we'll give you a shout out. Oops, we already gave you one. Yeah, look at this. We got dual hammer 88s. And big shout out to flying hammer 88s with the keyscapes. Big shout out to KeyScape for being able to make such a massive piece of software that works on this what is this

when did you purchase this 1984 yeah that's a 1999 MacBook that came out the year of the famous it's pretty old man yeah it's pretty old and it sounds really good

it does it sounds good and it's drive we're driving it from two from two keyboards at the same time right yeah yeah with two different sounds or same sound two different sounds

we got some layers going on here because it sounds so nice yeah so what up keyscape thank you so much today we are talking about killing

hopping that anyone can do Okay, let's be clear here. We're not talking about killing the comping. No, no, no, no. Some killing comping. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That anyone could do.

Yeah, so when we say comping, just to clarify here, we mean accompanying. We are pianist, and if you're a chordal instrument, like a piano player, a guitarist, even a vibes player. I don't even why I said even an accordionist. You know, I know a gentleman out of the Baltimore area. I know. I know. Now, you're a big guy, but he's bigger. He's bigger.

It sounded disrespectful. I didn't mean any disrespect. What up Warren Wolf! No, but if you're any chord on instrument and you have to accompany, we're going to teach you something that if you don't know about, it can really change the game. And it's very, very simple because it's a very repetitive pattern. This is something that we like to teach around here at Open Studio,

especially for beginners and intermediate players who are like, my comping rhythm sucks. Like I'm learning all these great voicings. I can do some cool stuff, some spread voicings or some drop two or some block chords or some magic voicings or whatever. but my, what do I play rhythmically? And this is what I always teach, and I know you teach similar things about the principles behind this.

Yep. This is the red garland sound, the red rhythm. The red, why did you go down to this voice? Because Reds, I think, you know, we talk about melody being beautiful, and we talk about harmony being beautiful. No one talks about beautiful rhythm. Red had beautiful rhythm.

He did. Beautiful rhythm. Yeah, and precise, but human, inventive, but, you know, systematic, as we're going to see at times. when it needs to be so super excited and stoked for the episode and just to just to I was just thinking of another usage of the term comping yeah so we talked about comping accompanying there's the comping you know oh you've got a gig can you get me comped we're not talking about that guy can you comp me at the door oh we do a lot of that kind of comping too but we're not talking

about that and don't ask for it don't ask for it right yeah so we're talking about accompanying we're talking about playing some chords more specifically what this is going to be about we have We can get into that towards the end of the episode because there's some controversy around the voicing that we have. But we're really talking about the rhythm of the comping. That's the most important thing. So we're talking about the rhythm of the comping. Are we talking about practicing or perhaps? What?

Are we talking about practice? I mean, listen, we're talking about practice. Not a game, not a game. Set me up. We're talking about practice. You set me up for that. Okay, sorry. But I'm more than happy to oblige.

I am more than happy. So what you're saying is that is something that would interest you. Peter, don't do it. Peter, don't do it. Say that again, what? Is that something that might interest you? Would that be something you might be interested in? Yes, it would be.

So let's get to it. Let's listen to what we're going to listen to today. So we had resident open studio transcriber, just huge ears, Max. We call them Big Ear's Max. Big ears, Max. Because you can hear everything. So this is Max's transcription that he did. I literally texted Max at like 6 a.m.

Yeah. When I woke up, when I had this idea, and I was like, Max, can you do me a solid? You just ruined his whole day. I might have ruined his whole day. Max is the best, man. Thank you, Max, for this transcription. So this is some chords from the first chorus of Miles Davis's solo on if I were a bell from Relaxin.

It's one of those prestige records. Peter, can you bring me up here? Can you hit us up for our YouTube folks? Maybe lower that a hair so that we can see it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got you. Maybe go full screen. Tell them about which record this is from, though.

Go full screen on there for me, buddy. So that I can go and get in there. No, not on the chart, on the whole, on the, on the out, on the send. You know what I mean? Over here on the monitor. Thanks, buddy. Okay. There.

No. We almost got it. We're getting it together here. So this is from Relax, and this is one of those records that they were just made in a couple days, right? They made those four records in a day. And let's start it from the beginning. We'll hear it all the way from the top. How's that?

Good. Cool. I'll plan and tell you what it is later. That wasn't my button. That's the track. Here it is, here it is. Comping with the Miles Davis Quint. Is anybody knows what's going on already?

Welcome in, fam. Check it out, check it out. Are you hearing this? Are you hearing what's going on? Yes. The solo is so good. It's all good. So we're going to stop it here.

That's the transcription we have. So we will have a transcription here linked in the show notes for you by Thursday, and we'll have this uploaded here and linked in the video. once we're done here with the live. And the reason is, because there's still some work to do on this transcription. So let's just ignore the voicings for now because there's something that we can talk about there.

Yeah. Because it's interesting what Max wrote and what I think is going on. There's a little discrepancy that we can talk about. Battle Royale. A little controversy there. Battle in the transcription studio. Listen, this is not easy to hear.

I know. Just come to the sound recording here. Yeah. So it's kind of a, there's some guesswork to be done. But let's just talk about the main point of this episode. Yeah. And that is that rhythm of the

and a four and the end of two. So that's not all he, like, he didn't just go into that as a automatic, but it is like 75, 80% of what he's playing here. Yes. And a four and a two. And one note on this too is, he is not playing, if it's a G7 chord,

and it's like a bar of G7, he's not playing G7 on the end of four of that bar. No. He's playing G7 on the end of four of the bar just before it. So he's anticipating the next bar with the chord that's going to be there a half a beat early. So if it's one, two, three, four.

Right, anticipating that beat. It's an anticipatory. It's an anticipatory. Yeah, participatory. So I promise you, if you haven't ever sort of gotten this in your playing, if you use this for a while

as your home base, I want you to try this on your next gig with a drummer. And then I want you to look at your drummer's face when you start doing this. And I want you to watch the joy come over their face as things just lean forward

a little bit. Everything feels nice and grooving. They've got some space to do some stuff. The pocket is wide but deep. It all feels really, really good. So you're doing a couple of things. I'm going to go on a rant here for a second because I love it so much. Just listening to Red Doe Do It, who is the master

sounds so good. So a couple of things happen here. So first of all, the rhythm, when you get into that sort of clip of and a four, and a and a two, one, two, three, four, got, got, got, got, got. And again, you're anticipating the beat. One, two, three, four. When you start doing that, you're propelling that beat forward, right?

You're making the entire thing sort of lean forward. Now, when Red also anticipates the harmony with that, right, leading into the bar, you are setting up, everybody in the band, you're setting up your listener for... Your dear listeners. The dear listener, you're setting up for what is about to happen harmonically. Like, you're just projecting just a slight bit into the future, not too much, just a little. bit in the future, you're setting it up. So there's a difference here. We actually did this earlier today in a practice session. So, Peter, let's just play just the 1A here of Firewobel and F. Okay. You know the changes? Yep. I'm sure you do. So I'm going to play here not on the end of four

and the end of two. I'm going to let the change happen. Then I'm going to react. And this is what you hear a lot of beginner and a lot of intermediate compers do. Like the change goes by and then they play the chord and then the next change goes by. Right. They're a step behind. There's a little step behind. So let's hear that, just four, eight bars of that. So I'll walk you a little bit. Well, give me a little walking base. One, two, one, two, three, four.

Okay, so that's that. Now, let's do Red's thing. That sounded like poop. It sounds terrible, but you hear a lot of people do that because it's understandable. Right? You're thinking about the changes and whatever. But if you're a little proactive, if you gently guide everybody and you say, hey, hey, everybody, this way.

Let's get on the Red Garland train. Follow Red. Let's try that. One, two, one, two, three. So anticipating, how's that feel? Yeah. Feels a lot better, right? Yeah.

It feels just everything happens a lot more naturally. You know where we're going. And all the while, everything is leaning forward. Yes. And I think the leaning forward, that's what really typifies this kind of, you know, the interaction between the comping, the possible interaction that you're able to capitalize on with the actual groove. So it's not just about, you know, there's a whole other angle to it of just great comping behind what my, what the soloist is playing, which is always our main job. So it's almost like accomplishing a couple things at the same time.

Like we could analyze it from the standpoint of like how is that reaction and stuff. And at first glance, it seems like, oh, he's just doing the same thing over and over again. Yeah. But he gets that feel. And I want to talk a little bit if we can just about when like you said 70, 80% or whatever it was that he's doing that. it seems like it's random when he's not, but it's far from, well, here's the thing. So you think, I think our first reaction is like, well, how does he communicate with what's going on? Yeah.

If he's laying in the band, well, how does a drummer communicate? If they're, like, if they're doing the spanglang, right, if they're doing the walk the dog, they still communicate. And it's the same thing here. You can lay in a groove. You can hang in a pocket and still pick your spots to get in there. That's right. I think Red proves this perfectly. Now, you know, and the phrasing, like his touch and his phrase.

We can't decouple these rhythms and the harmonies and the, you know, the beat placements for sure. No, no, no. It all happens in real time. Like, you know, that gives it that lilt as well. They're all connected. There's an organic flow to the comping that actually makes it easier for you to be a little bit more aggressive and busy even. I mean, like, just look at this visually. I mean, it's a pretty busy situation, especially like the way, like, and this is one of those

great Miles Davis. Can we just hear his solo break? just because I hate talking about it when you know what I'm saying like what he plays going into this chorus let's see if I can back it up okay yeah check it out

ah is that all the and though well I would say the first one the second one's definitely on the beat because that's big like it's not a right or a wrong thing but because oh it's red on the end yeah let's hear that again let's hear that again

one of the greatest little melodic inner loops let's check out my own oh no it's on the beat it's on the beat okay good so that good I was going to have to change my commentary on this so the fact that he plays on the beat and the whole rhythm section does really they didn't always do that but it's so right

and not correct it's right or is it the other way around I can't remember it's it's the dope thing to do in this situation because of how Miles Bo do, bo do, bo do, bo do, ba-do, ba-do, ba-do, bang. Because it's such a laid-back, but precision right in the cut

eighth-note situation that Miles's playing with that. There's really, the intonation. There's not many situations where it's just like, I'm just, I'm on the one. Right. That's going to be wrong. Especially at the top of a form. I know, but, but for this kind of thing,

that's a real confident thing to do. It is a constant thing to do. It is a constant thing. Yeah. She's taking the deck and you bang. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And then, of course, he gets to that in,

but in a very light way, very much after this. But I would say that because he starts out, you know, like, bunt, boom, bong, t-gant, and then goes in there. Man, it's just such a cool thing in terms of, like, the architecture and sets it off. Because if you just heard this, you'd be like, oh, he's just comping, you know. And a lot of people, like, start comping like that. Oh, I'm red garland.

But it's like you got to know those places where. Where you do that one thing that's on the down. beat and also the stuff later on when he omits and goes radio silence for a few beats. Yeah. Because, you know, it's like anything. He set up a rhythmic pattern. Yeah, yeah. So when you're going to pull it, pull it, pull the rug out for a minute and then place

it back under the soloist can be the most exciting part of it. So now let's pay attention. Notice when red is on the end of four and the end of two. And then notice when red decides to go off of that and how powerful that it, that now is. Let's try it. Right there. So that, that's a great moment that don't, don't. And then check out what happens after it.

One more of those. Oh, and that accent and a phone on that. So there are definitely he's on the beat a couple of times, you know, but he's setting up that and of four and of two. Again, you can try to practice this really easily and then try to play off of it. Yeah. Sorry, go ahead. I just saw there's another screen here.

I can look at it. That's so exciting. Oh, and you have another one too. Yeah, I agree. Did you get distracted? No, I'm just excited that I got another copy of it over here. Did someone throw a shiny ball that way? Peter's turned around in the middle of the show.

Hey, who'd you call a shiny ball guy? Buddy, we have a bunch of listeners live. Hey, people have invested their time up to this point. Well, shame on them. 17 minutes and 58 seconds in and you get distracted and turn around in your seat. Nobody would have cared. Now you brought attention to a big guy. No, but the thing is, you're absolutely right about that.

But before we even get there, we've got a highlight. I don't want it to miss. What Mozart said, you don't write is just as important what you do write Wolfgang amideus by the way because you're wondering not the guy we just saw down at the diner johnny mozart nobody's name mozart nobody's name mozart bar 13 right here yeah nothing radio silence until that last one that's big can we listen to that again sure with that well this sounds great of course we can listen to it but let's just talk about so now we're in constant um and a two and a four the more you do

it the more becomes like a pattern. Yep. And now he's gonna. Ah, you get a bar break there. And that's such a subtle thing, but it's so important. And that's a great fill there. Banga, yeah, totally. And then it's almost like he gives it that whole bar again of that,

we're at the second half the two, it's a double form. So in that, whatever it is, bar, At 20, 19, 17, yeah, 17, because it's 16 bars and 16 bars. Bar 17, he plays nothing. That's the first bar where there's nothing at all. He's totally, like, absent. And then setting up that great bant bink in the 18th bar. It's great stuff.

It's really something to study. You can listen to Red on any of these records, any of those Miles Davis records, and hear just this distinct style and something that you can do like tomorrow that anyone can do, practice this and a four, and to practice anticipating the harmony right before it comes, and you won't be sorry. So let's talk a little bit, Peter, about the voicings here, because Max came back at me this afternoon with some of these voicings,

and it is hard to hear. Should we go? But I'm a little bit, that's pretty good. So I have a little experience transcribing some red garlands. I think I know what's going on. So I've actually, the first two bars are me, and everything else is Max. But Max was going with a lot of rootless voicings,

a lot of three-note voicing. and I don't, I disagree with him, but I don't, I know exactly why he, what he's hearing. He's hearing what, the only thing you can really hear. Like, he's hearing the only pitches that are actually audible. Yeah. But there is a weight that's underneath these chords that I think these are rooted voicings when you actually listen to him. I think you, it's like, it's like dark matter. Like you can't, you can only know it by its impression against actual matter. Yeah. So there just is, if, if he wasn't playing the roots, to me, this would sound different. But let's see if you can, uh, if you agree with me or if you agree with your

so binary. Professional transcriber. Yeah. So hard to hear. So that's the thing. It's like so here and and this is just for our YouTube audience here to see what we have now because we're going to hopefully have this pretty fleshed out by the time we. Well, we may or may not. I mean, you know, the thing about this is, is, it's like I always thinking with transcription, you shouldn't go beyond what you know you can hear. I appreciate what you're saying in terms of like the kind of ghost notes, the anti-matter or whatever, like that you figure are there. Well, it's, yeah. And probably at that part, but it gets to the point, like, if you can't hear it. And we look, we even broke this down and isolated with any tune to try to see. We did. We used some any tune. Yeah. Um, but the thing is, I think, I think less is more transcript. If you're not sure it's there, leave it out, you know, that I don't know. So I'm just hearing so like, I do have a dispute like with the very first bar. Okay. What do you got? Right. Yeah. That's what I had. Now you have.

Oh, sorry. Yep, sorry. That's just some bad copy and paste there. Yeah, that should be me natural. Yeah, yeah, sorry. That's okay. No, that's true. This is a real-time show.

Self-ed-ed-ed-in. But here's the difference. So for me... You also have a little piece of lint on your shoulder. No, I'm just kidding. That was a joke. Oh, is that true? Yeah, yeah.

So, no, it's just something to think about. So Max had this, which is what you can hear. But I hear a punchier, weightier voicing. And because they're short, too, right? Because he's just playing, like, I think there's he's got the root down there and also I've transcribed red before and if you listen to the melody

where you can hear him playing a little clearer it gets you can hear even like using some of the same voices he's like leading in with him so and you know red like if he starts one way as you said when we were kind of talking about this earlier he starts like a pattern like a structure usually sticks with that's right and I think that's a valid

for sure a valid way of transcribing even taking things that you know that you've where you can clearly hear a certain player play even on another tune, another album or whatever, but you know that they like to go to in that situation. I think that's valid then if you're not sure to go ahead and put that in, because we all have our kind of go-to things for similar types of situations, as it were. So let's listen again and see if you can hear it.

If we have to. I mean, so let us know what you think the voicing structure is. Do you think it's rooted or do you think that it's this sort of rootless voicing that Max has? I think either is kind of a valid listen of this because it's really hard to hear the low-end the piano but let me let us know your thoughts in the comments yeah it's me likey that's something you'd be interested in is that something you'd be interested in would that be something you might be interested in you know what we haven't totally got together what we're next level with this is going to be like we're both saying them things and then you play them like we have to

figure out a way to actually just you know when you're thinking it then you trigger i'll play it and tell you what it is like that exactly Thanks everybody for listening today. We're sponsored by Open Studio. Go to Open StudioJadioJazz.com. To go on a deeper dive on all this. Peter, you're going to take us out or should I take us out here? Let's do both.

How about, can we, can it be both? It can. Okay. Until next time. You'll hear it.