Jazz Guitar Comping by Andrew Green

Any and all guitar players should be concerned with their rhythm playing. Concerned in the sense that it’s just as important (if not more so) than being great at soloing. I have always been much more impressed with the ability of guitarists to play with the band rather than how well they stand out.

Especially in the world of jazz, comping (“accompanying”) is a very elusive beast and requires lots of practice and hard work. When done well, however – just listen to Jimmy Bruno, Jim Hall, Steve Herberman, Joe Masakowski, or a host of other great players and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

The problem is that there isn’t really a set formula for being a great comper. I mean, I can give you a certain set of scales, arpeggios, and pentatonic licks and you can probably sound pretty good after a while, but being good at comping goes way beyond just what chords you play. It’s also knowing when to play, what rhythms to play, and how to best back up the soloist.

That’s where Andrew Green’s book Jazz Guitar Comping comes in.

I’ll tell you up front that you have to have at least some background in being able to read music, as well as some understanding of jazz harmony, to get the most out of this book. That being said, this book covers a very broad range of comping suggestions and scenarios for you to dig into. Everything from two- and three-note voicings, upper partials, rhythms, multi-use voicings, and quartal harmony is discussed.Voice leading is also discussed at length, which is perhaps the most important aspect of being a good comper.

Green’s writing style is easy to understand and uses musical examples (more so than text) to really drive home what he’s teaching. There are tons and tons and tons of examples to play through (and listen to on the included CD), and it will take you a long time to work through and internalize all of the information. That’s a good thing!

Green’s website – Chops Factory – has samples from the book, as well as some of the best information about jazz in general. For a few years he was writing a chord of the week thread that I absolutely loved. Though I don’t believe he updates it anymore, you can still view the archives on his site.

I don’t want to write too much about the book because I believe it truly speaks for itself. If you have any interest at all in being a good rhythm guitarist – jazz or otherwise – you can learn an awful lot by buying this book and making your way through all of the examples. I recommend this book as a “must-have” addition to your library.