Two-handed Comping

Ornithology Music Lesson

The backing track to Ornithology goes around three times, doesn't it?

Structure of the Lesson

• I played the melody the first time and the last time.
• In the middle, you've got space for a solo:
  • 32 bars on the backing track.
  • I'm just playing chords there.

You can use this backing track to practice your comping.

• If you toggle it away, you won't get the full performance.
• Or you can practice the melody or the solo to your heart's content.

Comping Techniques

Let's look at the comping. This is a two-handed style of comping.

In Autumn Leaves, you remember I played four-note shapes in the comping section. But here, I played two-handed voicings using the style of comping that we first did in Open Up.

• G major 7
• G minor 7 (Root 735)

I also used this style with root and third in the left hand.

• For example, with G minor 7.

If it went to C7, you could play it as C9.

• You don't have to change the right hand.
• The third and fifth of the root 735 voicing becomes the seventh and ninth of the dominant chord.

You can also add a note to that 25 pair, keeping the same top note. The right hand hasn't changed at all.

Applying the Voicings

Okay, so I'm using both of those voicings to comp around Ornithology.

The first eight bars went something like this:

• G major
• G minor
• C9

And then the same thing in F:

• F major
• You can play the 6th in the left hand for F minor 7 and then root 379 for B flat.

You should try to memorize those voicings and expand them so that you can do the whole tune in that style.

Practice

So, use the backing track to practice your comping as well as the melody and the solo.