The Scale of the 7th Chord

Useful Comping Style - Barrel House with Harmonized Right Hand

In this lesson, I'm going to show you another really useful comping style in which the barrel house in the left hand is harmonized in the right hand.

Understanding the F7 Chord

1. Seventh Chord Scale
   To begin, we need to think about playing a scale based on the seventh chord. For instance, consider the F7 chord:

   • If we play the scale that matches that chord, it's going to be the same as a major scale, but we need to play an E flat instead of an E.
   • So, F major with a flattened seventh, that's the scale that best fits the F7 chord.

2. Applying the Smooth Blues in F
   Our blues in F, which is called Smooth Blues, is going to use those notes in the right hand against the barrel house in the left hand, which also includes the seventh.

   • The moving notes in the left hand are 5, 6, 7.
   • In the right hand, we're going to harmonize those in parallel with the thumb on A, going 3, 4, 5.

Note: Notice that those notes are a sixth apart. Everything I've just played comes from that scale of F7.

1. Putting It All Together
   We just need to put the Fs back in top and bottom.

Moving to B Flat and C7 Scales

Now, we need to do this in B flat, following the scale of B flat with a flattened seventh.

• Don't forget the E flat in the B flat scale too.
• The C7 scale will be all white notes apart from B flat.

Fingering Techniques

Take a moment to find those shapes and notice the fingering:

• Left Hand:

  • Little finger on the top and bottom, playing on every beat.
  • The root movement is: 2, 1, 1.

• Right Hand:

  • The thumb for the fifth and the sixth (sorry, the sixth and the seventh).
  • For C, the fingering is: 1, 2, 3 on the right hand, with the thumb on D and the thumb on the third.

With these techniques and scales, you'll be able to enhance your comping style effectively!