Right-hand thirds in triplets
With
Tim RichardsTim Richards teaches an iconic blues comping style in the key of F, playing double thirds in triplets with the right hand.
What's in the course
12 lessons (0h 31m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Iconic Comping Style Lesson
In this lesson, I'm going to show you a really iconic comping style, meaning accompanying. This will involve double thirds again, but this time we're not going to play a five-finger position.
Playing Techniques
- We're just going to play either:
- The bottom third of the chord (Root and third for a C chord)
- The top third (E and G: third and fifth)
Key of F
We're also going to do it in the key of F. Just as we played Five Finger Blues in the key of G, we're now going to think IV and V in the key of F.
- The first five notes of this key give rise to:
- F on 1
- B flat on 4
- C on 5
These are all major triads. Don't forget, we've got one black note in this key: B flat.
Finding Shapes
I'm going to try and find shapes that allow me to change chords without jumping. So far, we've jumped quite a lot between chords because we've been using root position.
- In F, rather than trying to find those shapes, I'm going to stay on A and C for the F chord.
- When I go to B flat, I'm just going to go right next door to B flat and D.
- Then, I'm going to go back to F right next door.
- Finally, for C, I'll use C and E (root and third), using the Yancey left hand there. Hopefully, you recognize it from the previous lesson.
New Orleans Flavor
This comping style with the triplets in the right hand gives us a kind of New Orleans flavor.
- You can sing if you wish. It'd be an ideal accompaniment for a singer and it's a groove that you find in tunes like, for instance, Blueberry Hill, which you can look up in the book if you wish.
12 lessons
0h 31m of structured video lessons
Advanced video features
Slow down, loop a passage, follow along
Mobile, tablet & desktop
Practise wherever you are
100% satisfaction guarantee
30-day money-back guarantee
Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Critically acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Tim Richards is one of Britain’s most experienced jazz educators, teaching piano privately for over 30 years, as well as at Morley College, Goldsmiths College, the University of Surrey, Premises Studios and other venues in the UK and abroad. He has produced numerous titles for Schott Music, including the best-selling two-volume Exploring Jazz Piano, Blues, Boogie & Gospel Collection and the acclaimed Improvising Blues Piano. He is also co-author, with John Crawford, of Exploring Latin Piano and Brazilian Piano Collection.
More recently Schott have published Jazz, Latin & Modern Collection (15 pieces for solo piano), comprising Tim Richards originals alongside pieces by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, and the two volume set Beginning Jazz Piano (now a two-part MusicGurus course).
“The real joy of Tim’s music… is that it is both hugely educational but also such great fun to play. Anyone with the slightest interest in learning to play or teach jazz piano should really acquire a set of Tim’s books.” PianoDao
As a performer Tim has been a presence on the UK jazz scene since the 1980s, also playing the blues with UK and US legends such as Otis Grand, Earl Green, Dana Gillespie, Larry Garner, Joe Louis Walker and Mojo Buford. He has released over a dozen albums as a leader (featuring many of London’s best jazz musicians including Pete King, Gilad Atzmon, Tony Kofi, Jason Yarde, Seb Rochford, Ed Jones, Dick Pearce and many others), and toured all over Europe with line-ups ranging from duo to nine-piece. His latest recording, the album ‘Telegraph Hill’ by the six-piece Hextet, was described in The Observer as "A true joy from beginning to end".
More info can be found on his website www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk
