F Blues – Comping Voicings
In this lesson Tuomo demonstrates comping voicings and improvisation over the tune “Billie’s Bounce” which is a blues written in the key of F.
We apply drop 2 voicings, Barry Harris voicings, quartal voicings, chord substitutions, and upper structure triads.
F Blues – Comping & Improvisation
The F blues is a common form that is the basis for many tunes in the jazz standard repertoire. The blues is a short form and so it’s important to have different comping styles at your disposal.
Tuomo first demonstrates a range of comping styles and then a full improvised solo over multiple choruses of the blues form.
Related Lessons
For this masterclass, we will be using closed position voicings, meaning that the notes of the chord are inside a single octave.
In this lesson we will combine quartals and upper structures to create some quartal upper structure voicings that are well suited to a comping setting.
In this lesson I explain what drop 2 voicings are, how to construct them and how to practice drop 2 so that you are familiar with them in all 12 keys.
Practice Tips
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Start by learning the drop-2 chorus and memorise these voicings so that you can circle around and around the blues form at tempo with a backing track.
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Practice switching the comping style between the choruses of the blues to add variety and to create and release tension and energy in your accompaniment.
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Experiment with the chord substitutions, passing chords, and reharmonisations once you are familiar with the basic comping voicings.
