Comping 101: How to accompany (jazz style) and play chords in a band, Jazz tutorial. 

Who's the greatest jazz piano teacher on the internet. Our pal and Master Kent. Not only techniques and building blocks but more importantly, philosophy and sharing how he thinks and approaches each detail. This is his soul that he is sharing. Many teachers lack this attribute. He has it spades because of his love for his art. Obviously! Being a former bass played I understand and my chops intuitively can play complicated syncopated rhythms in my head. You must sing through your instrument. That's why it is also so important to understand and memorize lyrics which in itself is hard to do. Once you have the tune and changes down, only then can you get busy with reharmonazation and rhythmic improvazation. On this video I have learned how to approach the harmonic cord variations for comping as Kent opens his brain to us. Bravo Kent. For all of you groovy cats and chicks out their who are not varying and syncopating your rhythm yet, do as our teacher instructs, get a metronome now. If you have put that off, forget about being a jazz player. You think Oscar got that wonderfull internal clock without one. Think again. Go back and listen to Kent using the metronome. It's perfect. This takes time.

There you go... Somehow I missed this video until now. Thanks again. There is more in these 15min about comping than in anywhere else. Kent is so generous to pack so much useful stuff and advise.. 100% "this is for your playing" and 0% "watch how cool I play" and he happens to be playing cooler than ever just for free and for RU-vid land. Personally I only watch his videos and some Barry Harris stuff... If I can throw even 1% of Kent's teaching and 1% of Barry Harris teachings into my playing I can say I learned from the best in earth

This is so awesome! I'm trying to (slowly) learn jazz and hardly anyone that I've found really goes into depth on comping and how you're supposed to do it to achieve that "sound". This video was so accessible but there's also so much there to study at the same time.

This is exactly what I needed. Thank you soooooo much Kent. I still have a long way to go but your lessons make sense and are always so inspiring. Plus I love " My Romance !" And...... one of my first songs I sang in my youth was " Don't Blame Me" ! Greetings from Michigan !

Very nice video Kent, you are a great musician!!! ... thank you :)

Another fantastic video Mr. Hewitt.

Very good to see these 3 positions in one overview with the rhythmic concepts, very helpful video, thank you!

After almost 50 years (on and off mostly self-taught) dabbling with piano & keyboards, I'm getting closer to being able to actually play these kinds of styles fluently thanks to your videos (and a very few by others on ut). Can't thank you enough, Kent! By the way, your singing is fine and helps in making your points. Apologizing for it adds to your already abundant arsenal of humorous asides, etc., so not suggesting to stop apologizing, just to keep singing anytime you feel it helps get your points across! Thanks again -----Ken F

Thank you Kent As always.

Your lessons are fantastic. You have really been productive lately. Can’t thank you enough. Keep em coming😀

Absolutely terrific. Really helpful real world stuff, especially for playing with or behind other musicians. Your “asides”, are valuable stuff. And thanks for permission to sing and hum badly while practicing. It’s important to do but hard when other people are in the house. Now I can say, “Kent said I have to”.

Kent, thanks for another great video. Very informative and useful advice on "backing up" a singer or other soloists. Enjoy your playing on the front and end of these videos as well, just beautiful! Thanks!

Fabulous video as usual, Kent! You are in the ranks of the best on RU-vid. Amazingly concise and on the money with a humorous and witty delivery. Thank you from my heart. And your singing is just fine, too.

Thanks for all that you do. Always so great.

Just want to second what everyone else has said. You have the most help tutorials on RU-vid.

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Kent!

Really nice comping information - certainly must practice scales and chords before I can accomplish it. Will be watching this video many times....:You have taught me how very important it is to DRILL and practice hard!!! You are the best....

Thanks Kent!!!! You are the man!! (for learning Jazz)

that was a good quote! Music and culture in general is an answer to challenges we have in our small remote village. Even though population is small and employment opportunities are not so good these days we seem to have a large proportion of talented people. I play music with some of them and keep finding new folks who are interested. NOw its hard finding musicians that are interested in jazz the way I am, but its still relatively a new passion for myself. Most of them are interested in folk, heavy metal and rock and definitely celtic (that is a Canadian thing) Playing with other musicians has alot to do with respect, give and take as far as space goes. I am trying to create my own arrangement of I Can't Give You Anything But Love , its for a 30s era radio play I doing music and effects for. There are several other era specific melodies I am working on (One of the main reasons I watch your tutorials has to do with amatuer theatre I am involved in, period pieces and live theatre really works with early jazz and or improvisation) Anyways Billy Holidays version is my favorite, and its the comping that makes it work. Diana Krall has a great take and again the musicians are right on the money Back to thinking about your original quote, living in an increasingly crazy dangerous, world music and getting as many people on board as far as music, do it passionately and make it intense and gorgeous as you can and try to do it with other like minded people, yeh its like sex that is why Billy Holiday still rocks. Live theatre and music is becoming popular and scarce at the same time, it has value to change things or at the very least escape from the shit storms out there

Another Great lesson, Kent. "Don't Blame Me" is a tune that I've been working of for a while, and this (together with your Jazz Imrpovisation 101 (part 2), gives me lots of new ideas to try!

Great vid. Thanks Mr. Hewitt.

Great lesson. You rule, man.

Mr Hewitt, Thank you so much for making these awesome tutorials on youtube. I really appreciate your kindness as it takes time and patience to do this. I do not know how some idiots who down-voted your videos. They simply cant understand that most professionals like you do not even care about sharing, let alone teaching their musical knowledge for free like this. But you decided to do this out of your own kind heart. Please ignore those ignorant people and keep up the good work. Again, Thank you so much!

Very wonderful teaching

great lesson and your singing is fine

Thanks from Spain, great lesson.

please!!! keep doin' your tutorils!!! I really enjoyed this one!!!

Extremely helpful. Thanks a lot.

thank you sir!

another Great lesson, ty mate , ciao from Rome.

Very helpful KH. I️ would love to learn how to play a bass line the way you do.

OOOOOOWEEEE KENT, YOU SO ICEY FAM

another great video. thanks a lot

No points off for singing. It's good idea to know the words and how they relate to the music your playing!

Another gem, Kent. Thanks. I was thinking that I might be avoiding roots more than I need to on one of my gigs where we play older jazz styles. This was helpful. Also...do you wear those snazzy threads all the time, or just for the videos?

very nice

Very cool

It is helpfull to me, thank you : )

Wonderful lesson--and a great (timely) quote by Leonard Bernstein. (I keep expecting ADEM to spring out of that closet!)

Thank you. Greetings from Argentina 🇦🇷

Alright! Great tutorial.

Saludos desde Guatemala, me gusta su contenido, espero algun dia pueda subir videos en Español

Amazing examples, really clear to understand ! I just have a question. How can I play a good baseline to not sound bored and basic. To be clear.....what is your technique to play the bass line when you play the standard, comping etc.

You've really inspired me! With the passing of glen campbell, I listened for the first time to gentle on my mind. The version was when he was sitting with other musicians. He picks up his guitar sings a verse then plays this amazing solo. It's a beautiful solo played over a few chords but can't understand how the notes sound so right when they're not all in the chord. Do you know the solo ? And if so, do you have a similar constructed riff written that I can look st on here and try to understand what the hell is going on? I'm sooo frustrated that as a so called musician I am missing so much important knowledge. I'm getting lost with some of your videos as I'm missing some vital link in my brain, Paul

Self-taught finger-popping daddy here. Thanks for the tutorial.

Thank you sir

Thx, excellent ! Could you give us your personal insights on the whole tone scale use ?

When I scroll down my saved favorite videos on RU-vid..its half UFC videos and the other half are Kent Hewitt vids lol

Hi Kent, Is there any chance you could do another video going through different types of voicings for the 3rd comping style you showed? I'm confused as to how to voice diminished chords and other tense chords in that style.

Hello Kent, as you know I am one of your greatest fans. Often I watch your lessons but then sometimes I can't figure out which notes you are exactly hitting. Some tutorial video's on the internet show a bar on top with coloured notes(to indicate that they are hit. Of course these guys use an app combined with an electric computer. Would it be an idea for you to try this?(Love it when you sing man! Feels like home!)

Your singing voice sounds good and in tune.

Will you be adding this song to your list of free music?

Swear this man is the ReviewBrah of piano tutorials.

When I am comping do I need to make sure to play below the melody?

Can you do black and blue?

very usefull！But Im confused that when comping， if the top note of the voicing is always melody note，its not comping，its a solo cover，and no voice leading？so ，how to keep the balance of comping and fill in and top note is the melody？ 3q

You don't need to be so self conscious about your singing all the time, haha! You sound fine. You communicate what you're trying to. We're pianists, not singers, haha.

no points off for your singing from my point of view.

thank youuuu🤗 for giving hopeful moments thinking i will oneday play well sounding jazzpiano 🐴