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Here we will discuss basic chord voicings.

Here are comping examples based over the tune 'Quet Nights'. There are 3 examples. Each one varies a little bit. The last 2 especially work well with no accompaniment. For example if you comping in duo with only a flute.

Check out the rhythms and the consistency of the rhythms. They repeat over and over to create a groove.

Check out these little snippets of comping based on a Brazilian feel. I basically took the guitar and bass parts and put them together. I added seconds to the bass line to add a percussive sound to the rhythm. The guitar more so than the piano plays a very rhythmic part in this music. Also that fact that I grew up playing guitar, I was drawn to this instrument. Listen to real Brazilian music and check out the guitar. You'll hear these rhythms. Try and recreate them with the feel that you hear.

This is a difficult chord study etude. It's straight eighth notes and based on 'Blues for Alice' changes. Definitely not a performance piece but it will get you moving around the instrument and working on chord melody ideas.

Here's a great warm up exercise and a great exercise for your hands and your mind.

You play all the modes of a Major Scale all in a row, that is continuously.

Here's a mide file of what it sounds like:

You should get the idea. The scales are in 7/4, up 2 octaves and back then immediately start the next one. If you need some help below is a link to a pdf that shows you via notation.

Here's a simple study to get you started with the 'bebop' blues. I always thought of the 'Blues For Alice' changes as a rebellion against the blues. Maybe this is not accurate but it explains a couple things for me personally. When you play over the 'Blues for Alice changes' your solo shifts away from the traditional blues scale and becomes more complicated. Scales and harmonic challenges really come into play. This is what the beboper's were all about thought, right? Making things much more complicated, that is, lines, chords and rhythms.

Here is a chord tone solo I wrote out based on the same chords as Blue Bossa. You should play this solo, memorize it and then try and play it in different keys! You can see the solo below as well as download the pdf which is larger.

Since this is a chord tone solo, I only use the chord tones in the solo. I just go up to the 7th.

Click here to download the pdf