Comping Exercises for Precision & Variety

[@rodrigomunozmarmolejo9337]

Orange you glad I watched till the end? 😅 It's a perfect excercise for me now, thank you very much

[@bravedave8512]

LOVE seeing you work stuff out, wrestle with challenges, accept imperfections, take hold of what you like and potentially set aside the things you may not. Very often we, the general public, see amazing artists' finished (and polished) product, not the journey. Allowing us to share in that vulnerability gives me great hope, not only for me (often a harsh critic of my own playing), but for my students. Also, I LOVE mandarin oranges. A lot.

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks, Brave Dave!

[@JeremySiskind]

I’m so happy you find it valuable!

[@jeffcruzmusic]

Thank you for feeling comfortable enough to go through all of those patterns , especially the ones that were difficult and showing that’s it’s always a work in progress !

[@JeremySiskind]

Awesome - thanks, Jeffrey! Some of these are tricky!

[@kault01]

Jeremy the only miracle I can see is that you're a mind reader. I'd just spent an hour trying to teach myself to vary my comping rhythms, then here comes your video. Thank you 😄

[@JeremySiskind]

Enjoy! I don’t claim to be a mind reader but maybe there’s something in the air about comping. 😉

[@AlisaIlina-vz8lr]

Mandarin. Thank you for this lesson! :)

[@JeremySiskind]

My pleasure, Alisa! Thanks for watching!

[@stuartheadey5240]

Mandarin.. Thanks for breaking this all down so nicely. It's going to be challenging.

[@JeremySiskind]

Wow, you stayed all the way to the end! Thanks for checking it out, Stuart!

[@Ludada101]

Jeremy you are a pianist after my own heart. Just today I was thinking about comping and then boom a video from you.

[@JeremySiskind]

I did it just for you, Luyanda! Enjoy!

[@NizJazzBTC]

Awesome. I'm a guitarist and focusing on time and comping. Will write out the variations and try them all!

[@JeremySiskind]

Great! I think the ones that land right on 2 and 4 are not quite as useful, but I think you'll find improvements!

[@NizJazzBTC]

@@JeremySiskind 🙏🏼

[@RobinJWheeler]

Systematically working through different rhythms and combining different ones has been really useful for getting a natural sounding variety. I'm trying to approach using different voicing types in the same way but it's really tough! I mean swapping between rootless voicings, bass and shuttle, walking bass, etc. I hope it gets easier but it's super hard to improvise at the same time, and paying attention to what I'm improvising? Forget it! I feel like I am missing something because no one has any info regarding this and I'm finding it by far the hardest thing in playing! It's so much easier to think in rootless voicings constantly.

[@JeremySiskind]

Hi Robin! Yep - it's definitely tough to get used to being flexible with your accompaniment styles. As my teacher, Gerald Clayton, would often say, "there's nothing to it but to do it!" I would attack this two ways: 1) in your practice sessions, make precise plans of attack (2 measures in voicing style 1, 2 measures in this voicing style 2, etc.) and practice them to perfection. 2) find two gigs where you have to play solo piano for three hours a week and just log lots and lots of time on the instrument playing freely.

[@RobinJWheeler]

@@JeremySiskind Thank you so much! It's getting there. Having precise plans is really helping.

[@somedude-tr1mj]

Looking forward to giving this concept attention in a sustained practice session (perhaps snacking on some Mandarin oranges as needed to keep the attention/energy going)

[@JeremySiskind]

Haha well done! Good luck with your comping practice!

[@abath07]

Hey Jeremy, when are you gonna do a video dedicated to left-hand impressionistic arpeggio style ballad playing? You know, the kind of Debussy Ravel rubato Erroll Garner crossover up and down ad libbed left hand type arpeggios. They are rubato in the sense that they are not a strictly patterned left hand arpeggio and therefore are guided by the phrasing of the melody itself and fit the melodic moment and not “in time”.

[@JeremySiskind]

I’ve got to figure out how to do it before I make a video about it! 😂

[@yahyamhirsi]

@@JeremySiskind Lol

[@RobinJWheeler]

This is great. I can see this being incredibly fruitful like a mandarin orange. I saw a very good video similar to this exploring timing options in the melody over a constant 'and of 2 & and of 4' comping pattern. Which has been useful, perhaps as a step before this.

[@JeremySiskind]

Yes the we generally call those two anticipations the “Red Garland Pattern” and it’s one of the most important comping patterns for pianists to master.

[@bobbygadourymusic5476]

Great workout! Tough! Thanks. Jeremy.

[@JeremySiskind]

Super tough! Thanks for checking it out, Bobby!

[@shreddaily101]

Great content as always! I will give, Mandarin Oranges, this a go later today during my practice.

[@JeremySiskind]

Awesome! Good luck with your practice!

[@anastasiagulai5782]

Love this lesson, thanks so much, Jeremy!

[@JeremySiskind]

Yay, thanks, Anastasia!

[@alp9020]

Thanks !! 👍

[@JeremySiskind]

My pleasure, Al!

[@megalotone]

Love the videos and books! Picked them up about a week ago!

[@megalotone]

Mandarin orange

[@JeremySiskind]

Yay! Thanks so much!!!

[@karsteinkomponist]

The 4th rhythm: could you associate it with the cuban clave or tumbao bass?

[@JeremySiskind]

Totally! Good point, thank you, Karstein!

[@cocovi]

What’s the name of the main tune?

[@chriscorey8125]

Days of Wine and Roses

[@PianoWeekends.-.68]

I had no problem with No.1 and No.2 and then…from No.3 down I keep losing my count and getting lost.. this is harder than it looks! 😢

[@JeremySiskind]

Yeah - some of these are definitely trickier than others! That's great that you can do the first 2!

[@FantomOfFear]

mandarin orange

[@JeremySiskind]

I’m impressed!

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks for watching!