line now ascends and descends on the 3rd
string. If you have a Leslie simulator or a
Uni-Vibe pedal, by all means kick it on.
Mix and Match
So far, we’ve placed the 5–6–% 7–6 line in
either the lowest voice or highest voice
of our comping patterns. But you can
mix the two approaches, as shown in Fig.
5. Here, the 5–6 (E–F#) portion ascends
on the 3rd string, while the 7–6 section
(G–F#) descends on the 5th string. It’s a
cool sound.
All Together Now
These comping patterns really come
alive when you weave them into a longer
Fig. 4 Fig. 4
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Fig. 5 Fig. 5
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Fig. 6 Fig. 6
progression. In Fig. 6—which sounds especially sweet played with a relaxed swing
feel—we apply our new moves to a V–IV–I
sequence in the key of A. By playing a
voicing on virtually every beat, you generate momentum and harmonic complexity
without obscuring the underlying cadence:
E7 (bar 1), D7 (bar 2), and A7 (bars 3 and
4). Try dropping this sequence into the last
four bars of a 12-bar blues or shuffle in the
key of A.
Next month, we’ll explore more ways to
build comping patterns around lines. In the
meantime, work out these moves in other
keys and then look for ways to use them in
your next jam or recording session.
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Ah-ha!
Comping. The word “comp” is jazzbo
slang for “accompany,” as in, “I’ll comp
while you take a solo.” Comping also
implies playing a chord progression
with some rhythmic variation.
Scale and Chord Formulas. You’ll often
see a scale, chord, or phrase expressed
numerically, such as the 5–6–% 7–6 line
discussed in this lesson. These numerical
formulas are derived from a major
scale—our musical yardstick—and come
in handy when you want to describe an
item’s musical construction, independent
of any key. Every chord type or scale
type has a formula, and once you know
it, you can apply it to any major scale to
generate the notes for the given chord,
phrase, or scale in that key.
For example, the formula for a minor
7th chord is 1–% 3–5–% 7 . To identify the
notes in, say, Cm7, simply apply its
formula to the parallel major scale—
i.e., the major scale that shares the
same root. In this case, that’s a C
major scale (C–D–E–F–G–A–B), so
applying the minor 7th formula yields
C–E%–B%–G, Cm7’s chord tones.
Pedal Tones. A pedal tone (or pedal
point) is a note that sustains against
a passage, acting as a tonal anchor.
A pedal tone is usually played in the
bass register below the musical activity,
but can also ride above it, as in a
blues turnaround when the highest
note remains static while other intervals ascend or descend against it.
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Click here to hear sound clips
of these examples.
Andy Ellis
PG Senior Editor Andy Ellis is a veteran guitar journalist.
Since cutting his teeth on British Invasion bands—the
Who, Yardbirds, and Pretty Things got the party started—he has been a certified guitar nut. Now based in
Nashville, Andy backs singer-songwriters on the baritone
guitar. He also hosts a weekly radio program, The Guitar
Show, that broadcasts on-air and online. For the broadcast schedule, links to the stations’ streams, archived
audio interviews with inspiring players, and more, visit
theguitarshow.com.
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