Jazz Guitar Lesson - Chord Voicing and Comping

Berkleemusic's instructor Bruce Saunders explains how to use jazz chords in your guitar playing.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• jazz guitar
• jazz comping
• jazz chords
• jazz chord
• berklee

[any1particular]

Sweet playing my friend...I don't see your name on the title?....nice tone...I was always a huge Wes Montgomery fan-the recordings he did with his brothers were the best in MHO- the Blue Note Recordings. Far Wes was my bible when I was learning to play Jazz guitar.

Back in the 70s there was little instruction. One had to learn with his ears. Jazz was not something to be quantized.

I certainly would have relished the opportunity to study with this gentleman!!!

Thanks for the inspiration!

[thermalegoogle]

great playing

[clarity754]

@markushalfmad Voicing basically refers to the order of the notes in the chord. If you take a Cmaj7 chord (comprised of the notes C E G B) and play it in that order you have a "closed" voicing or Root position chord. If you change the order to E G B C you have a Cmaj7 chord in first inversion (meaning the E is the lowest sounding note). Change the order again to G B C E and you have a second inversion Cmaj7 chord. It's how your "voicing" the chord. It's still the same chord, Cmaj7

[markushalfmad]

I understand 'comping' as a short term for 'accompanying'

but I still don't quite understand the term 'voicing' - my guess would be 'the melodic line resulting from a sequence of chords', but then I suppose that would be called 'chord melody'

Pls, can someone shed some light on this terminology aspect to help me understand its precise meaning?

[Bbm7b5b9]

Just finished Jazz Guitar 101 with Bruce at Berklee On Line. Changed me as a guitar player. He is a fantastic teacher and inspiring player. The cost of the course was some of the best money invested in my pursuit. Thanks again Bruce.

[ChrisAustman]

@eletric74 I can't tell from the resolution but it looks like a Fender DeVille of some kind. Fantastic for clean tone and one of the nicest spring reverbs out there. Could be a Deluxe.

[2009korte]

hi

[metalmilitia137]

who else absolutely adores the cmaj7 chord, only the jazziest,laid-back chord ever? :D

[JeezoozeChrysler]

@saunderzb alright thanks,I thought he was just improvising and I was scared to death,like " how in the world can you improvise something that beautiful ? " but I guess this gentleman would have no probs improvising either eheh

[upT3mpo]

@marguitar1 Freddie Green, but if you want to be inspired I suggest you start with Wes Montgomery, almost every great player today is inspired by Wes, for good reason. If you really want to be influenced, also try non-guitarists like Charlie Parker (Sax), Dizzy Gillespie (Trumpet), or Chic Corea (Keys). It's all just great music at the end of the day, it just happens to be the guitar which is your chosen choice of instrument. Good luck and keep going with it, time = results!

[MackenzieLawless]

@eletric74

looks like a fender deluxe

[realfuckinggas]

I want to be able to do that soooo bad!!! gonna start learnin!