by Richie Zellon | Comping, Latin Jazz
Afro-Cuban Latin Jazz Guitar 101 Think about this scenario…If on a gig the band leader calls out, say “Autumn Leaves” as a bossa, usually there is no problem on behalf of most guitarists. On the other hand, if he calls out “Autumn Leaves” in Afro-Cuban style...
by Richie Zellon | Comping
Using Sus4 Chords to Comp over Standards Did you know that Sus4 chords are an integral harmonic element employed by modern jazz pianists when comping over a standard? But how about jazz guitarists? Well not so much, except for the newer generation of players. And if...
by Richie Zellon | Chord Melody, Comping
Lego Chord Melody-Melodic Minor So you’re probably wondering, what on earth is Lego Chord Melody? Simply put, it’s one of those seldom taught guitar concepts that don’t appear to have an official name. I usually prefer to describe it using the terms, “interlocking” or...
by Richie Zellon | Bossa Nova, Comping
Joao Gilberto’s Comping on “Girl from Ipanema” If you want to learn a style of music that you are not that familiar with, your best bet is to go to the source! And when it comes to learning bossa nova, countless great musicians believe...
by Richie Zellon | Comping
Drop Voicings Complete! Most likely you already know what drop voicings are, but just in case, “…it simply consists of dropping one or two of the notes in a closed 7th chord, down an octave.” For us guitarists this allows us to spread the notes in a way that we...
by Richie Zellon | Comping, Jazz Theory
Don’t Play That II-V! (Diatonic Reharmonizations) If you’re like most players, when you’re comping and come across a II-V, you likely play the prescribed changes! If you see Dm7 and G7, maybe you even play a Dm9 and a G13…But did you know that with just a...
