The rhythm changes is one of mine and many other musician’s favorite forms to comp and blow over when learning jazz guitar. Today’s instalment of 30 Days to Better Jazz Guitar Comping will focus on how to comp rhythm changes using a variety of different approaches such as walking bass lines and drop 3 chords.

While many of us focus on blowing over rhythm changes, it is also important to focus on being able to comp this form accurately and an interesting way. In today’s lesson we will be looking at different approaches used by guitarists in different settings.

Drop 3 Chords

There are a variety of approaches that we can use when comping over this song form, and the one that we will be looking at first is using Drop 3 chords on the 6-4-3-2 string to set to get play a Rhythm Changes A section.

Drop 3 chords are great for comping over Rhythm Changes in a duo situation because they contain the bass notes and guide tones of the chord. The first example shows how drop 3 chords with the root on the bottom string can be applied over the first 8 bars of the progression.

Each inversion has been chosen to give the smoothest movement between the changes to avoid jumping around the neck to grab chords.

Drop 3 Etude

Walking Bass Lines

The rhythm changes is one of the most suited progressions for a good walking bass line. Due to the fast moving chord changes in the A section you don’t have to add much more notes to create a great sounding and effective bass line.

Obviously this etude, like the drop 3 example will only really work in a duo setting, but being able to comp well in a duo setting will make you a stronger accompanist in a full band because the duo is the toughest gig.

RC Walking Bass Line

Voice Leading Chromatically

Chromatically ascending or descending chord lines work great behind a soloist or in a chord solo setting over a rhythm changes.

Notice in the first two bars of the example that the top note of each chord voicing is ascending by a semi-tone or fret for each new chord and the line descends chromatically in the next two bars.

Combing different voice leading ideas always works well in conjunction with other ideas, notice that in bar 5 there is a ‘Bb’ pedal note held on the top string which provides a refreshing break from the chromatic voice leading.

Chromatically Ascending and Descending Inversions

Adding Passing Chords

While the ‘A’ section of Rhythm Changes is progression is already quite busy the bridge or ‘B’ section only has one chord every two bars.

This is a nice contrast to the ‘A’ section but most bebop musicians will usually superimpose the preceding II minor 7 chord with the dominant for further single line possibility and more chordal movement.

Superimposed II-7 Chords with Dominant 7ths

We can also switch through inversions of the same chord type to create movement in the B section instead of playing the same chord for each bar.

Notice the use of changing extensions within a shell voicing over the G7 and the use of modal chords over the F7.

Further Practice and Study

Once you have the voicings under your fingers there are a few ways that you can practice them.

Practice the chordal etudes using four to a bar comping

Apply different rhythm’s such as the Charleston rhythm to the chords

Use the metronome to make sure your sure you’re grabbing all the changes at the right time

Practice the etudes in all keys, but C, F, Eb, and Bb are the common keys for rhythm changes

Be sure to check in for tomorrow’s etude over the full progression which will include some very cool spread triad voicings as well as the concepts that we have looked at in today’s lesson.

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Do you have any types of voicings that you like to use when comping rhythm changes that are not discussed in this lesson? Share your thoughts in the comments below.