Expand Your Comping Concepts

John Stowell teaches a masterclass on jazz guitar comping, demonstrating pianistic devices — isolating and separating notes in the chord, close-interval inversions — and how to apply them to the guitar in the accompaniment role. Guitarist Mike Pardew joins John during parts of the class so you can hear the concepts behind a real soloist.

What's covered

• Comping ideas borrowed from pianists — John credits Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock as primary influences, alongside guitarists like Jim Hall, Joe Pass, Ted Greene, and Jimmy Wyble
• Why the top note of the chord drives what the listener hears, and voice-leading it from chord to chord
• Open string voicings and inner voice movement
• Playing over the bar line and developing a rhythmic vocabulary for comping
• Responding to a soloist rather than copying their harmony — balancing engagement against too much information
• Real-world application over simple tunes, starting with a blues in G

A practical class for intermediate players who want to become more sensitive, more interesting accompanists. Full video is 1 hour and 39 minutes.