On helping aspiring jazz pianists to develop a ‘comping’ style and strong sense of pulse
Most instrumentalists will have some experience of playing with others, whether with a piano accompaniment, CD backing or small ensemble – but most pianists spend much of their time playing on their own. And when starting to play jazz styles or tackling improvisation for the first time, playing solo is a rather artificial way to learn; after all, most jazz pianists will find themselves playing with, at the very least, a combo of bass and/or drums. John Kember, author of Jazz Piano Studies, talks about his new book Jazz Piano Plus One, which helps pianists play in jazz styles and eases them towards improvisation.
“I am a firm believer in the value of duet-playing for pianists. In my experience, teachers tend to use them in the initial stages of a pupil’s learning to give them added confidence and to encourage a sense of pulse and fluency. After that, whether from lack of suitable material or time constraints, we tend to use them less frequently. When embarking on a new area of study such as jazz styles however, I have found that some form of support and accompaniment is invaluable. Other instrumentalists benefit from an accompaniment or additional line much of the time, but pianists tend to be left to maintain a pulse on their own.
As playing jazz or ‘jazzy’ pieces relies heavily on a constant beat or pulse, our students need any extra help that we can give them. In fact when teaching I often find myself playing along – from whichever side of the piano I happen to be sitting – in order to encourage the student to keep going, and to enhance their enjoyment. It occurred to me that a piece that sounds complete on its own but also has an additional part written for the teacher could be really helpful.
After a period of ‘experimenting’ with pupils, the idea for Jazz Piano Plus One began to take shape – original jazz pieces with a difference! Aimed at intermediate players of grades 3 - 5 standard and above, the pieces work well as solos but also include an optional part for the teacher or friend, to add an extra dimension. When sharing these ideas with interested colleagues, many commented ‘It’s what a good teacher would do anyway’. For example, using a bass line as the added part is not only the best way to give a sense of momentum and style, but it also frees up the student’s left hand from having to play a bass line or the root of each chord. This then opens the door to introducing rootless chords, which give a more idiomatic and biting sound to the harmonies, and furthermore, the chords need not be limited to the first beat of the bar. This leads on easily to the style of left-hand chord-playing known as ‘comping’. In this the chords can be played both on and off the beat in rhythmic patterns or at intervals to punctuate the right-hand melodic or improvised line. When you listen to the great jazz pianists this is exactly what their left hands are doing. Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner were exceptional in their independence of hands, and the rhythms they developed are well worth studying.
I’ve always encouraged pupils interested in jazz piano playing to listen to all the great exponents of the art, both past and present. It’s a part of the repertoire that, if it is to be played with any authenticity, needs to be absorbed thoroughly by example. Only this way will they develop that vital ‘feel’ for the music and be able to go on and be successful in the further art of stylistic improvisation. It also needs to be remembered that this is after all American music, and therefore needs to be played with an American accent! The roots of the style, its development and many of its finest exponents are from the Americas, and its playing needs the steady but relaxed ‘cool’ feel that they do so well. (You can liken the difference between American and European attitudes to rhythm by comparing their soldiers’ marching!) A strong sense of pulse is of course essential. I have been known to give prospective jazz students a ‘test’ before taking them on. I ask them to sit and listen to a recording of say: Ellington’s It don’t mean a thing … and see if they move! Anyone with a feel for jazz should not be able to keep still and should feel the need to move with the music. An (inaudible) foot/leg/head/shoulder movement should be seen as a positive sign!
Jazz Piano Plus One does provide opportunities for improvisation in the later pieces, but this is not the main idea of the collection. My approach is rather to ease students into the feel of improvisation, encouraging them to make small rhythmic or melodic changes first rather than to dive straight into the void of a completely blank and open 8 bars. Once a piece is really familiar the student can then gradually break away from having to play ‘precisely’ what is on the page and only then begin to explore their own ideas and experiment with small changes.
I hope that Jazz Piano Plus One will bridge the gap between playing ‘jazzy’ pieces and helping students find their feet as freer, more skilled players, able to play in a more rhythmic and authentic style. This in turn will lead to a more versatile and valuable pianist, able to interact with small jazz groups and understand their role as accompanist with vocalists and in the larger Big Band format too.”
This article appeared in the Summer 2005 edition of the Faber magazine, 'Pianofforte'.
