Comping on Blues and Rhythm Changes

Paul Bollenback teaches jazz comping on the two most common vehicles in the music: the blues and rhythm changes. Starting with a blues in Bb, Paul demonstrates the melodic approach to comping — treating accompaniment as a musical conversation rather than mere harmonic support.

What's covered

• Why melody and rhythm come first: using a simple written line on a Bb blues as the foundation for harmonization
• Voice leading and harmonizing a melody with your chord voicings, including colors like the Bb augmented 7#9
• Rootless voicings, shell chords, and tension substitutions such as 13ths, #9 alterations, and tritone subs
• Giving a soloist just enough information — when to lead, when to follow, and how to react in real time
• Adapting your comping to different rhythm section situations
• Applying the same concepts to rhythm changes and other standards

PDF handouts of the written examples are included so you can work through the lines and voicings yourself. A valuable session for guitarists who understand basic jazz harmony and want their comping to sound like music, not just chords.