Guide Tone Comping
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134 GUITAR PLAYER AUGUST 1996 SESSIONS “Most of my technical inroads came from trying to learn banjo.” —Leo Kottke, Aug. ’77 GP =============================== T A B & # b j n j j n j # œ œ œ # . b J . J j J # w w Gmaj7 D7 Am7 E7 Gmaj7 D7 Am7 E maj7 b 5 1 1 2 2 4 3 1 4 1 4 2 1 3 2 7 5 5 5 3 5 5 4 5 5 5 3 5 4 4 4 5 7 6 6 5 7 5 5 4 4 4 3 n ( ) n ( ) =============================== T A B & # 4 4 J n J b J b J b n ( ) j b J b J J Fmaj7 Fm7 B 7 b Gmaj7 Gm7 C7 11 9 9 9 9 9 9 7 10 8 8 7 9 8 8 8 9 7 7 7 7 5 7 7 8 6 6 5 7 6 6 6 4 1 1 1 3 4 4 2 2 1 4 2 2 3 1 sim. b b =============================== T A B & # 4 4 œ œ œ œ œ n œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ n ( ) œ œ Gmaj7 Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Fm7 B 7 E maj7 b b Am7 D7 Gmaj7 E7 Am7 D7 7 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 7 6 5 5 5 4 11 9 9 9 9 10 8 8 9 7 7 7 7 8 6 6 Guide Tone AN OVER-EAGER ACCOM- panist who tries to impress a soloist with “hip” tension-filled voicings is asking for trouble. Such voicings often prevent the soloist from establishing a spe- cific scale or melodic idea. Not a good strategy for keeping a gig. To avoid this debacle, try a less-is-more approach. Play the guide tones—the chord’s two most important notes. Guide tones are generally the 3 and 7 (or 6) of a given chord. Fig. 1 lists the guide tones for basic 7th and 6th chords. Note: When the 5 is altered, it often func- tions as a guide tone. Try playing guide tones on the inside four string groups: 2+3, 3+4 and 4+5. For both sound and range, 3+4 is my personal favorite. Examples 1 and 2 show guide tones ap- plied to a common chord pro- gression. Ex. 1 presents the naked guide tones that are rhythmically and melodically embellished in Ex. 2. g chord type guide tones major 7 3 7 major 6 3 6 minor 7 b3 b7 minor/major 7 b3 7 minor 6 b3 6 dominant 7 3 b7 dominant 7 (sus 4) 4 b7 minor 7 (b5) b3 b7 b5 diminished 7 b3 bb7 (6) b5 Ex. 2 Ex. 1 Fig. 1 Comping BRET WILLMOTT
Transcript of Guide Tone Comping
134 GUITAR PLAYER AUGUST 1996
S E S S I O N S
“Most of my technical inroads came from trying to learn banjo.”—Leo Kottke, Aug. ’77 GP
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& # öö öö öbö ööj önö ööj ööj öön öjö# úú úö ö ö# .ö öb ööJ ö .öJ ö öjöJ öö ö# öö wwGmaj7D7Am7E7Gmaj7D7Am7E maj7b
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1 2 2
4 3
1 4
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1 3 2
7 5
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3 5 5
4 5 5
5 3
5 4
4 4 5
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6 5 7 5
5 4
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n( ) n( )
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& # 44 öö öö öö öJö öö önöJb ööJ ööb ööJ öö öbö ön( ) ö öö öö öjö öö öböJb öJö ö ööJ öö öFmaj7 Fm7 B 7bGmaj7 Gm7 C7
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7 10 8 8
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7 7 7
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5 7 6
6 6
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1 3
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2 2 1 4
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& # 44 úú úú únúb úú úú úú úbúb úú úú úú úú úú úú úú# úún( ) úú
Gmaj7 Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Fm7 B 7 E maj7b b Am7 D7 Gmaj7 E7 Am7 D7
7 5
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5 5
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Guide ToneAN OVER-EAGER ACCOM-panist who tries to impress asoloist with “hip” tension-filledvoicings is asking for trouble.Such voicings often prevent thesoloist from establishing a spe-cific scale or melodic idea. Nota good strategy for keeping a gig.
To avoid this debacle, try aless-is-more approach. Play theguide tones—the chord’s twomost important notes. Guidetones are generally the 3 and 7(or 6) of a given chord. Fig. 1lists the guide tones for basic7th and 6th chords. Note: Whenthe 5 is altered, it often func-
tions as a guide tone.Try playing guide tones on
the inside four string groups:2+3, 3+4 and 4+5. For bothsound and range, 3+4 is mypersonal favorite. Examples 1and 2 show guide tones ap-plied to a common chord pro-gression. Ex. 1 presents thenaked guide tones that arerhythmically and melodicallyembellished in Ex. 2. g
chord type guide tones
major 7 3 7major 6 3 6minor 7 b3 b7minor/major 7 b3 7minor 6 b3 6dominant 7 3 b7dominant 7 (sus 4) 4 b7minor 7 (b5) b3 b7 b5diminished 7 b3 bb7 (6) b5
Ex. 2
Ex. 1
Fig. 1
CompingB R E T W I L L M O T T
