Jazz chord tricks for pop and rock keyboardists BY BEN BE N ST STIV IVER ERS S October 3, 2014
A keyboard “comping” (short for accompanying accompanying)) part can really determine the character of a song. A dash of harmonic color here, a bit of movement there, and some added chordal tension can really bring a song to life. Here are a few devices I se reglarly that are sre to help yo add some flavor to yor msic.
1. Generic Progression
Ex. 1 is 1 is a fairly generic pop chord progression, played as triads in !arter notes. "his pattern e#ists in thosands of well$known songs, and there%s absoltely nothing wrong with it. &ometimes, simpler is actally better. 't read on to find ot how to spice this p a bit.
2. Basic Colors
Ex. 2 shows the evoltion of or chord progression. Adding the ninth is a nice way to give a voicing more weight withot drastically altering its basic character. "he same can be said of adding the flatted seventh on a minor chord. #periment with leaving ot the thirds of chords altogether, especially if they%re already being played by others in yor ensemble.
3. Diatonic Passing Chords
Ex. 3 employs diatonic passing chords to create interest and movement in a track withot playing single note lines, which often times impart too mch of a melodic identity. "ip *ractice scales in diatonic triads to develop this kind of tonal vocablary. *lay ma+or, natral minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor s cales in all three inversions in all - keys.
4. Blues It Up
In Ex. 4 we get down and dirty by adding some bles e#tensions to or voicings. "his really adds character to a songif the melody will allow it. "he diatonic passing chord techni!e is employed here again as well.
5. Pedal ones
A repeated figre or voicing is a great way to introdce e#tended chord tones into a simple progression, as seen in Ex. 5. Here, we end p with a G11, an
Amin11/9, an Faug11/9, as well as the C 7/9 that starts s off. "hese may seem like fairly e#otic chords for pop, bt the repeated pedal tones make them work.
!. Upper"#tructure riads and #uspensions
Ex. ! e#pands or comping choices even frther, adding pper$strctre harmony and sspensions to the mi#. "his e#ample is actally an e#tension of #. /, where playing scales in triads diatonically will reveal many of the possibilities here. "o se t his techni!e in yor comping, e#amine the chords of a song to determine which triads e#ist in the upper note structure of each chord. 0ow se one of those triads, rather than the fndamental one, as the fondation of yor voicing. 1or e#ample, in bar , the G triad is from the fifth degree of C ma+or. "he Amin triad in bar - is from the second degree of G ma+or. In bar /, the 2 triad is from the seventh degree of A minor. In bar 3, the C triad is from the fifth degree of 1 ma+or, and the Dmin triad is from the si#th degree of F ma+or. 4elaying the resoltion of these triads back to chord tones creates additional tension as well. 1inally, remember always to be mindfl of the melody5
Practice Tip: “I learned many of these techniques from checking out guys like Chuck Leavell and Bruce Hornsby, as well as Blue eaver!s work on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack" #lso, $aul %eany of %ute%ath deserves honorable mention as a cham&ion of the &edal tone,' says Brooklyn, (ew )ork*based &ianist and com&oser Ben Stivers, who has toured and recorded with artists like +regg #llman, $atti #ustin, the Bee +ees, +roove Collective, and %atchbo -wenty" .tivers is currently &laying with /obin %ckelle and the 0lytones, as well as with an u&coming organ &ro1ect with 1a22 guitarist /e2 #bbasi
Link: http://www.keyboardmag.com/lessons/1251/jazz-chord-tricks-for-popand-rock-keyboardists/48!
