The Art of Comping: Keyboard/Piano Book & CD

Most jazz piano students learn melody and can fumble through changes, but comping remains the invisible skill that separates confident players from uncertain ones. McNeely's workbook makes the implicit explicit, offering concrete voicing choices for each tune instead of leaving students to guess. The inclusion of both demonstration and play-along tracks transforms what could be dry study into active, ear-informed practice.

Opening this book feels like sitting in on a masterclass where the focus is purely on what happens between the melody and the bass line. The tunes provide familiar territory (Blues for Wanda, 'Round Midnight), so you can concentrate on the architecture of your accompaniment rather than decoding unfamiliar changes. The recorded examples make the comping voice audible and concrete, transforming notation into sound.

Jazz pianists ready to move beyond comp symbols and develop real facility with voice leading and rhythmic sophistication. This book serves intermediate to advanced players who want to understand not just what chords to play, but why and when. Piano teachers building jazz curricula will find it essential for students preparing for college auditions or working in jazz ensembles.

• Listen to the demonstration tracks first without the book. Let your ear absorb the rhythmic and harmonic texture before analyzing the specific voicings on the page.
• Start with the play-along tracks at a slower tempo while you're learning the voicings. Gradually increase speed only when your left hand can respond without thought.
• Alternate between comping under a soloist and comping under melody. Each role demands different attention and voicing density.
• Record yourself comping over the play-along tracks, then listen back to identify spots where you're playing too much or too little. Restraint develops through self-assessment.

Assign this as a semester-long project for jazz ensemble pianists who need to strengthen their accompanying skills before taking on more responsibility in the rhythm section. The individual tunes work as supplementary study material during rehearsals or as homework between ensemble meetings. Use it alongside the ensemble repertoire your students are learning, applying the voicing concepts directly to the charts they're already playing.

• Chord voicing selection based on musical context and solo style
• Rhythmic independence between comping and soloist phrasing
• Left hand independence and voice leading efficiency
• Listening for space and restraint in accompaniment
• Reading and applying chord symbols to real jazz standards