Comping...It's Not Just for Pianists Anymore

When one member of a jazz combo takes a solo, the other frontline musicians (horns, etc.) typically “lay out” and don’t play. However, the rhythm section—drums, bass, piano and/or guitar—will usually keep playing under the soloist, softly and sparsely. A good pianist learns to “comp” (or accompany), playing brief figures to cue the form, encourage the soloist, and show that they are listening to the instant composition happening on the bandstand.

Some drummers simply keep time quietly during a solo, laying a musical floor and staying out of the way. More experienced drummers will follow the song’s form, noting feel changes and transition points so the soloist and other players don’t get lost. The best drummers also listen to the soloist and react, altering dynamics and density of notes to reinforce what is happening musically. 

Comping requires the drummer to act a bit like a prophet, hearing where the solo may be going and thinking ahead to meet at the same place. It can feel like dark art at first, and it does involve taking musical risks. But improvisational music is full of risks. That is why many excellent musicians avoid it. Through critical listening and practice, comping doesn’t have to be all guesswork.

Often a solo will include repeated patterns called motifs. If you hear a pattern, try playing bits of it in support. Beware, though, of simply doubling everything the soloist does. That would be like painting a blue picture on a blue canvas; nuances that should be in the foreground get covered up. 

Play accents or counterpoint rhythms that show you are hearing and understand what the soloist is doing, but not so much that you limit their freedom to change course. They are the leader for the moment; you are simply demonstrating that you hear where they are going and appreciate coming along. 

Above all, give the soloist confidence that you are with them and will not leave them hanging out alone. And when you think that the end is coming, offer the soloist and other band members a potential path to get back together—perhaps a light fill that cues beat one or references the top of the form. Be ready to react if the soloist chooses a different path, but at least you have given them one viable option. That’s all any of us can do in this open-ended art form. And enjoy the journey!