{"id":145776,"date":"2024-10-20T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-20T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/?p=145776"},"modified":"2024-10-16T14:11:42","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T21:11:42","slug":"learn-to-comp-like-jazz-legend-freddie-green","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/learn-to-comp-like-jazz-legend-freddie-green\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn to Comp Like Jazz Legend Freddie Green"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Weekly Workout | Swing Like Freddie Green with Ron Jackson\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GsmB8W17ud8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One of my favorite rhythm guitar approaches is the one that the late jazz master <a href=\"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/swing-lesson-learn-to-play-rhythm-guitar-like-freddie-green\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Freddie Green<\/a> pioneered in his work with the Count Basie Orchestra. Throughout his 50 years on the gig, Green played an acoustic archtop, unamplified. Though his strumming was sometimes more felt than heard, it contributed so much to Basie\u2019s signature sound and <a href=\"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/string-kings-of-harlem-swing-the-captivating-rhythms-of-freddie-green-john-trueheart-bernard-addison-morris-white-and-al-casey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">swing<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Green\u2019s style\u2014quarter-note strums in 4\/4 time (aka \u201cfour to the floor\u201d)\u2014seems simple enough. But it\u2019s rarely mastered. When trying to play in the manner of Green, guitarists tend to use too many notes in their chords and to strum them too loudly. So, as you play through this primer on Green\u2019s style, strive for a less forceful, swinging feel. And be sure to use a metronome, set to beats 2 and 4, to keep things tight.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Week One<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This week you\u2019ll review the most common diatonic (within the same key) seventh chords, with roots on the fifth and sixth strings. <strong>Example 1<\/strong> depicts fifth-string-rooted chords within the C major scale. (If you happen to be on a 12-fret guitar, don\u2019t worry about playing the chords that fall way up on the neck.) Also based on the C major scale, <strong>Example 2<\/strong> uses sixth-string-rooted chords.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example 3<\/strong> is identical to Ex. 1, except it omits the fifth of each chord\u2014a note that Green generally avoided. The fifth is considered inessential, as it doesn\u2019t define the sound of the chord like the third or seventh do. Similarly, <strong>Example 4<\/strong> shows fifth-string-rooted voicings on the adjacent strings 5\u20133 that also contain just roots, thirds, and sevenths. Then you\u2019re back to sixth-string-rooted chords, this time without fifths, in <strong>Example 5<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Beginners\u2019 Tip #1<\/strong><br>Learn all of these examples up and down the guitar neck by heart, as you\u2019ll find the chords all over the place in jazz and other styles<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Week Two<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example 6<\/strong> uses the same chord shapes from Exs. 1 and 2, but in common chord progressions. The first two bars are based on the I\u2013vi\u2013ii\u2013V in C major; the next two bars are on the iii\u2013VI\u2013ii\u2013V. The fifths in these chords are omitted in <strong>Example 7<\/strong>, for a more Green-like sound. In the third and fourth measures, note the use of common tones\u2014the Em7 and A7 chords share the fifth-fret G, and the Dm7 and G7 chords share the third-fret F. This makes for smooth transitions between chords.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Examples 8<\/strong> and <strong>9<\/strong> take the same approach as Exs. 6 and 7, but the first chord in each bar is rooted on the sixth string and the second one on the fifth string. In Ex. 9 you\u2019ll see another common tone in action; the highest note of both the Dm7 chord and the G7 is the tenth-fret F. See if you can extend the pattern to the Em7 and A7 chords.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Beginners\u2019 Tip #2<\/strong><br>Always look for the third and seventh of each chord in these examples.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Week Three<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you\u2019ve woodshedded on the chords from Weeks 1 and 2, it\u2019s time to get into Green\u2019s comping style. In the previous examples you discarded the fifths of chords. Years ago, when I studied with Bucky Pizzarelli, he told me that Green often distilled things down even further\u2014ghosting all but one of the notes in a three-note chord, for example. Essentially Green played one-note chords!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example 10<\/strong> demonstrates this approach with the progression from Exs. 7 and 8. As you can see, all of the notes are muted, save for those on the fourth string. This week you only have one short figure, since it might take some practice and focus on your fretting fingers to get the music up to speed. The trick is to strum all six strings while fingering the three-note chords\u2014fretting the outer notes lightly and letting only the fourth string ring\u2014all while completely deadening the remaining strings with the undersides of your fretting fingers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Beginners\u2019 Tip #3<\/strong><br>When playing in the Freddie Green style\u2014or jazz in general\u2014be sure to accent beats 2 and 4.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Week Four<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In<strong> Example 11 <\/strong>you\u2019ll find the first four bars (eight, if you count the repeat) of rhythm changes\u2014the harmonic progression from the Gershwin tune \u201cI Got Rhythm,\u201d one of the commonest forms in jazz, on which innumerable other compositions are based.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The example starts off with a fifth-string-rooted Cmaj7 chord, with only its third (E) sounding. Immediately following that chord, you\u2019ll also see the introduction of a new chord type, the fully diminished seventh, which is used to neatly connect diatonic chords. A C#dim7 chord (the underlying shape is, by fret number, X423XX) bridges the Cmaj7 and Dm7 chords, just as a D#dim7 then connects Dm7 and E7.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example 12 <\/strong>shows the entire bridge of rhythm changes, with its series of dominant seventh chords moving counterclockwise along the circle of fifths. Note how the fourth-string notes descend in neat half steps between the chords.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After you\u2019ve worked through all four weeks of this lesson\u2014and you think you\u2019ve got a feel for the Freddie Green style\u2014try playing through some standards using the same approach. Play chords with just roots, thirds, and sevenths; chords with only thirds and sevenths; and of course, those containing only one note. Be sure to maintain a swinging feel, with an emphasis on beats 2 and 4.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, the Freddie Green style needn\u2019t be limited to jazz. Whatever style you play, especially in ensemble settings, this minimalistic approach can declutter and breathe fresh life into your music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Beginners\u2019 Tip #4<\/strong><br>Play through the chords in a fake book using voicings that contain only roots, thirds, and sevenths.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"762\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-1-8.png?resize=762%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Weekly Workout: How to Comp Like Jazz Legend Freddie Green guitar notation and tablature, page 1\" class=\"wp-image-145780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-1-8.png?resize=762%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 762w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-1-8.png?resize=372%2C500&amp;ssl=1 372w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-1-8.png?resize=768%2C1033&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-1-8.png?resize=223%2C300&amp;ssl=1 223w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-1-8.png?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 762px) 100vw, 762px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"764\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-8-12.png?resize=764%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Weekly Workout: How to Comp Like Jazz Legend Freddie Green guitar notation and tablature, page 1\" class=\"wp-image-145781\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-8-12.png?resize=764%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 764w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-8-12.png?resize=373%2C500&amp;ssl=1 373w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-8-12.png?resize=768%2C1029&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-8-12.png?resize=224%2C300&amp;ssl=1 224w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AG349-WW-FREDDIE-GREEN-EX-8-12.png?w=1081&amp;ssl=1 1081w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/no-349-november-december-2024\" name=\"magazine\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 198px; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/001_349_Cover-150px.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Acoustic Guitar magazine cover for issue 348\"><\/a>\n<p style=\"font-family: sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 15px 0px;\">This article, from the <a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/no-349-november-december-2024\">November\/December 2024<\/a> of Acoustic Guitar magazine, originally appeared in the <a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/collections\/digital-archive-bundles\/products\/digital-archive-2015\">October 2015<\/a> issue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Green\u2019s rhythm style\u2014quarter-note strums in 4\/4 time (aka \u201cfour to the floor\u201d)\u2014seems simple enough. But it\u2019s rarely mastered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":145779,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"Green\u2019s rhythm style\u2014quarter-note strums in 4\/4 time (aka \u201cfour to the floor\u201d)\u2014seems simple enough. But it\u2019s rarely mastered.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"Learn to comp like the jazz legend Freddie Green","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1660,2],"tags":[1954,676],"ppma_author":[1596],"class_list":["post-145776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jazz","category-lessons","tag-november-december-2024","tag-weekly-workout"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Freddie_1-Freddie-Green-Collection-%C2%A92015.jpg?fit=1200%2C830&ssl=1","authors":[{"term_id":1596,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"ron-jackson","display_name":"Ron Jackson","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ron-jackson-acoustic-jazz-guitar-lesson-webw.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ron-jackson-acoustic-jazz-guitar-lesson-webw.jpg"},"user_url":"https:\/\/ronjacksonmusic.com\/","last_name":"Jackson","first_name":"Ron","job_title":"","description":"New York City-based jazz guitarist Ron Jackson has performed and recorded in over 30 countries, with artists such as Taj Majal, Jimmy McGriff, and Ron Carter. 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