Jazz · swing · 4/4 swing

Red Garland-style comp (and-of-2, and-of-4)

170 bpm Loop: all
triplets

Mixer

Keyboard

The Red Garland comp — short two-handed block chords on the and-of-2 and the and-of-4, every bar, the pattern Garland used behind Miles Davis and under his own right hand in the mid-1950s quintet. Nothing is played on a beat; both attacks are anticipations, so every chord change arrives a half beat early — the energy Levine recommends in fig. 21-2 (chords a half beat late "drag the time down").

How it sits: the and-of-4 chord belongs to the next bar's harmony (here Gm7 is struck at the end of the Fmaj7 bar, C7 at the and-of-2 of bar 2, and Fmaj7 again before the loop restarts). The bass walks straight quarters underneath, so the piano and bass never land together — that gap is the swing.

Listen for the evenness: Garland kept the chords identical in weight and length, like a hi-hat. Both hands move together (right hand a fourth or more above the left), which is what makes it ring.

Practice: metronome on 2 and 4, chords just after it; then take the Charleston and this pattern in alternate bars. Voicings and bass line are standard practice.

Sources

  • standard practice (Red Garland comping behind Miles Davis, 1955–58); no transcribed source
  • Levine, The Jazz Piano Book, fig. 21-2 (anticipated comping)

Keyboard

Space
Play / pause
← →
Loop the previous / next bar
1–6
Mute layer 1–6
[ ]
Tempo −5 / +5
?
This sheet