Jazz Comping Using Syncopation
Drum instructor Anthony Amodeo teaches an excerpt from Ted Reed’s book Syncopation for the Modern Drummer.
Anthony has been performing for over 30 years and teaching for over 20. He has 13 years of acclaimed teaching at Elefante Music, where he teaches a broad variety of styles, ages, and levels. “I don’t always look at music instruction as ‘teaching’ per se,” Anthony says. “I see it as guidance into areas less traveled to gain confidence to explore those areas with other musicians. Everything I share with students lends itself directly to being the best accompanist one could possibly be. After all, it’s about becoming transparent with your contribution so the music as a whole speaks like thunder–even at a whisper. I tell all of my students, if someone leaves your gig saying, ‘What a great vocalist,’ or ‘Great songs,’ or ‘What a killing band,’ we’ve done our job!”
Upright bass, also called string bass or double bass, is a member of the orchestra family. Just as often, however, it appears in jazz, bluegrass, folk, and other genres. With a large hollow body and 4 thick strings, the tones produced by the upright bass are low and rich. The instrument is capable of long, expressive tones when played with a bow; and short, percussive tones when plucked with the strings. String bass is a dynamic and impressive instrument to play!
The oboe is a woodwind and a member of the double-reed family. It is played by blowing air through the reed, attached at the top of the instrument. The reed consists of two very thin pieces of cane, pressed together with a small opening to allow air to pass through. The sound can be high in pitch, but it has a variety of colorful tones, from bright and piercing to low and mysterious.
