(MED. SWING ♩=80)
29

Jazz Piano · Blues Comp Styles

Blues Freddie Green

Four-to-the-bar three-note guitar comp, twelve keys

Freddie Green was Count Basie's rhythm guitarist for fifty years. His comping was so steady and so harmonically dense that whole sections of swing rhythm hung on it. The technique: damped three-note voicings played on every beat, dry and percussive. Green's guitar grips were root-based; the piano transfer here goes rootless — 3-♭7-9, with the LH supplying the root underneath.

Transferred to piano, it becomes a four-on-the-floor LH bass plus tight RH chord stabs on every beat — twelve bars, four hits per bar, no rest. Most useful behind a soloist or in a piano-bass duo where the pianist becomes the rhythm section.

Both hands

LH bass + RH 3-note chord, on every quarter

Form

I⁷ IV⁷ I⁷ I⁷ | IV⁷ IV⁷ I⁷ I⁷ | V⁷ IV⁷ I⁷ V⁷

01

F blues

C 7 3 2 4 1 O O F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7
02

B♭ blues

1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 2 1 3 1 X 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7
03

E♭ blues

B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X 1 3 2 4 X X 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 2 1 3 1 X B 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 E 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7
04

A♭ blues

1 3 2 4 X X E 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 3 2 4 X X E 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 D 7 2 3 1 4 X X
05

D♭ blues

1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 2 3 1 4 X X 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 D 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7
06

G♭ blues

2 3 1 4 X X D 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 2 3 1 4 X X D 7 X X 5fr C 7 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 G 7 X X 5fr C 7 X X 5fr C 7 X X 5fr C 7
07

B blues

F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 B 7 2 1 3 4 X O F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 O O O O E 7
08

E blues

B 7 2 1 3 4 X O 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 3 4 X O B 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 1 3 X O O O A 7
09

A blues

2 1 O O O O E 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 2 1 O O O O E 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7
10

D blues

1 3 X O O O A 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 1 3 X O O O A 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 2 1 3 X X O D 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7
11

G blues

2 1 3 X X O D 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 D 7 2 1 3 X X O 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7
12

C blues

3 2 1 O O O G 7 C 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 1 O O O G 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 3 2 4 1 O O 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 3 2 4 1 O O C 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 F 7

Four chords per bar, twelve bars, dry as a snare. The Count Basie rhythm guitar in piano.

80 bpm
Sound