Comping Series

Learn to make your accompaniment speak. This course transforms your left-hand comping from predictable to powerful by exploring how harmony, rhythm, and texture interact to support — not clutter — the music. You’ll discover how to build motion, create contrast, and comp with musical awareness.

Master the Art of Comping
 

What you'll get

Whether you’re playing in a trio or accompanying a soloist, great comping is about listening, reacting, and shaping sound. In this five-lesson series, you’ll learn how to transform simple progressions into expressive, rhythmically alive textures that elevate the whole band.

Starting with the fundamentals of harmonic motion, you’ll learn how to drive your comping in a way that adds rhythmic excitement and energy to the rhythm section.  

You'll also build awareness of contrast — using register, dynamics, and color to create emotional depth.

Next, you’ll dive into rhythmic placement, mastering when to play on the downbeat or the upbeat, or leave intentional space. You'll develop guide-tone awareness which gives your chord voicings more conviction. 

Finally we'll look at left-hand comping techniques to elevate your improvisational lines.  

Course outline:

  • Harmonic Motion – Learn to move through progressions with purpose using substitutions, resolutions, and voice-led flow.

  • Contrast – Explore dynamics, register, and texture to make your comping vivid and expressive.

  • Rhythmic Concepts – Master the art of syncopation, space, and placement — knowing when to play, and when not to.

  • Lead Tones – Strengthen your harmonic clarity through guide tones and smooth inner voice movement.

  • Left-Hand Comping – Refine your rhythmic control and sensitivity when supporting solos or melodies.

 

Advice From a World-Class Pianist Who Taught Some of the Best in the Industry

You’ll be learning directly from Gerard D'Angelo. Renowned jazz pianist and educator who has taught at some of the most acclaimed music schools in the world—right in the heart of New York City, the mecca of jazz. 

New York is where legends are made. It’s the city that gave birth to bebop, where jazz giants like Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane pushed the boundaries of music. And now, you have the chance to learn - directly from your room.

Start learning

Gerard D'Angelo

 

Gerard is a faculty member of some of the biggest jazz schools in the planet, such as The New School and Manhattan School of Music. There he mentored stars such as Robert Glasper and Emmet Cohen.

Born in 1954 on Long Island, Gerard was immersed in jazz from an early age, inspired by his father’s stride piano playing. By high school, he was performing gigs and later studied at Berklee and Five Towns College, where he also began teaching. His career took off with tours, club gigs, and studies under jazz legends like Lenny Tristano, shaping his intuitive improvisational style.

Settling in Manhattan, Gerard performed at top jazz venues and festivals worldwide, collaborating with icons like Red Rodney, Nat Adderley, and Vincent Herring. His interest in composition grew, leading to recordings with leading jazz artists. In the ’90s, he transitioned to teaching at The New School and Manhattan School of Music, mentoring future stars such as Robert Glasper and Emmet Cohen.

Beyond jazz, he worked as musical director for Brian Stokes Mitchell, coached Ben Stiller for Broadway, and contributed to music production with Gary Haase. Today, Gerard continues performing, teaching, and leading Gotham Music Lab, an online platform dedicated to accessible, high-quality music education.

7-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE

If you aren’t completely satisfied with your course, let us know within the first 7-days for a full refund. No questions asked.

Start your music journey right now!

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