Lesson

We mostly play here. But we're talking about comping and Friedman is giving an example, then we all solo. I comp for Friedman and the bass solo

David just said something great. Just passing it on!

Pedal the melody, not the accompanyment. Get it?

This tune by Pat Metheny is titled Letter from Home and was featured on a CD of the same name that Pat put out in the 1990s.

The left hand accompaniment is mostly single line arpeggios which provide rhythmic movement and keep the piece flowing. The right hand uses octaves occasionally, which really sound good on vibes.

Note: Example tune is All The Things You Are, I only played part of the melody.

Check out how important dynamics are in separating the melody line from the accompaniment. It's especially noticeable in the first 8 measures of the tune.