Blues scales and pentatonic scales work great for the basis for fill-ins and improvising solos as well.

One of the best explanations I heard years ago was to play notes in and around the chord.

A simple way to start is to try a simple riff to fill the holesmaybee a part like a horn section would play to accent the vocalist as in kansas city try playing an answer such as kansas city-here- I-come with maybe a root cord in the key of the vocal part like cccc-ccc. you are playing a syllable of the vocal answer instead of singing it.
Hope this will get you started
MEL

I agree, Kansas City and The Wanderer are my first two as they fit a reply type response with a sax interlude. I appreciate everyone's help.

Bernie here's a sample of what you might do comping your vocals in Kansas City
I recorded a short off the cuff demo for you on my S970..

https://app.box.com/s/z4rshu3wce785x50ofrxrm7ktezrcx96

Very nice DNJ.

Most of my pro playing was done with guitar , so my thinking is based on scale and chord comping.

1-G7 to C major. V7 to I (Scale steps) This is the most used chord progression.

2-F7 or F to G7 to C ---- IV7 or IV to V7 to C

3-Orginal chords -- Singer stops on a C note -- one silent measure following preceding to the F7 chord. Silent measure -- 4th beat F#7 medium volume to F7 stronger volume, singer comes in at this point.

How simple, but we are going to build on this thinking.
Substitute Dm7 G7 for G7 In scale steps: IIm7 V7. You can also sub. Em7 for a C chord. Notes in a C maj9th – C E G B D notes in Em7 E G B D. a good sub. when used in the right place.
Original chord; C //// G7 //// C ///

Sub. Voice is going to hold a note from the first beat until the next C chord. C // Em7 / Ebm7 / Dm7 // G7// Voice begins to sing again on the C chord. Scale Steps: I// IIIm7/ Ebm7/ Dm7// V7// C////

I am using songs from Big Band like Misty or The Lady is a Tramp for my example – it is different for other types of music. This study leads to understand how to reharmonizing all or part of a song. How scale modes are formed. Solo lines both as arpeggios and altered chords, and much more like how do I comp.

If there is interest I will post simple short examples.
Thank you for starting this comping post Bernie, its going to be interesting.

John C.
Wow, I just listened to Kansas City, and again Donny has demoed with a pro sounds like.

Thanks for posting that Donny- that’s exactly what I was talking about by filling in the holes. You did so very tastefully!

Don & Paul thank you both wanted to show what can be done during a song comping your vocals,.....and probably each time I play it I would do it differently also depending on my mood there are no rules..

Now here it is again different style recorded on a KORG without vocals as a backing track with different comping....I hope you get the picture...enjoy.

https://app.box.com/s/nvseidd9gbe2zc3wrppcou457acejss5

Hi Bernie,

I used to play along with the melody with the singing. Then I started comping and with a little practice it becomes easier to do and a lot less work while playing. Now I let the singer and the style do all the work while I throw in a few fills.

Here is an example with me noodling around (filling in the
holes) with Tyros sax.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/8r3ojeswxa50obt/September%20in%20The%20Rain.wav?dl=0



Added file as MP3

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mku5he0w8q0hod9/September%20in%20The%20Rain.mp3?dl=0

Regards,

Jerryghr

Donny and Jerryghr just opened my mind and ears. Both wonderful examples which I shall keep and refer to. Many have offered excellent advice, but to hear what you all are talking about opens a whole new world. In Donny's rendition, I can see playing off the blues scale. I often ad lib the melody staying in the structure of the scale, this isn't any different, just applied in another way.

It's funny how I have heard comping for 50 years but wasn't listening, because I wasn't trying to do it.

I once was blind and now I see(sort of).

Thanks all