5 Comping Piano Rhythm Patterns for Any Situation
Five versatile piano comping patterns are oompa, waltz, swung reggae, tresillo and an Indian triplet groove: in each, the left hand toggles between chord root and fifth while the right hand places the chord on specific rhythmic hit points.
Key points
- Use one progression, D minor, F, C, then G or G minor, for all five patterns.
- The left hand toggles root and fifth like a bass player; the right hand places the chord on rhythmic hit points.
- Oompa and waltz use a legato left hand and a staccato right hand, with optional passing notes between chords.
- Reggae uses swung sixteenths with ghost notes; tresillo uses a 3+3+2 sixteenth pattern for pop and salsa.
- The Indian groove puts tresillo-like hits on a triplet grid; avoid overplaying the triplets.
This lesson by Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music gives you five accompaniment (comping) rhythm patterns for the piano. They cover many eras, genres and time signatures. It suits beginners who know basic triads, and it adds passing notes, ghost notes and syncopation for players who want more.
The chord progression
Every pattern uses the same four chords, one bar each: D minor, F major, C major, then G major or G minor.
- With G major, all the notes are white keys and the sound is D Dorian: i, bIII, bVII, IV.
- With G minor, it becomes D natural minor: i, bIII, bVII, iv. These chords are shared with the relative major, F major.
Play the chords in close inversions around middle C so the right hand barely moves: A D F for D minor, A C F for F, G C E for C, and G Bb D or G B D for the G chord. The left hand plays the roots.
Before starting, learn each chord's fifth. It is the next-door neighbour clockwise on the Circle of Fifths:
- D to A
- F to C
- C to G
- G to D
In every pattern the left hand toggles between root and fifth. This copies what a bass player does so the song keeps moving.
Pattern 1: Oompa
The hands march in turn, left then right.
- The left hand plays on the beats: root on 1, fifth on 2, root on 3, fifth on 4.
- The right hand plays the chord on each and.
Keep the left hand legato and the right hand staccato. You can mix in some legato chords if you prefer. The fifth can be above or below the root, and you can also explore the third. Beginners should stick to root and fifth.
To spice it up, add passing notes into the next chord, such as D, D, E, F going into F. Going from F to C, you can climb F, A, Bb, C or walk down F, E, D, C. Keep the right hand steady while the bass walks, or the song loses momentum. Oompa suits old-school country, rock and roll, pop, folk and children's songs.
Pattern 2: Waltz
Add one more right-hand hit to get 3/4.
- The left hand plays the root or fifth on beat 1.
- The right hand plays the chord on beats 2 and 3.
Play the first chord staccato and the second legato. For a clean staccato, flick the wrist up using the forearm and let it fall back naturally, like a trampoline. The extra beat gives room for passing notes such as G, G, F, E into D.
Pattern 3: Swung reggae
Divide each beat into four (1 e and a) and swing the sixteenths.
- The right hand keeps hitting the offbeat ands.
- The left hand plays the root on the beat and a quiet, staccato ghost note on the fifth.
At the end of the bar you can add the chord's third as a passing ghost note, for example F over D minor.
Pattern 4: Tresillo (modern pop and salsa)
On a sixteenth-note grid, the right hand hits 1, the a of 1 and the and of 2. It repeats the same shape from beat 3. This is the 3+3+2 feel heard in many modern hits.
- Variation one: the left hand plays the root on 1 and the fifth on 3.
- Variation two: the left hand pulses on every beat, toggling root and fifth, for a Caribbean or salsa feel. You can add the third here.
A longer variation is based on the son clave, a key Afro-Cuban rhythm.
Pattern 5: Indian triplet groove
Count triplets as 1 and a, 2 and a. Place the right-hand chords on hit points similar to the tresillo, but on the triplet grid.
- The left hand plays minims on 1 and 3, toggling root and fifth.
- Or it pulses on every beat.
Don't overplay the triplets. Leaving some out still keeps the groove. This triplet feel is common in Indian and wider Eastern rhythms.
How to practise
- Learn the chords until you don't need to look at your right hand.
- Play each pattern through the progression, one bar per chord. Start with two bars per chord if needed.
- Count aloud slowly, then build up speed.
- Practise over a couple of weeks until the pattern runs in the background.
- Then focus on the bigger picture: the singer, the drums and the audience.
Questions about this lesson
What is comping on the piano?
Comping means accompanying a singer or band with rhythmic chord patterns. In this lesson, the left hand plays chord roots and fifths while the right hand plays the chord on set rhythmic hit points.
How do I play the oompa pattern?
The left hand plays the root and fifth on the beats, while the right hand plays the chord on each offbeat. Keep the left hand legato and the right hand short and staccato.
How do I turn oompa into a waltz?
Switch to 3/4 by adding one extra right-hand chord. The left hand plays on beat 1 and the right hand plays on beats 2 and 3.
What makes a piano groove sound Indian?
Triplets are the key. Place the right-hand chords on a triplet grid while the left hand holds a steady root-and-fifth pulse, and don't overplay the triplets.
Practise it
- Rhythm TeacherBuild accent patterns, divide beats and explore odd metres and polyrhythms.
- Swing GardenWork with straight and swung rhythm in an interactive teaching workspace.
- Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
- All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.
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