Hey all! First I I want to say that as someone just starting out on piano: this place is great and I'm soaking up your wisdom every single day. Thanks to everybody who contributes.
I'm a jazz trumpet player who is just starting piano with the sole intent of being able to play through tunes, comping the chords for myself so I can hear the harmonies. Unless my ambition takes a turn, I will never play with a bass player, I will never play with a band, and I will never play for anyone but myself.
Right now I've been learning basically root position chords. L:1-3-7 R:2-5. I've been playing those up and down the keyboard and I've actually gotten pretty good at that.
As you folks more than anyone know, that just sounds like block <block> <block> <block> when I play through a tune.
I've read a lot online and seen a million different "systems" and "You only need to know two patterns!" for managing voice leading and mixing up the voicings, but everyone says something different and I'm just looking for something simple as the next step.
I know you all have a million ways that I "could" do it, but what do you suggest as another voicing pattern to alternate with the current chords that I've learned just to mix things up a little bit, keep me more centered on the keyboard and not jumping around as much, and make my voice leading sound a little better?
Thank you so much for any advice!