Chord Voicing Techniques #1

with Matt Grina

Chord VoicingHow you arrange the notes in a chord

Chord tonesRootFifthGuide tones (3rd and 7th scale degrees)

Basic voicing options:Root PositionInversions (first, second and third)

Root Position

Root of the chord in the bass voice

Voices upper voices in any order

Example: C Maj7

Inversions

First Inversion3rd degree of chord in the bass

Second Inversion5th degree of chord in the bass

Third Inversion7th degree of chord in the bass

Inversions (cont.)

Example: C Maj7

Root 1st Inv. 2nd Inv. 3rd Inv.

Tensions

Usually meet the following criteria:

Diatonic to the primary keyWhole step above chord tone

Tensions

Tension Chart for most common chord qualities

Maj7 9 #11 13

Min7 (9) 11 (13)

Min6 9 11 natural 7

Min7b5 (9) 11 b13

Dom7 9 (#11) 13

b9 #9 #11 b13

Tensions (cont.)

Considerations when placing tensions

Melody – Some tensions won’t work with melody notesQuality – Tensions can change what chord you hear if not voiced well

Tensions (cont.)Example:

Ami9 has been voiced with an available tension but will sound like C maj7 because of how it is voiced. This example is however a simple reharmonization which would still be acceptable.

Chord Tone Substitutions

Tensions can replace root and/or fifth

Must retain guide tones (3 & 7)

Avoid voicing tensions in the bass

Example:

Summary Example:

The following is an example of possible voicings for the jazz standard Autumn Leaves by Joseph Mercer

Autumn Leaves

*Click Image

Attributions:

Pictures (Pg. 2, 4, 6, 7, 8) by Vladimir Agafonkin

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mourner/