JAZZ CHORD VOICINGS FOR RIGHT HAND By JIM PRoGRIS CONTENTS. BASIC CHORD TYPES . ev te eee ee ee cece CHART OF BASIC CHORD TYPES ...... ee CHORD SYMBOLS ssp eee ee BASIC CHORD DRILLS «ct pee ee ee ee et ees JOR SIXTH 4 + NOR SIXTH. 4 asor SeveNTH’ bee SEVENTH tg ces a JOMINANT SEVENTH » sss TNoR SEVENTH twor SevenqH (Lowered IMINISHED SEVENTH s+ : TEMSIONNOTES TENSION CHORD VOICINSS ©. tte eee eee eas TENSION CHORD VOICING DRILLS so. eee eevee PROGRESSION STUDIES: tc SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS 2... eserves bees OE We OO JAZZ ARTICULATIONS AND PEDALING 2. pe et sere weet MOONFLOWER (EXCERPT) cv spe eee ere eee ens AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE (ExceRPT) ss ve uv ve vune THEME FOR BASIE (EXCERPT) «see ep eer eee ene BALLADE FOR DUKE (Excerpt) . s,s eve a NON-HARMONIC CHORD NOTES . 1 ee pete ee te ets NON-HARMONIC CHORD NOTE DRILLS «espe e teen une I REMEMBER YESTERDAY (Excerpt) .. 1. + foe ee PRACTICE MELODIES 2 epee tt eee ee ee ee Copyright © 1982 by Suhowette Masi C International Copy Secured” Hae a USA” AN Rights Reseed Boonie wie mnJazz Chord Voicings for the Right Hand was written for the following reasons: 1. To help you develop a jazz vocabulary as it relates to basic chord types and tension notes. To provide you with considerable keyboard experience employing chordal structures constructed from the basic chord types and tension notes. 3. To give you experience playing four note chords in the right hand only, since this skill is often employed in advanced jazz keyboard styles (e.g., solo improvisations using block chords) . 4. To assist you to master certain basics before you work on Jazz Chord Voicings for Two Hands. To derive the maximum benefit from this book you should adhere to the following suggestions. 1, Don't skip through the book. The information has been carefully programmed for your benefit. . Always practice the various studies in tempo. This is the only way you can become technically proficient with chord voicings. For the hands to move faster the mind must think faster. Gradually increasing the tempo accomplishes this goal. Listen to each chord voicing. Learn to hear the different tensions as they relate to a basic chord type. As you practice the chord voicings on different roots think “the numbers". Develop both your mind and ear. Keep your hand close to the keyboard as you move from one chord voicing to the next. Practice the chord voicing drills on page 29 on all the basic chord strugtpres previously learned (e.g., F°, Fmo, F7, Fm7, Fm/(P5), etc.) Once you have completed the studies in this book you should be prepared to move on to Jazz Chord Voicings For Two Hands. Jim Progris Copyist: Joe Smith2 BASIC CHORD TYPES Historically, jazz performers and arrangers have based their improvisations and compositions on progressions consisting of mainly four note chords. The nine types of chords that are used to construct tonal progressions are listed below. To construct chords with notes other than C apply the formula for each chord type to the major scale of the root of the chord symbol. The numbers (1, 3, 5, 6 or 7) represent the degrees of the major Seale’ when spplying the forma. 6 mst ene cad OT tT et cnt Cot = 6 7 6 1 u 7 u uv uu BOS 5 5 5 5 RS 5 5 ‘5 Bo3 3 B Bb 3 3 B B B 21 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 (L = Lower one $-step) (LL = Lower two d-steps) (R = Raise one 4-step) CHART OF BASIC CHORD TYPES 6 MT =o : » = In y S A os ott cat %, g Tt gee gl) Gt tT gat Get Ae AT gmoney Att get Ante) yetno oe 66 penet WOT yo MATT cds 4 MST yeas 7 ont AST ne pane tne ae rae mo Arne ad one ome (st) ay pen) pet lO 87 G7) ET lS) ay 7 v lS) or T Aru Qurt) AP 7 a7) wT GHD go 7 TT) oT y pert +7 ett +7 +7 Abert ott b+ T = 7 pant got mT Went eT ort alld 199 gor pent) geoT atl) a6 07 * * prio) pot yell) gro tO quot Arotl) py oT 270) 07 orn 76) get ont) cy oTpata nae = Chord symbols represent the harmonic progression. Since it has become conmon practice to indicate a chord progression by using chord symbols above a melody, it is absolutely essential that you know the notes these chord symbols represent and the harmonic function of the chord in the progression. To date, chord symbols have not been standardized. Experi- enced musicians are not hampered by the variations in nomenclature. The chord symbols recommended below will be used throughout this text. Chord Type Recommended Not Recommended Major Sixth 6 c(A) cladd A) cyaé ¢ (6th) Minor Sixth m6 cmin® cm6th) cmin(add 6) Major Seventh Haj? cu? ¢ cl#7) (#7) ¢? Dominant Seventh 7 Dom? ¢ (8°) Minor Seventh cn? cmin? c-7 cm(B) cm (7) Minor Seventh m7 (25) 97 cF cml=5 (07) (lowered fifth) Diminished Seventh cov c dim cldim) co cd Augmented Seventh ca? cA 75) COS) aug Major Seventh Maj? (#5) (raised fifth) Minor-Major Seventh cm(¥aj7) Major Triad c Minor Triad cm Augmented Triad ce Diminished Triad ce Tensions and altered tensions will always be written in parenthesis. For example: (b9) c7(#9) m7 (11) cwaj7(3) cmb (Maj?) 7 (13)BASIC CHORD DRILLS In order to harmonize melodies using four note chord voicings in the right hand you must be able to play a chord in all four inversions. The chord drills between pages five and ten should be mastered before preceeding to the next section. The usual fingering is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 1, 2, 3, 5. Use whichever fingering feels the most comfortable for a particular inversion MAJOR SIXTH Fé cc pe Be 63 pe Ge 3B pe MINOR SIXTH cm Fre perme EdmMAJOR SEVENTH cnn? penn? Aeon” >. genes? pe Em” * ame?MINOR-MAJOR SEVENTH cna) Frirn) peor) Eben e pbnirai? Deminne) 8 be Gbrinam) prima) en¢enaat) gira) prima) gninas? DOMINANT SEVENTH c’ FoMINOR SEVENTH cm Ber? em? pent > en Br ammaMINOR SEVENTH (LOWERED FIFTH) cnnes) Frn(es) by pers gene ti gonn(s8) pres) é gerne B78) EMU) ge a. ames) pres) Gres)10 DIMINISHED SEVENTH co » b qe pe 7 Ee pe 65 are quite confusing to read. It has becone any dininished seventh chords when spelled correctly tere ‘0 simplify the notation of the more complex fairly standard practice to use enharmonic spellings t chords. abet abel pbot bet on oe gbel ae + Is THE sane as 15 THE SAME ASBy TENSION NOTES Notes that are not basic chord tones (I, 3, 5, 6 or 1, 3, 5: 7) may be considered “tension notes." These noues which are also referred to a4 extensions and’ color tones are naned as 3ths, Ilths, oF ths. The arabic numbers indicate the distance of the note from the root of the chord. bee #q THIRTEENTH cHoRD MASTER STRUCTURE e + The tension notes most often used with each of the basic chord structures are Indicated In the chart below. CHORD. TSUAL_TENSTON 7 ‘jor 6th 9 Fir stn 3 jor 7th 3.4 nor-major 7th 3 lominant 7th 9,09,a9, 11, MIT, 13, D3 IKinor 7th 31 IMinor 7th (lowered Sth) | 11, B13 Diminished 7th Any note a whole step above abasic chord tone. ‘As you practice the drills between pages 13 and 20 menorize the chord volcings. A professional performer may only be given a melody with chord symbols, therefore, he must be capable of playing all chord voleings mentally. Wn o y py (be) CP ry tr) ye ei c’ a ot nau =3 eee12 HORD VOICINGS TT indicates alternate voicing possibilities. au 7 ce 7 cm cm 4 1 é 3 7 4 z 7 8 ; 4 if ii ‘ Tense crt og 0 1 u CATs) 5) eo 7 1 eae 1, 4 3 g $F 3 5 cuuster — — C7q bg bq tg 8g yo ll oS ae bye " #9 yo #l OS 3 bo 1 1 4 4 3 3 3 bo Eom 4 } 3 3°03 i rr us res rene In the case of the diminished Heiehth card any note 2 whole step above a basic chord tone is 2 tension. SS elody- substitute the ninth for the root In all dominant seventh cnords when 7 or 5 is in the m ¢ 7 use FoR——> BLAND q- No 7 QuaLity (Use on short notes only)