Lesson Goal: To internalize commonly used Major 2 5 1 Chord Voicings in all keys… by ear, intellect, eye, and muscle…
Prerequisites
Basic music reading… the LOVE of music… and the discipline to study and practice.
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Chord Progressions Wiki
learn more… Chord Progressions (Wikipedia)
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Why Learn These Major 2 5 1 Chord Voicings…
- You will develop the ability to recognize a major 2 5 1 chord progression by ear.
- You will develop the ability to recognize a major 2 5 1 when you see the chord symbols in a chart.
- You will develop the skill to play a variety of major 2 5 1 chord voicings and rhythms (comping).
- You will develop the skill to improvise melodic lines over a major 2 5 1 in a variety of styles and rhythms (soloing).
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“Basic” Major 2 5 1 Chord Voicings
A simple rendition of the major 2 5 1 (ii7-V7-IM7) chord progression in the key of C Major… chord roots in the bass and closed position chords with voice leading in the right hand…
In addition to seeing how the tones in each chord stack up vertically, it’s important to see how the individual voices flow horizontally through the chord changes (traced by the red arrows)…
(Going from Dm7 to G7, the top two voices move down scale-wise while the bottom two voices remain the same… and going from G7 to CM7, the top two voices remain the same while the bottom two voices move down scale-wise.
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“Left Hand Block” Major 2 5 1 Chord Voicings
A valuable skill is to play the block chords with voice leading in your left hand as follows…
Doing so frees up your right hand to solo.
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“Definitive Tones” Major 2 5 1 Chord Voicings
A simple, sparse, and open sound can be achieved by playing the definitive tones (3 & 7) for each chord using voice leading in four variations…
Definitive Tones Variation #1
Roots left, definitive tones right…
Variation #1: Rootless Left Hand Voicing
Play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
Definitive Tones Variation #2
Variation #2, Rootless Left Hand Voicing #2
Play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
“9-9-9” Major 2 5 1 Chord Voicings
In order to achieve a jazzier sound, it is customary to add color tones to the basic seventh chords.
A standard way to do so is to add “the 9” to each 7th chord and drop all the roots in the right hand…
“9-9-9” Variation #1
“9-9-9” Variation #1, Rootless
Now play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
“9-9-9” Variation #2
Again, notice that the roots are dropped in the right hand…
“9-9-9” Variation #2, Rootless
Now play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
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“9-b9-9” Major 2 5 1 Chord Voicings
“9-b9-9” Variation#1
“9-b9-9” Rootless Left Hand Voicing #1
Now play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
“9-b9-9” Variation #2
In the key of C Major (notice that all the roots have been dropped in the right hand)…
“9-b9-9” Rootless Left Hand Voicing #2
Now play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
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“9-9,13-9” Major 2 5 1 Chord Voicings
“9-9,13-9” Variation #1
Notice that all the roots are dropped from the right hand…
“9-13-9” Variation #1, Rootless
Now play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
“9-13-9” Variation #2
“9-13-9” Variation #2, Rootless
Now play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
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“9-b9,13-9” Major 2 5 1 Chord Voicings
“9-b9,13-9” Variation #1
“9-b9,13-9” Variation #1, Rootless
Now play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
“9-b9,13-9” Variation #2
“9-b9,13-9” Variation #2, Rootless
Now play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
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“9-#9,b13-9” Major 2 5 1 Chord Voicings
“9-#9,b13-9” Variation #1
By the way, if you think that this voicing sounds and feels “bluesy”, you are absolutely right… The two color tones are the two most important blue notes… Bb and Eb in the key of C!
9-#9,b13-9″ Variation #1, Rootless
Now play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
“9-#9,b13-9” Variation #2
In the key of C Major (notice that all the roots are dropped in the right hand)…
9-#9,b13-9″ Variation #2, Rootless
Now play the right hand above as a rootless left-hand voicing, leaving your right hand free to play the melody or improvise…
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learn more… Jazz Piano Lessons
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