VIII. Shell-Voicings

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "VIII. Shell-Voicings"

Nickolas Conley
5 years ago
Views:

1 VIII. Shell-Voicigs A. The Cocept The 5th (ad ofte the root as well) ca be omitted from most 7th-chords. Ratioale: Most chords have perfect 5ths. The P5th is also preset as the rd partial i the overtoe series of the root. Whether souded or ot it will be felt to be there. Whe icluded i a voicig the perfect 5th does ot tell the listeer aythig he does t already kow about the chord ad it ca therefore usually be omitted. May times the 5th of a chord ca be omitted eve i a chord-type with a altered 5th. A altered 5th ca ofte be implied by a pre-established key feelig or by the chords immediately precedig or followig the chord cotaiig the altered 5th. Example: F#m7b5 i the key of C major. There is o real eed to have a C atural i the voicig for this chord because C is felt so strogly as the toic of the key. A C# would be uexpected. Eve if the altered 5th is ot implied by cotext it ca also ofte be omitted ayway because it will probably ot be essetial to the chord s fuctio withi the progressio. Example: G7#5. as V7 i the key of C major. I this example the #5 is really just a colour toe. G7 will still fuctio like V7 with-or-without the D#. Whe playig with a bass player the root is usually take care of by him. It ca the be viable for a guitarist to omit the root from a voicig as well as the 5th without losig that much iformatio. The cocept of root is oe that is iextricably tied up with acoustics ad the overtoe series. Most (but ot all) sets of pitches soudig together (as a iterval or as a chord) will have a acoustical root that is felt to exist ad that ca also be deduced by comparig the itervals i that pitch set with the itervals foud i the overtoe series of a hypothetical fudametal root toe. This is much too complicated to go ito here but I leared about this stuff through Gordo Delamot s great book Moder Harmoic Techique (Volume ). I ca t recommed his books highly eough. The poit is that aother reaso why we ca ofte get away with omittig the root (eve whe there is o bass player playig it for us) is because it is ofte felt to be preset as the acoustical root of the itervals that make up the rest of the chord voicig whether the root itself is actually soudig or ot! O the other had... The rd tells the listeer whether the chord is major or mior i relatio to the root ad the 7th further defies the chord. These otes are essetial to the soud of a 7th-chord most of the time although there are situatios where eve they might also be omitted from a voicig of a 7th chord. All we really eed the is either a -ote shell-voicig (rd ad 7th; usig oly strigs) or a -ote shell-voicig (Root rd ad 7th; usig oly strigs) for ay 7th chord. This greatly frees up the hads. Plus it allows for the embellishmet of the chord with appropriate extesios (ad/or other chord-toes) sice up to strigs are still available above the shell. Most colour toes are added above rather tha below a shell-voicig. Sometimes though the extra colour toes ca be squeezed betwee your rds ad 7ths. You might decide to add back the 5th or the root too i betwee the rds ad 7ths. This cocept ca also help to facilitate a quick ad dirty type of chord-melody style by simply placig the appropriate shell-voicig udereath the melody ote beig harmoized. See Chapter XII. Much of the attetio paid i effective lie writig has to do with joiig rds ad 7ths together from oe chord to the ext at the poit of the chord chage. The lies that result from this type of voice leadig are ofte referred to as guide-toe lies. Pay special attetio to how the rd of a chord whose root is movig up a th (dow a 5th) jois ito the 7th of the ext chord. Pay attetio to the way the rds ad the 7ths of ALL 7th chords move from oe chord to the ext. So whe I speak of shell-voicigs i the course of this book I will usually mea 7th-chords with the 5th omitted. Sometimes the root may also be omitted. Shell = R 7 (or just & 7) J. M. Goldstei

2 For ow we will keep the root o the bottom ad we will start with the simplest formatios that use the followig formulas. Note: Omittig the root usually works best whe there is a bass player playig with you. Two Basic Forms: R 7 ad R 7 [O sus chords replace with.] [O 6th chords ad dimiished 7th chords replace 7 with 6 (or ı7).] The followig chart shows the approximate physical locatio o the fretboard where the rd ad 7th happe to fall uder your figers depedig o where the root is fretted (or merely visualized i a voicig with omitted root). Above each shell o the remaiig strigs there also happe to be some otes with various qualities that are available ad withi reach. 7 or R or 9 7 or R or 9 or 5 or or 5 or R or 9 or 7 or 5 or or 5 or R or 9 or 7 7 R or 9 or 7 7 X (R) 7 7 X (R) (R) 5 X (R) (R) 6 (R) (R) The st colum o the left merely deotes the strig umber. The d colum from the left shows what happes whe the Root is figered (or merely visualized) o the 6th strig. You will the fid that the rd just happes to be withi reach o the 5th strig. You will also fid the 7th withi reach o the th strig. R--7. Example: If you fret a C atural o the 6th strig 8th fret; you will fid a E atural earby o the 5th strig at the 7th fret. You will also fid a B atural earby o the th strig at the 9th fret. These otes (C E ad B) souded together are a shell-voicig for Cmaj7. Put aother way... These otes are all you eed to get the soud of Cmaj7 across to your listeer. Sometimes all you eed is E & B especially with a bass player playig a low C. If you were playig Cm7 the E ad the B would be E ad B. If you were playig C6 you would substitute A atural for the B atural. If you were playig C7sus the shell would have F atural istead of E atural ad the B would be B. Etc. The shells for Cm7 ad Cm7 5 will be idetical because we are omittig the 5th. The shells for Cm6 ad Cº7 will be idetical for the same reaso. Withi your reach above the th strig you will fid the Root the 9th ad the rd are available as extra toes o the rd strig. Note: The Root does ot make for a very good soudig doubled ote o a chord with a Maj7 iterval (like Cmaj7 Cm(maj7) Cmaj7#5 etc.) whe it is souded above the major 7th. This is because it creates a rather harsh soudig mi d iterval or a eve harsher soudig mi 9th iterval with the chord s maj 7th below. These two itervals are the most avoided souds i Toal music although they do have their uses. The root souds fie o chords with 7 s (like C7 Cm7 etc.) or Maj6ths (like C6 Cm6 etc.) because the itervals created are either maj ds or maj 9ths which are much more pleasat soudig to most people s ears tha 9s. Locatig the extesios o the higher strigs (the strigs ot beig used for the basic shell) is easy if you first start by locatig the Root ad/or the P5th o those strigs. Get used to thikig that the ote that fuctios as a major 9th o a give chord ca be foud frets above the root. (9ths ad ds are the same pitch-class i.e. they share the same letter ame.) Mior 9ths ( 9) are fret above the root. Augmeted 9ths (#9) are frets above the root. Major ths ca be foud frets above the Perfect 5th. (ths ad 6ths are the same pitch-class/letter ame.) Mior ths ( ) are foud fret above the Perfect 5th J. M. Goldstei

3 Perfect ths ca be foud frets below the Perfect 5th. (ths ad ths have the same pitch-class/letter ame.) Augmeted ths (#) are foud fret below the perfect 5th. Whether the 9th whe added as a colour toe should be a maj 9th a mi 9th or a aug 9th depeds largely o the chord-type ad o the cotext of the chord s occurrece withi a progressio (icludig the voice-leadig). I geeral o-chord-toes should ot form a mi d or a mi 9th with ay chord-toe soudig BELOW it if the itetio is for the o-chord-toe to bled ito the chord as a Available Tesio. This is for the same reasos that the Root does ot soud very good whe voiced above the maj 7th. (I.e. Because s ad 9 s are rather harsh soudig.) The mai exceptio to this avoid 9 itervals rule is the 9 extesio which is used all the time o Dom7 chords. Eg. C7 9. The reasos for this particular exceptio have to do with musical acoustics agai as well as with symmetrical divisios of the octave ad the qualities of Toe Equal Temperamet. Too much to really go ito here. Sorry. Memorize this exceptio ow. [Hit: C7 9 = Eº7/C. Oe of the possible acoustical roots of Eº7 is C. So the 9 iterval betwee C ad D is acceptable for acoustical reasos. D is heard as a slightly distorted versio of C s 9th partial by this theory.] Example: With the shell for Cmaj7 (still Colum above) addig a C atural (the root) o the rd strig does t soud so hot. This is because it is clashig with the B atural right below it. Neither does the D ( 9). This is mostly because it is clashig with the C atural a 9 below it. The D atural (9) souds fie. D# (#9) is a little weird but ot early as harsh as the 9 was. Example: With the shell for C6 (C E A) addig a C atural (the root) o the rd strig souds fie. The D still clashes with the C atural below it. D atural is still good. Ad D# although a little out souds OK. Example: With the shell for C7 (C E B ) addig C (the root) or D ( 9 - the exceptio to the rule!) or Dñ (9) or D# (#9) are all fie. Also... Tesios should *geerally* be diatoic toes i the key that the progressio is i at ay particular momet. Example: Addig a maj 9th (D atural) to a Cm7 usually souds fie whe the chord is fuctioig as IIm7 i the key of B major or as VIm7 i the key of E major. But it might soud out of place whe Cm7 is fuctioig as IIIm7 i the key of A major. This is because the key of A major uses D s ot Dñs. O a chord with a 5 (eg. Cm7 5) you should cosider the P5th to be a avoid-ote eve if there is o 5 preset i your shell-voicig for it to clash with. This is because it is highly likely that someoe else i your esemble (the bassist or the soloist etc.) might be soudig the 5 at ay give momet ad you might clash with *them*. Tip: O a chord with a #5 the P5th does t soud too bad whe souded above the mai body of the chord as Tesio. Eg. O C7#5 a high Gñ (T) creates a maj7 iterval with the G#/A dow i the chord ot a 9. Please see Chapter XI. - Chord-Scales Via Modal Theory for a more detailed explaatio of the various ochord-toe types available withi ay give chord-scale relatioship. Withi your reach o the d strig (still usig Colum shells btw); you will fid the 5th ad therefore the th ad the th. Whether or ot to use a Pth or a #th a maj th or a depeds o the same cosideratios discussed above amely avoidig the creatio of s ad 9 s with lower chord-toes ad o the cotext i which the chord is occurrig withi the key. It is quite commo to add two colour toes at oce to a shell-voicig (eg. o the rd strig ad the d strig) if a decet figerig ad ca be achieved. Sometimes the root may eed to be omitted. Withi your reach o the st strig (still usig Colum shells); you will fid the 7th the Root ad the 9th. It is also quite possible to add three colour toes at oce to a shell-voicig (o the rd d ad st strigs; for example) if a decet figerig ad soud ca be achieved. Sometimes the Root may eed to be omitted. Various combiatios of roots 5ths ad extesios are possible o the remaiig strigs above a shell voicig. Importat!: Do t get *too* hug up o figurig out voicigs with added tesios just yet. Cocetrate rather o learig all the basic shells (R 7 - R 7 etc.) for all the basic 7th-chord-types with the roots located o the various strigs J. M. Goldstei

4 The rd colum shows what happes whe the root is figered (or merely visualized) o the 6th strig still but where the 5th strig is ot used. You will the fid that the 7th still happes to be withi reach o the th strig. The rd ca be foud earby o the rd strig a octave higher tha it was origially see i the Colum shell-voicig type. O the d strig you will fid the th the 5th ad the th still withi your reach. O the st strig you will fid the 7th the root ad the 9th still withi your reach. The th colum shows what happes whe the root is figered (or merely visualized) o the 5th strig. You will the fid that the rd is earby o the th strig. The 7th ca be foud earby o the rd strig. O the d strig you will fid the root the 9th ad the rd withi your reach. O the st strig you will fid the th the 5th ad the th withi your reach. The rd colum ad th colum shell-voicig types work exceptioally well together because the rds ad 7ths are always o the same strigs. Also the 5th ad 6th strigs are the reserved for just the roots. Cofiig yourself to these chord-types ofte results i some very strog voice-leadig betwee the rds ad 7ths of the various chords i a progressio without eve kowig what voice-leadig is. Of all the suggested figerigs for shell-voicigs foud here these are the most widely used ad the most useful. Lear them well before you attempt to tackle the other oes. The 5th colum also shows what happes whe the root is figered (or merely visualized) o the 5th strig but ow the th strig is ot used. You will the fid that the 7th still happes to be withi reach o the rd strig. The rd ca ow be foud earby o the d strig a octave higher tha it was i the Colum shell-voicig type. O the st strig you will fid the th the 5th ad the th still withi your reach. The 6th colum shows what happes whe the root is figered (or merely visualized) o the th strig. You will the fid that the rd is earby o the rd strig. The 7th ca be foud earby o the d strig. O the st strig you will fid the root the 9th ad the rd withi your reach. The 5th colum ad the 6th colum shell types also work very well together for the same reasos that the rd ad th colum shell types work so well. The 7th colum also shows what happes whe the root is figered (or merely visualized) o the th strig but ow the rd strig is ot used. You will the fid that the 7th still happes to be withi reach o the d strig. The rd ca ow be foud earby o the st strig a octave higher tha it was i the colum 6 shell-voicig type. There are o strigs available above this shell-grip-type for addig colour toes. The 8th colum shows what happes whe the root is figered (or merely visualized) o the rd strig. You will fid that the rd is earby o the d strig. The 7th ca be foud earby o the st strig. There are o strigs available above this shell for added colour toes. Shell-Voicig Exercises Use the shell types from *Colums ad oly* for ow. (Go back later ad work o the others.). Lear to comp through a blues (Pg. 5) ad several stadard tues (see the back of Chapter VI) usig these two chord voicig types (i.e. the Colum & shell/grip-types). Watch how the rds ad 7ths joi together from oe chord to the ext. Also play the exercises o Pg. 5 usig these shell-grip-types.. Whe you are comfortable with this try addig some appropriate extesios ad/or desirable chord-toes o the d ad st strigs. It helps if you kow the proper chord-scale relatioships beforehad (see Chapter XI.) but try just usig your ears for ow. You might get lucky. If a extesio does t soud good do t use it.. Repeat the above with the other shell-voicig formatios. It is possible to take the cocept of shell-voicigs *MUCH* farther. Cosider this: If you are playig with a bass player ad he's playig off of the root of a C chord the aywhere o the fretboard that you play the otes E ad B together will create the soud of a C7 chord betwee you ad him. If you play the E o the 5th strig at the 7th fret ad the B o the st strig at the 6th fret the you have strigs *i the middle of the shell* i which to experimet with colour toes. Etc J. M. Goldstei

5 J. M. Goldstei The possibilities for placemet of rds ad 7ths are: rd o 6th strig - 7th o 5th strig or th strig or d strig 7th o 6th strig - rd o 5th strig or th strig or d strig rd o 5th strig - 7th o th strig or rd strig or st strig 7th o 5th strig - rd o th strig or rd strig or st strig rd o th strig - 7th o rd strig or d strig or st strig 7th o th strig - rd o rd strig or d strig or st strig rd o rd strig - 7th o d strig or st strig 7th o rd strig - rd o d strig or st strig rd o d strig - 7th o st strig 7th o d strig - rd o st strig Here s a example of oe way to play the basic (R7 or R7) shell-voicigs o All The thigs You Are usig alteratig Colum ad Colum shell/grip types. Note ad adhere to the suggested figerigs. & b b b b c > > Fm7 B b m7 E b 7 A b Maj7 D b Maj7 G7 Dm7 CMaj7 A A Cm7 Fm7 B b 7 E b Maj7 A b Maj7 # Am7 b 5 D7 # GMaj7 Em7 Am7 # D7 # GMaj7 # # F # m7 # B7 # # EMaj7 A C7( # 5) Fm7 B b m7 E b 7 A b Maj7 b Maj7 b b b m7 m7 o 7 Guitar Swig Freddie Gree Style etc. Medium Tempo

6 D b Maj7 B b m7 b D b m7 b E b 7 A b 6 Here s the same tue with some available tesios added o the d strig. Note: These particular tesios might clash with the actual melody of the tue if the melody was soudig. The real art of compig has everythig to do with supportig the melody or the soloist s improvised melody. My choice of tesios here is to be thought of as a very geeralized usage. The tesios I have picked are derived mostly from the scale of the key-of-the-momet ad they also happe to fit the chord vertically. The give figerigs are desiged for strummig with the pick. It is ofte possible to use much easier figerigs tha these whe playig figer-style or pick+figers. Cm7 G7 B o 7 b C7. Swig Fm7(9) & bb b b c > > D b Maj7(9) A A Cm7() A b Maj7() Am7() # # Guitar F # m7(9) m7(9) Medium Freddie Gree Style Dm7(9) B b m7() Fm7(9) G 7() # Am7 b 5( b ) D7( b 9)D7( # 9) # D 7(9) ## etc. B 7() b m7() E b 7(9) CMaj7(9) B b 7() GMaj7() # GMaj7() # # # # A b Maj7() b 7(9) b Maj7() J. M. Goldstei EMaj7(9) CMaj7() E b Maj7(9) # Em7(9) GMaj7(9) # A C7( b )

Table Of Contents Blues Turnarounds

Table Of Contents Blues Turnarounds Table Of Cotets Blues Turarouds Turaroud #1 Turaroud # Turaroud # Turaroud # Turaroud # Turaroud # Turaroud # Turaroud # Turaroud # Blues Turarouds Blues Soloig Masterclass Week 1 Steve Stie A Blues Turaroud