Open Voicings

OPEN VOICINGS - Basic Formulas

The formulas work well for all the basic chord types: Maj7, Dom7, Min7, Maj6, Min6, Min7b5, Min-Maj7, u!7, Dim7, "ubstitute 6 for 7 in the formulas for Maj6 and Min6 chords# The italicized number is the melody note or note bein! harmoni$ed# %ractice all nine chord types with all & formulas in '( keys# That)s * + & + '( or &( chords# t)s a bi! job and will re.uire weeks if not months of  practice# %ractice the chords throu!h the cycle of fifths, diatonically, diatonically, chromatically and usin! random drill sheets#

/eft 0a 0and 1i!ht 0a 0and '-7

-5-1

'-5 '-5 '-5

-7-3 7--5 7--7 

The root 2'3 is the top note, the melody note bein! harmoni$ed The third is the melody The fifth is the melody The se4enth is the melody

 HO !O "SE !HE OPEN VOICING FO#$"%&S 

/ead sheets only !i4e you the melody and the harmony 2chord symbols3# e!inners often start by playin! the melody with the ri!ht hand and the chords with their left# pen 4oicin!s allow the chord to be played by sharin! the notes of the chord with both hands# The result is  better soundin! chords and and more fle+ibility to addalter tones to pro4ide pro4ide a richer harmonic palette# To use the formulas, '# "elect the melody notes to be harmoni$ed# Typically Typically these are notes on stron! beats like beat ' and beat  in && time# (# Determine .uickly if the melody note is part of the chord 2root2'3, rd, 5th, 7th3, or a non-chord tone# f the note is part of the chord,  'ou(re i) luc* 8 %lay the note as written with the appropriate formula fillin! in the chord underneath# n 9i!# ', the melody note is  and the chord is 7# ;se the 'st formula since the melody is the ' 2root3

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hen chords are placed too low on the keyboard, the chord is muddy and bad soundin!# The pen ?oicin! formula can be chan!ed to make the chord smaller so that it is placed in a more acceptable ran!e#