In this video, Dr. Anthony Fesmire introduces four part close position chord voicings (four-way close) used in jazz. This video is part of a hybrid Music Theory IV class taught at College of the Desert.
Video text:
In this video, we will discuss close position four part chord voicings used in jazz. The first principle to understand when creating these voicings is that they are built from the high note down. For this reason, they fit into a group of voicings known as top note voicings.
We will use a dominant 7th chord for each of our examples, but these principles can be applied to any chord type. Let’s begin by voicing a C7 chord. For the first voicing, we’ll start with the C as the melody, or top, note. For four note close position chords, we will just add the remaining notes as close as possible down from the high note. The notes of a C7 chord are C, E, G, and Bb. Voicing down from C, the next note is Bb, then G, then E. For the next voicing, we’ll start with E, the third, as the high note. The next note down in the C7 chord is C, then Bb, then G. For the next voicing, we’ll start with G, the fifth, as the high note. The next note down in the C7 chord is E, then C, then Bb. For the next voicing, we’ll start with Bb, the seventh, as the high note. The next note down in the C7 chord is G, then E, then C.
Each of these four voicings have no tensions: they just include the four notes of the seventh chord. We can add tension by replacing the root with the 9. This works because it is understood that a bass instrument is playing the root within the ensemble. Also, the fifth can be replaced with the 13. At times, it is also possible to replace the fifth with the 11. What tensions to use is first determined by what is available in the chord scale.
For the C7 chord, we will treat it as a V7 in a major key and use the mixolydian scale. For the first voicing, we have C, the root, as the high note. If this was a fixed melody note, we would need to keep it. For our purposes, we will replace it with the 9 (D). We will keep the 7. The fifth, G, can be replaced by the 13, A, and we will keep the third.
For the next voicing, we have the E as the melody. Theoretically, we can replace the root, C, with the 9, D, but it is important to not have a note that clashes with the melody, so we will strive to always be a third or more from the melody note. Next is Bb, the 7th, and finally, we can replace the fifth with the thirteen, so G becomes A. However, notice that the basic intervals from A to Bb and Bb to C are all seconds. When three or more notes are grouped together in intervals of seconds, they are known as a cluster. In general, clusters are avoided when voicing these types of chords, so we will keep the G, the fifth of the chord.
For the third voicing, we have G, the fifth, as the high note. If this was a fixed melody note, we would need to keep it. For our purposes, we will replace it with the 13 (A). We will keep the 3rd (E). The root can be replaced by the 9, and we will keep the seventh (Bb).
For the final voicing, we have the Bb as the melody. Theoretically, we can replace the fifth, G, with the 13, A, but, again, it is important to not have a note that clashes with the melody, so we will strive to always be a third or more from the melody note. Next is E, the 3rd, and finally, we can replace the root with the 9, so C becomes D.
These are all colorful voicings. Here is the sound of each with the root added in a bass voice.
Let’s also examine this chord as a V7 from a minor key using the mixolydian b9 b13 chord scale. In the first voicing, the 9 can become a b9 (Db), and the 13 can become a b13, Ab. In the second voicing, we can replace the root with the b9, since the Db is three half steps from the E (the equivalent of a minor 3rd). The 13 can be replaced with the b13. For the next voicing, the 13 in the melody can be replaced with a b13, and the 9 can be replaced with a b9. For the final voicing, we will still not use a 13 of any kind because it will be too close to the melody, but we can replace the 9 with a b9.
Note that the 11 never replaced the fifth in these voicings because it is not an available tension from the chord scales.
Here is the sound of each with the root added in a bass voice.
Let’s summarize
Close position chord voicings in jazz are built from the top note down through each of the closest notes of the chord.
To add tension, the root can be replaced with 9 (9 for 1), the fifth with the 13 (13 for 5), and the fifth with the 11 (11 for 5).
The choice of tension is based on what is available in the chord scale.
It is important for notes to not clash with the melody, so the next voice down should always be the equivalent of a third or more.
In addition, avoid clusters: three or more notes a second apart.
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