Chord Voicing Suggestions

[stpvoodoo1]

Hello Janek,

I play a 5 (mostly with a Hi C), and I've got a 6 I occasionally wrestle with.

I was wondering if you could give a few chord form suggestions. Currently, I only use/know a few types:

Double stops (root & 10th)
Triple stops (root, 7th, & 10th)
And just basic 7 chords within the same octave. (root, 3rd, & 7th)

Are there any others that you employ?

[jazzcrime]

A cool voicing I like to use over min7 or maj7 chords is root 5th 9th 10th (10th is major or minor depending on the chord of course). like the min9th chord especially, there's the nice clash between the 9th and the minor10th on the top.

[stpvoodoo1]

Originally Posted by jazzcrime

A cool voicing I like to use over min7 or maj7 chords is root 5th 9th 10th (10th is major or minor depending on the chord of course). like the min9th chord especially, there's the nice clash between the 9th and the minor10th on the top.

Cool. May I ask how you finger such a thing? (If you can explain it). I think the root / 10th part would be just like a standard double stop, just curious how to get the 5th and 9th in there.

Assuming the notes are all played on different strings, if you could break it down finger-wise, that would be great!

For instance, could you tell me the fingering for a Cmaj7 from the C on the E string? Thanks so much!

[Andrew.Glose]

Hey man,

Use your left index for the C (on E string), use your middle finger for the G (on A string), your pinkie for the D (on D string), and use the rest of your index (barring) for the E/Eb (on G string). These chords are quite common these days. After you start using them, you'll be able to tell them very quickly when you hear them.

I'm not one to make limitations, but these types of chords, I've found, are not only easier to execute from the A string(on a 5 string w/ C), but they also tend to sound better.

For major chords when I play roots on the E string, I usually play the 3rd and 7th up TWO octaves from the root. It gives it more clarity and less clash. It's a more 'full' sound, I think, as well.

Ciao for now,

Andrew

[stpvoodoo1]

Originally Posted by Andrew.Glose

Hey man,

Use your left index for the C (on E string), use your middle finger for the G (on A string), your pinkie for the D (on D string), and use the rest of your index (barring) for the E/Eb (on G string). These chords are quite common these days. After you start using them, you'll be able to tell them very quickly when you hear them.

I'm not one to make limitations, but these types of chords, I've found, are not only easier to execute from the A string(on a 5 string w/ C), but they also tend to sound better.

For major chords when I play roots on the E string, I usually play the 3rd and 7th up TWO octaves from the root. It gives it more clarity and less clash. It's a more 'full' sound, I think, as well.

Ciao for now,

Andrew

AHHH. So barring is the key. GREAT! Thanks so much! I can't wait to get home and grab my bass. Anyone else with any other cool chord suggestions, please throw them in!

[jazzcrime]

that's how i do it too.
and for maj9 chords, instead of barring you'd use index for the C, middle for G, pinkie for D and ring finger for E...

also, in regards to finding voicings - experiement using your own voicings... i've got this table from a big band/horn arranging book i have that gives you a simple way to figure out what tensions are available to you for each chord type. might make it easier for you to figure out some cool voicings for things... basically to use it you figure out your chord type, what your top note will be, and work down from the top voice moving to the next row to the right on the table.
eg. Cmaj7#11 with #11 as the top note ---> (top to bottom voices) F# (#11), E (3), C (root), B (7).

[Paul New]

A nice one, and easy to play: R, 3rd, Dom7th, +9

Another: b5, R, -3rd, 7th.

Try voicing chords from the top down, too, root or 3rd on the c string, etc...

I'm no Janek, though...

[stpvoodoo1]

This is really great guys. Thanks a lot for the chart too Jazzcrime!

[janekbass]

when working out chords and voicings that aren't the obvious use of root, third, and seven, I tend to base everything around the melody note. I'll take a single note on the top string and then with one or two notes below it in a constant structure shape, move it chromatically down from as high as I possibly can to as low as I can and see what comes out of it along the way. That's an experimental situation for finding new colours and sounds. You can of course just spell out chords and just ask yourself what you want the chord to contain such us a flat nine, or sharp five or something, and then find all the available notes.

Easy,

Janek

[Zombbg4]

Originally Posted by jazzcrime

A cool voicing I like to use over min7 or maj7 chords is root 5th 9th 10th (10th is major or minor depending on the chord of course). like the min9th chord especially, there's the nice clash between the 9th and the minor10th on the top.

That is rediculous to try and finger with a major 10th!! I've got long fingers and its still tough, sounds great though. Thanks for sharing.

[Kobaia]

also if you have 5 strings.
root 5th 3rd 7th great sounding major chord
root (b)7th 3rd 13th great dominant or major chord
root b3 b7 11th great minor chord.

also there are other chords that have alternative names. I got this from looking at Tim Miller charts.

-7#5 its a major 9 chord in first inversion
root #5 b7 b3 awesome substitution.

[jazzcrime]

Originally Posted by Kobaia

also if you have 5 strings.
root 5th 3rd 7th great sounding major chord
root (b)7th 3rd 13th great dominant or major chord
root b3 b7 11th great minor chord.

also there are other chords that have alternative names. I got this from looking at Tim Miller charts.

-7#5 its a major 9 chord in first inversion
root #5 b7 b3 awesome substitution.

i'm curious how you're fingering those chords? seems like some fairly huge intervals if you're actually playing them in the order you wrote them out...

[eunchang]

Originally Posted by stpvoodoo1

Hello Janek,

I play a 5 (mostly with a Hi C), and I've got a 6 I occasionally wrestle with.

I was wondering if you could give a few chord form suggestions. Currently, I only use/know a few types:

Double stops (root & 10th)
Triple stops (root, 7th, & 10th)
And just basic 7 chords within the same octave. (root, 3rd, & 7th)

Are there any others that you employ?

These days I am working on this particular subject matter; Todd Johnson's new method book Fishin' For Grips has been a great help. The book/DVD combo shows how he plays 3-note rootless voicings with different top notes in various positions. Worth checking out I thin k.

Eun-Chang

[Kobaia]

Originally Posted by jazzcrime

i'm curious how you're fingering those chords? seems like some fairly huge intervals if you're actually playing them in the order you wrote them out...

root 5th 3rd 7th great sounding major chord

index on the root. ring on the 5th. Middle Finger on the 3rd, and pinky on the 7th.

root (b)7th 3rd 13th great dominant or major chord

index on the Root. Middle finger on the 7th. ring on the 3rd. pinky on the 13th(6th).

root b3 b7 11th great minor chord.

Middle Finger on the root. Index on the b3, Ring on the b7. Pinky on 11th(4th).

root #5 b7 b3 awesome substitution.

Index barring the root, b7, b3. pinky on the #5

also some other ones i use alot.
7#9
root 3rd b7 #9
Maj9
root 3rd, 7th, 9th(barred with the 3rd)
Maj7#11
root 5th 7th #11
also
root 3rd 7th #11
7b13 or(7#5)
Bar root b7, and b13 then add a 3rd a tritone up from the b7 a major third down from the 13th.