Basic Piano Voicing Exercises

I. Basic two hand open voicing forms for accompaniment:

These basic forms feature larger intervals (7ths) lower to avoid muddiness. The essential quality
of any chord is its 3rds and 7ths (or occasionally 6th), which are usually played with the thumbs in these forms.
7th (4-note) chords, as opposed to triads (3-note chords) constitute the basic language of jazz harmony,
and are frequently "extended (enriched)" by the use of "color tones" or "tensions" (9ths, 11ths and 13ths*).
This first set of voicings has the formula, from the bottom up: 1,7 (LH), 3, 5, 9 (RH). 13 may replace 5
on dominant chords and 9 and 1 are likewise interchangeable in the top voice. In Major chords, 7 and 6 are interchangeable.
4 w ˙ ˙˙ w ˙ ˙
& 4 ww ˙˙ ˙ b ww b b ˙˙ ˙˙
C Maj7 (C ±) C7 C 7(13 / 5) C -7 (Cm7) C -7(b5) ( C ø)

? 44 ww bw
w
bw
w
bw
w
EXCERCISE: Play Ex's I individually and chromatically up and down keyboard.

II. *Compound Interval nomenclature and the "bitonal" system of chord extension:
A compound interval means 9,11, or 13. These are the 2nd, 4th or 6th scale degrees when found in
the presence of a 7th chord (i.e. when used harmonically; so 2+ 7 = 9; 4 + 7 = 11; 6 + 7 = 13).
Extending the chord with the same quality triad as that of the primary chord one step higher will
yield appropriate quality 9, 11 and 13ths. In the following examples, the "extensions" which comprise this triad
are in the treble clef above the basic 7th chord in the bass clef. They are followed by scales that result from their
interpolation between the basic chord tones. Circled notes are the notes of these extended triads.

œ œ # ww bœ œ bœ œ
D-

# www œ œ www œ
D D
& œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ
13
w
13
#11 11
9 9
1, 2(9),3,#4(#11),5,6(13),7,1 (same functions but w/b7) 1,2(9),b3,4(11),5,6(13), b7,1

?
7
www
C Maj7
b www
C7
b b wwww
C -7
∑ ∑ ∑
(Aka "C Lydian b7") (Aka "C dorian")
w w
5 (Aka "C Lydian")
3
1

EXERCISES: 1.) recreate these extended chords randomly on different chord roots;
o
2.) move these voicings up and down the keyboard chromatically.
D+
o
& b www b œ b œ œ # b ww bœ bœ b wwww bœ nœ œ
D 7
b œ
D

œ œ b œ œ w œ œ œ #œ œ œ bœ œ #œ
ø o
C+
1,2(9),b3,4(11),b5,b13,b7,1

? b b b wwww
(Aka "Whole

b ww b b wwww
C Tone" scale: (Aka "octatonic" scale:
C 7
∑ w ∑ ∑
(Aka "C locrian natural 9") only 6 notes!) has en 'extra' note!)
2 III. Examples of more advanced chord voicings for use on Dominant 7th chords (since dominant chords may have
multiple tonal origins owing to the influence of Blues, minor key tonality, etc.,they frequently accommodate
so-called "altered" (i.e. b or #) color tones):
("Blue note" voicing as

b www
b b b œœœ
used in "All B lues")

b b www
b œ
b VI(Ab) bV(Gb) VI (A) bIII (Eb)
& w w b œœ œœ
# ww b b ww œ œ
b œœ
Function of notes in extended triads in treble clef shown above: Practice arpeggiating
(b13, 1, #9 b5, b7, b9 b9, 3, 13 b7, #9, 5) these triads while the basic chord is
sustained in the left hand:

? b www b ww b ww b ww b ww
(C7) Ex. using Ab:

w w w w
EXERCISES: Practice each one of these voicings up and down the keyboard chromatically, and
Practice arpeggiating the extended triad while sustaining the basic chord in the LH as shown above.

Example: C7 ('altered') using the above triads in a melodic figuration,

bœ # n n œœœ n b b œœœ b b b œœœ

then resolving to F Major (i.e. a typical "V-I" situation).

& b œœ ˙
b b ˙˙ b b b ˙˙˙ w
ww
? b www ww
F
w
C7

w ww

IV: Closed position 7th chords using 9/1 on Major and minor chords,
and 13/5 as well on dominant chords. Learn these two forms only, Also practice these with the
featuring the third or 7th in the bottom voice respectively:
chords in the LH and roots above\

w w www ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
in the RH:

& www
9/1 13/5 9/1 9/1 9/1 13/5 + 9/1 9/1

www ˙˙˙ ˙˙˙ www w w

w ˙ ˙ w
˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙ wwww
"form I" "form II"
D-7 (ii) G7 (V)
w
CMaj7 (I)
˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙
?w "form I"
w ˙
"form II"
w ˙
NOTICE THAT THE VOICE-LEADING in cycle of 5ths chord progressions revolves around 7ths and 3rds
moving to or becoming one another.

Examples of Solo Piano harmonizations combining these principles:

b ˙˙˙ b b ˙˙˙ bb
"Days of Wine and Roses" Mancini

&Ó Œ w œ b œœ œœ œœœ ˙
n n ˙˙
œ œ œ
œ ww œœ b œ œ Ó b ˙˙ œ ˙

# www ww
FMaj7 Eb7 D7 G-7 etc...
? ∑ w bw w w bb
w bw w
 "Peace" by Horace Silver 3

b b Ó Œ œ œ .. œœœœ œ n œœœ œœœ b œœœ ˙œ˙˙ œ œ # œ˙ œ b ˙œ b œ b œ œœ œœ

& ˙ b˙ ˙˙ .. œ nœ
œ n œœ ˙.
? b .. ˙˙ # ˙˙ n˙ b˙
b ∑
˙ ˙˙ b ˙˙ nœ ˙˙ .. Œ
œ

bb #œ œ œ bœ nœ nœ bœ œ
45

# œ˙ œ œ˙ n œ œ # œ n œ œ n œ
3

&
˙ #˙ b ˙˙ n ˙˙ b b www b œ˙ b œ œ b œ˙ œ
˙ ˙
? b #œ nœ œ #œ b˙ b˙ b ww
45

b n˙ n˙ œ #œ #œ nœ b˙ ˙ n˙
b˙

b œ œ ..
& b ˙˙ ..
˙.
? b b ˙˙ .. ..
50

Excercise: Analyze the function of each note in the above voicings relative to each chord's root.
Try to see if you can figure out how the various chord voicings relate to the earlier exercises.
Notice also what kind of intervals (3rds, 4ths, etc.) are used.