Lesson 5: 4-Note Voicings (Chord Symbols)

This section includes 6 lessons, each focusing on major ii-V-I left-hand voicings. We’ll concentrate on 3-note and 4-note voicings, all of which were covered in previous modules. We practiced these voicings in two different inversions because some inversions sound better in certain keys than in others.

When choosing one inversion over another, two factors come into play:

1. Pitch range: Rootless voicings should not be played too low to avoid muddiness. However, playing those same voicings an octave higher might position them above middle C, making them sound too high and thin, which isn’t ideal either.

2. Texture: The choice also depends on the texture we aim to achieve with the voicing. Sometimes our can be to make chords sounds muddy or thin, because it is needed for the story we want to tell with our music.

The subtitle of these lessons are ‘Lazy People Edition’ because we won’t practice inversions that don’t sound good just for the sake of completion in all 12 keys. Instead, we’ll focus only on the inversions (or formulas) for each key that sound the best, ignoring those too muddy, too thin inversions.

We aim to practice every lesson in three different ways:

1. With sheet music: Ideal for those new to the concepts covered in the lesson and who prefer a written representation for analysis.

2. With chord symbols: Beneficial for preparing you for professional settings, where you’ll likely receive a lead sheet with chord symbols, leaving the interpretation up to you.

3. With Roman numerals: An excellent approach for those aiming to analyze, memorize, and transpose chord progressions efficiently and effectively.