Music Information

How to Create Hip, Mature, and Lush Harmonies [correction]


Rarely is a chord played with its tones contained in a single octave, the root on the bottom, the third in the middle, and the fifth on the top.

Usually chords are "voiced!"

This basically means that the positions of a chord's tones are scattered over the keyboard. The tones may be altered, doubled, added to, missing, and so forth.

There are a great variety of possibilities available in voicing chords. Voicing chords properly is an art within itself. Using the correct voicing techniques in your playing will give your improvisation a "hip," mature and full sound. Chords played in root position just does not seem to do the job when playing Jazz, Rock, Pop, Blues, Gospel and "Smooth Jazz" piano.

Learning and mastering good voice leading techniques in your playing is not difficult if you just follow some simple rules.

1. The most important notes in any chord is the 3rd and the 7th. The 3rd of the chord defines whether the chord is a major or minor chord. The 7th of the chord will define whether the chord is a dominant or major chord. Usually the bass player will play the root and fifth. The root and fifth are not essential tones and can be completely left our from your chord progressions. If you must use the root and fifth try using it in your right hand, not your left. You should add your "color" tones in your right hand.

2. When you are taking a solo and not "comping" (accompanying) for another soloist you should play your chord voicings in your left hand, so that the right hand can be free to improvise, do fills, double the left hand, add extensions, etc.

3. The range of your voicings is also very important. A good rule of thumb to remember when voicing your chords, is to always try to voice your chords around middle C. Keeping your voicings around middle C will sound full and clear. Limits of approximately an octave above or below will assure best results by preventing the voicing from assuming a quality of thinness or muddiness.

Copyright 2005 RAW Productions

Ron Worthy is a Music Educator, Songwriter and Performer. His Web Site Offers Proven Tool, Tips and Strategies (that anyone can learn) to Play Rock, Pop, Blues, R&B and Smooth Jazz Piano. http://www.mrronsmusic.com/playpiano.htm


MORE RESOURCES:

Reuters

Subscription music services: Are we there yet?
ZDNet - 5 hours ago
Microsoft on Thursday announced a new music subscription model for its Zune music player and the big question in the back of the room is this: Will ...
Microsoft Announces New Zune Pass Music Subscription Model MarketWatch
Sources: Apple, music labels talk DRM-free songs CNET News
Microsoft Offers Free Songs to Zune Subscribers PC World
Ars Technica - CNET News
all 271 news articles


ReadWriteWeb

Mufin Releases Public Beta of First-of-Its-Kind Music Discovery Engine
MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
BERLIN, Nov 20, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Mufin, a new music discovery site that enables music lovers to tap into entirely new artists and songs ...
Mufin Opens Automated Music Recommendation Engine To The Public TechCrunch
Mufin opens up with Facebook app and iTunes plug-in CNET News
Mufin Brings Better Music Recommendations to iTunes ReadWriteWeb
Mashable
all 10 news articles


Music Choice Announces the Urban Music Award Nominees for Most ...
MarketWatch - 4 hours ago
Music Choice, the award-winning, multi-platform video and music network, announces the Urban music award categories and nominees for MOST DEMANDED - The ...


New York Times

Music Review Making Girls Dance: All in a Night’s Work
New York Times, United States - 14 hours ago
His music is a collage of hits, recent and old, that are instantly recognizable to just about everyone in the crowd. Each one — from Jay-Z to Styx to the ...
Girl Talk shows are a mix of concert, dance party Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Girl Talk Rowan University The Whit Online (registration)
all 5 news articles


mocoNews.net - Mobile Content Bits: Google Contacts Sync; Nokia ...
Washington Post, United States - 8 hours ago
Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Music Store Launches In Italy: With a catalog spanning more than 4 million songs, Nokia has launched its digital music store in Italy. ...


New York Daily News

Formerly Lavish Music Patron Is Convicted of Fraud
New York Times, United States - 17 hours ago
By DANIEL J. WAKIN Alberto W. Vilar, the investor and music lover accustomed to opulent living, front-row opera seats and the gratitude of arts impresarios, ...
Verdict a dilemma for Vilar arts center Rocky Mountain News
all 346 news articles


Music-piracy law challenged
Chicago Tribune, United States - 10 hours ago
Professor Charles Nesson has come to the defense of a Boston University graduate student targeted in one of the music industry's lawsuits. ...


Just Me! Music Chooses Acutrack for Personalized Audio CD Production.
MarketWatch - 18 hours ago
Music, the leading purveyor of branded, personalized children's products featuring today's most popular children's characters -- Barney(R), ...


Boston Globe (registration)

Music listings
Boston Globe (registration), United States - 13 hours ago
617-931-2000, www.ticketmaster.com JAMES REED DONAL FOX QUARTET The pianist's music melds jazz, classical, and Latin influences into his own deeply rooted, ...
North Best Bets Boston Globe (registration)
all 2 news articles


CNET News

Bang & Olufsen makes sweet, sweet music with Aston Martin
CNET News, CA - 11 hours ago
At the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show we sat in the DBS as a Bang & Olufsen representative played a variety of music through the system. ...

Music - Google News

home | site map
© 2006