voicings

theoryVOY-singzfrom English

The specific arrangement and spacing of notes within a chord across the available range.

In Depth

The same chord can be voiced in many different ways by changing which notes are on top, how far apart the notes are spread, and which notes are doubled or omitted. A close-voiced C major chord has all notes within one octave; an open voicing spreads them across two or more octaves. Jazz pianists develop libraries of voicings for each chord type. Bill Evans revolutionised jazz piano voicings by placing the root low, then stacking thirds and sevenths in the right hand, creating a modern sound that became standard.
Did you know?

Bill Evans's rootless voicings freed the left hand from playing the root (which the bassist covers), enabling richer harmonic colours that changed the sound of jazz piano forever.

Related Terms

chordharmonypianoarrangement

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The lowest male voice type, or the lowest part in a musical composition.

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The highest and most agile type of soprano voice, specializing in rapid vocal ornamentation, trills, and high-register passages.

common tone

A pitch that is shared between two consecutive chords, providing smooth voice-leading continuity

melodic minor scale

A minor scale that raises both the sixth and seventh degrees when ascending and reverts to natural minor when descending

voice leading

The art of moving individual voices smoothly from one chord to the next.

Keep Exploring

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