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Piano Technique 10
CHORDS
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KT 10.1 - The Five Chord Qualities
A thorough knowledge and skill in chord playing is essential for the Jazz pianist. The first step towards this objective is the practice of the basic chord qualities in all keys.
The five qualities of 7th chords were introduced in Lesson 8.
Audio 8.1
From one chord quality to the next only one note, and therefore also only one finger, changes.
Use the finger combination 1, 2, 3 and 5 (or 1, 2, 3 and 4) for all 4-note chords, these are most comfortable for most chord progressions.
The five chord qualities in all keys are included in the Course. Learn to play all chords from memory as soon as possible.
Practise chords with both hands, the left hand chord one octave below the right.
Play the lowest chord tone in the left hand within the following range to ensure the best quality sound for the chord.
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KT 10.2 - Chord Inversions
When all chord tones of a chord fall within the span of one octave the chord is in so closed position.
Closed position chords are usually played with one hand. There are four closed position voicings (arrangement of chord tones) for 7th chords.
They are the :
- root position - where the root is at the bottom of the chord
- 1st inversion - where the root is raised an octave and the 3rd of the chord is at the bottom of the chord
- 2nd inversion - where the root and 3rd are raised an octave and the 5th is at the bottom of the chord
- 3rd inversion - where the root, 3rd and 5th are raised an octave and the 7th is at the bottom of the chord
Here are the four closed position voicings for all five qualities of the C chord.
Audio 10.1
Practise the five chord qualities in root position and the three inversions, as shown above, in all twelve keys.
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KT 10.3 - Circle of 5ths Exercises
The Circle of 5ths (as stated before) provides the basis for many chord progressions. It is therefore useful to practice chords in this order.
Start with practising the major, dominant and minor chord qualities all in root position in Circle of 5ths order (Seventh Chords 3).
Audio 10.2
(Audio sounds 1 octave lower as written)
The above is a good exercise to start with. However chord progressions sound best when each chord flows smoothly into the following chord.
For chords in Circle of 5ths order this is achieved by alternating chord voicings :- between root position and 2nd inversion
- or between 1st inversion and 3rd inversion
Here an example of major 7th chords around the Circle of 5ths alternating between root position and 2nd inversion.
Audio 10.3
(Audio sounds 1 octave lower as written)
Practise the major, dominant and minor chord qualities around the Circle of 5ths with alternating root position and 2nd inversion voicings as in Seventh Chords 4.When you gain some confidence use the Play-a-Long tracks provided.
Each chord is played for 2 beats only.
- Use the major track for the major 7th and dominant 7th chords.
- Use the minor track for the minor 7th chords.
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KT 10.4 : IIm7 - V7 - Imaj7 Chord Progression
The IIm7 - V7 - Imaj7 Chord Progression is explained in Lesson 7.
Audio 7.4
Practise the IIm7 - V7 - Imaj7 Chord Progression around the Circle of 5ths, alternating chord voicings between root position and 2nd inversion like this :
Audio 10.4
(Audio sounds 1 octave lower as written)
There are two practice cycles each one turning back onto itself. Together they cover the IIm7-V7-Imaj7 progresssion in all twelve major keys. Each cycle includes the following major keys : - Cycle 1 = C - Bb - Ab - Gb - E - D - then back to C
- Cycle 2 = F - Eb - Db - B - A - G - then back to F
Practise the IIm7-V7-Imaj7 Chord Progression in all keys as shown in Seventh Chords 5 and Seventh Chords 6.
Once you know these voicings work out the IIm7-V7-Imaj7 progressions using alternately 1st and 3rd chord inversions.
There are two Play-a-Long tracks included in this Course.
One plays the IIm7-V7-Imaj7 segment in each key over two bars.
The other track plays the same segments covering four bars (IIm7 = 1 bar, V7 = 1 bar, Imaj7 = 2 bars). |
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KT 10.5 - Practice Material
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© 1999 Michael Furstner (Jazclass)
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