JBF_Jazz_Theory, Ideas Flashcards
guide tones technique.
The term guide tones refers to the 3rd and 7th of a 7th chord. These notes are especially important because they influence a chord’s quality (major 7, dominant 7, minor 7) and also guide its resolution.
Guide Tones Application 1
There are two different ways to apply the guide tones technique. Let’s start with the simplest application. To do so, simply play the guide tones as a stand-alone shell voicing. Keep in mind, this approach does not include any roots in the chord progression. Consequently, this application is most appropriate for a combo settings in which you have a bass player. In a cycle of 5th progression like “Autumn Leaves,” you will need to alternate between guide tones and inverted guide tones to achieve proper voicing leading.
Guide Tones Application 2
A second application for using guide tones is to play them with the root of each chord or immediately after. In either case, this is certainly an intermediate level skill as it involves a larger hand reach or quick lateral movements in the left hand. However, this approach is particularly relevant for solo piano settings in which there is no bass player holding down the roots.
A common practice for solo piano situations is play the root on beat 1 and the guide tones (or inverted guide tones) on the “and of 2.” The following example demonstrates this technique.
Quartal Voicings
A quartal voicing is any jazz piano chord voicing that uses stacks of two or more 4th intervals. Quartal voicings can be played in one hand with three notes or in two hands with four, five or even six notes. Ideally, quartal voicings seek to maximize perfect 4th intervals. However, it is common for some of the intervals to be a 3rd or augmented 4th depending on the chord type and melody note.
Quartal Sound
The quartal voicing sound was popularized by McCoy Tyner in the early 1960s. Other players associated with this sound are Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock.
