Tips on piano chord voicings

http://bit.ly/billsbook

This tutorial explains some of the things you need to think about when coming up with chord voicings, including spacing, chord identity and character.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• piano chords
• piano tutorial

[vbdx66]

Hi, thanks for the interesting video. I have always wondered why it was best to space the notes of a chord in the lower octaves of the keyboard, now thanks to you I know it is because of the overtones. A further question: when you drop either the third or the fifth when voicing a seventh chord, will this chord loose its identity?

[billhiltonbiz]

@vbdx66 It depends on the chord and the context. So, for example, a C7 minus it's 3rd has some similarities to Eb6. If you take a note out of a triad it loses its identity very easily. So, e.g., C major without a root is just the notes E and G - it could be part of C, Em, C#dim... most times removing notes causes few problems because chords sit in context, but it is something you need to be aware of. "Trust your ears" is the best advice!

[lwilson80]

can your next video be on rhythm techniques for chord progressions?

[billhiltonbiz]

@lwilson80 Yep, it's next up - probably sometime next week!

[muddypaws1971]

Hello bill, can you do a video where you tell us your past in piano playing, would love to know when you started and did you do the grades, when and how you learned to play by ear and learn the different styles, are you self taught or did you have a mentor, maybe you have perfect pitch, great videos i would love to play well without reading music

[rcbigflyer]

Thank you, Bill. enjoyed video.

Gary

[cain1s]

Hey Bill...how about a lesson on passing chords and how to use them?

[matoatlantis]

thanks for the tutorial, great as always.

[LilKISSman]

OMFG YAAAAAYYYYY \:D/

[LilKISSman]

first?