▪ Shell voicings are when we play the root of a chord plus another note in the bass. They complement the RH chords and moves.
▪ We can play any note of the scale being played in the bass, but the root provides the most stable and anchored sound.
▪ The shell voicings usually stick to the harmony and provide balance and structure.
Some common shell voicings in Jazz Standards:
▪ Root + major 7th note.
▪ Root + maj 6th note.
▪ Root + dominant 7th note (dominant 7th acting as a dim note).
▪ Root + 8th (octave).
▪ Root + 3rd an octave up (known as “a 10th”).
▪ Shell voicings in the family of 4 dominants: dominant shell voicing in the bass (root + flat 7th) works with the other 3 dominants of the same family in the RH.
▪ We can play notes from the current scale of chords in the bass as long as we resolve to the harmonic pattern.
▪ Drop 2 means playing a chord without the RH finger which is second highest, and moving it to the bass. It is a matter of style and choice. By moving higher pitch notes to the bass, we can provide depth and beauty.